The Poma Group, based in El Salvador and majority owned by the Poma family, has business interests in automobile distribution, manufacturing, real estate including hotels and shopping malls.

The corporate investment program is estimated of up to $150 million. The proposed IFC investment consists of a senior loan in the amount of up to $35 million to the selected subsidiaries of the company.

35.0 million (USD)

Product Line	IFC Investment (million USD)
Risk Management
Guarantee
Loan	35.0
Equity

* These investment figures are indicative

The project will be located in Nicaragua and Honduras.

The project will allow ISCH to expand the number of malls and office complexes in Central America. Consumers of these services will benefit from the expanded supply and improved quality of merchandise and office space. Poma Group employs at least 10,000 people throughout the region. In addition, the new shopping mall in Honduras is expected to attract other development to the area, creating a demonstration effect and contributing to the overall community development in this country, which lags in development behind its regional peers. During construction of the new shopping mall and the expansion of the existing shopping mall, strong linkages with the construction and building supply sectors in respective countries will be established. In addition, once operational, these projects will stimulate use of local supplies of goods and services in the respective countries. The IFC’s role is as follows: - Long-term partner of choice providing long-term financing to the company. - Build upon and enhance further the Poma Group high standards of corporate social responsibility and community development work. IFC’s SME Department Global Linkages Unit designed and implemented a program to train the SME tenants of the company’s subsidiary in El Salvador. The Group is interested in scaling up the training offerings throughout all eleven malls in El Salvador and replicating in selected countries where it has shopping mall operations in Central America. Along side the IFC new proposed transaction, IFC will continue to support the development and expansion of this value added service the company is providing to its SME tenants. - Assist the company in improving its corporate environmental management standards.

Key environmental and social issues associated with this project are life and fire safety including consideration of emergency response procedures, liquid effluent treatment and disposal, energy efficiency and solid waste management.
Potential impacts are few in number and limited in impact and may all be addressed through readily available mitigation measures. This is therefore an environmental and social Category B project.
Location of environmental documents in locally affected community
The ESRS is available at the following addresses: - Honduras: Administrative Office Grupo Roble, Multiplaza Tegucigalpa, adjacent to Hotel Real Intercontinental - Nicaragua: Administrative Office Grupo Roble, Metrocentro Managua, adjacent to Hotel Real Intercontinental