devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Macquarie Renaissance Infrastructure Fund Subject to Macquarie Group and Renaissance Group approvals, the Macquarie Renaissance Infrastructure Fund (MRIF or the Fund) is intended to be established as a $1-1.5 billion closed-end fund that will seek to make equity and equity related investments in a portfolio of infrastructure assets located in Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan (collectively referred to as Russia and other CIS countries). MRIF will seek to generate stable and long-term returns by investing in a diversified portfolio of infrastructure projects. Target assets will include, but not be limited to roads, airports, ports, electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks, heating networks communication infrastructure, rail networks, water and sewerage utilities and social infrastructure. Infrastructure is the underlying foundation of basic services, facilities and institutions upon which the growth and development of a modern community depends. Assets such as reliable motor and rail road networks are essential to the sustainability and growth of an economy, and to the quality of life of the people living within and across the communities connected and served by those assets.  The project will address a key constraint for developers of private or public-private partnership infrastructure projects in CIS countries  the availability of equity capital.  Given the large funding requirements and the long gestation periods of infrastructure projects, we anticipate that the fund will facilitate the development of infrastructure projects in the region.     The Fund is also expected to impose market discipline on investee projects, leading to better alignment with demand for infrastructure services, more efficient management, and lower operating and maintenance costs.
Idavang A/S Russian Projects Idavang A/S (the Company, previously named Danish Lithuanian Holding A/S) is a Danish holding company that has pig and crop farms in Russia and pig farms in Lithuanian.  The Project, located in Russia, is to: (i) build a green field pig farm in Pskov region; (ii) develop another pig farm in northwest region; (iii) complete the expansion of the pig farm in Leningrad region; and (iv) develop crop farms in Pskov and Leningrad regions. The total project cost is about EUR86.5 million. The Project is implemented in 2009-2014 and will increase production capacity by 6,450 sows and 185,000 finishers - Support Russia's under-developed pork sector to modernize, achieve self-sufficiency & international competiveness. 
- Support an efficient producer with solid track record to expand efficient production in Russia, introduce high European standards of livestock production, showcase clean production (CP) and energy efficiency (EE) to other pork producers. 
- Support the frontier Pskov region (per capita GDP about 60% below national average) to revitalize waste land, develop competitive pig and crop production, create jobs in remote rural area, contribute to local community.
    The Project will help alleviate insufficient domestic pig production, substitute imports, increase fresh meat supply (vs. frozen imported meat), and pass cost savings to consumers. The Project will rehabilitate the crop land that has not been cultivated for 15-20 year and create jobs in the rural area with high level of unemployment. As pork production remains highly supported by the Government (interest subsidized loans, tax benefits, import tariffs), additional domestic production will also result in losses for the Government and local tax payers, which is expected to be compensated by increased corporate tax payment, benefits to employees, local economy and communities. Overall, the medium to long term developmental impact can be expected as: (i) Russia has excellent long term fundamentals for pig production (feed availability, climate, large tracts of land for waste disposal); (ii) current production costs in the country are not globally competitive but can be improved with better technology and livestock management standards introduced by efficient producers; and (iii) the country is a net importer and may be able to compete on an import parity basis.
Orient Express Bank The project consists of a convertible loan to OJSC Orient Express Bank (Orient Express, or the Bank) in the amount of up to $75 million.  Orient Express is a large privately-owned regional bank headquartered in Khabarovsk, Far East, and an important strategic partner for IFC in Russia due to its significant regional presence, including 14 frontier regions, experienced management team, and extensive outreach potential, which IFC can help the Bank maximize.  As of July 1, 2010 the Bank ranked among top 50 banks in Russia by total assets and among the top 10 banks  by branch network size: 464 offices in 179 towns and cities with population ranging between 30 thousand and 10 million people in each location, spread over several Federal Districts of Russia.  Although the Bank is currently mostly retail-oriented, in the future it plans to become a more active player in the micro and small enterprise lending segment, too. 1) Through this project, IFC will facilitate the consolidation of the Russian banking sector: Orient Express has already merged with four smaller banks in 2009 and 2010, and has both appetite and capacity to continue acquisitions of small and medium banks in the next two - three years.  
2) In cooperation with Orient Express Bank, IFC can further contribute to climate change mitigation and development of the energy efficiency market through enhancement of energy efficiency component in retail lending.
3) Through this project, IFC can facilitate further increase of access to finance for SMEs across sectors: Orient Express is currently operating as a primarily retail bank with a small share of micro and SME lending, but has good platform and systems in place to develop micro and small enterprise lending on a much broader scale.
4) Through this project, IFC will strengthen its business partnership with a systemically important bank operating in less-developed regions where significant developmental challenges remain: Orient Express operates in a number of frontier regions of Russia, where access to finance is especially important. Going forward, as Orient Express acquires additional banks, its distribution network will further expand and its ability to reach more clients in frontier regions will increase.
Russkiy Mir II The Russkiy Mir Group (the Group or the company) is the largest private owner of railroad tank cars (RTC) in Russia. The project involves an IFC Loan of up to $100 million  to the Group to undertake the following: 

-  the development and construction of the Taman LPG/Fuel Oil terminal and port in the Black Sea (the Taman terminal); 
-  to purchase and expand rail maintenance facilities; 
-  to purchase locomotives and railcars; and 
-  to purchase a wheel making/spare parts manufacture, and other rail-related infrastructure.
Borets II Project Borets International Limited (Borets or the Company) is one of the leading ESP (Electronic Submersible Pump) manufacturers globally and market leader in Russia. The Company designs and manufactures pumps, motors and cable used in artificial lift systems and provides a full range of related services, including installation, maintenance and repair, leveraging its extensive research and development, manufacturing and service infrastructure. The Company has 3 manufacturing operations in the USA, Canada and Slovakia, and 6 in Russia. A further manufacturing facility is currently being constructed in Russia, Stariy Oskol. The Company also has 18 servicing facilities, 6 in Russia and remaining sales and servicing centers are in the USA, Canada, Venezuela, Congo, Colombia, Serbia, Oman, Brasil, Indonesia, Egypt.   Proposed project is to finance long-term corporate funding needs of the Company including (i) working capital and capital expenditure needs of the Company in relation to its international expansion, (ii) refinancing existing IFC and EBRD loans, and (iii) acquisition of shares in Borets. 1. South South investment: The project will support international expansion efforts of Borets which includes other emerging markets  2. Development of new technologies: The project will help Borets develop new and more efficient technolgies.  3. Increased tax revenues for the government: The project will lead to higher revenues and profitability which will translate into a higher tax revenues for the government.
Ramstore IV Ramenka (or the company), a Russian limited liability company, was founded in 1997.  Operating under the name Ramstore, Ramenka conducts two major types of business operations: 

-  retail sales of food and non-food products and 
-  lease of retail space in the company-owned hypermarket stores to other businesses.

Ramenka started its business in Moscow with one hypermarket, which opened in 1997.  Now, the company operates a total of 6 hypermarkets and 32 supermarkets with a net retail area of 92,000 sqm and a net leasable area of 61,000 sqm.

To respond to the booming market demand for quality retail outlets and rental space in Russia, Ramenka is planning to build two additional supermarkets with attached shopping malls located in the Moscow Region (Orekhovo-Zuyevo and Reutov) and three additional hypermarkets with attached malls in Moscow, St.Petersburg and Togliatti.  The total retail area and rental area of the project stores will be 19,435 sqm and 55,700 sqm, respectively.
CI Russia Residential Energy Efficiency Finance / Agribusiness Finance Center-Invest Bank (CI or the Bank) is a medium sized private regional Russian bank headquartered in Rostov and ranked 70th in terms of assets at end June 2009. The Bank is the second largest following state-owned Sberbank in Rostov region with expanded branch network (90 outlets) in the neighborhood regions of Volgograd, Krasnodar and Stavropol.  The Bank focuses on retail, SMEs and corporate clients providing them with a wide range of products including overdrafts and short-term credit, working capital loans, investment loans and trade finance products.     The Project represents a finance package consisting of (i) senior loan to implement a pilot project for Residential energy efficiency finance in Rostov and neighborhood regions; (ii) senior loan to finance SME in agricultural sector of South Russia; and (iii) trade finance line to support trade activities of the Banks SME clients. This project is expected to contribute to:    - Rehabilitate and restore confidence in the sector by helping a viable regional  bank (demonstration effect);  - Introduce and promote new IFCs Russia Residential Energy Efficiency Program. - Increase the Banks lending, with relatively longer maturities, to SMEs in agri-sector, thus supporting this underserved segment of the economy in the region of Southern Russia.
South Region EQ IFCs Financial Markets strategy in Russia places a high priority on improving access to finance in non-urban areas and on improving the stability of the banking system by assisting in the consolidation of a highly fragmented sector and by reducing the concentration of state-owned banks.  As a result, IFC looks to support second- and third-tier banks in regions that are under-served by the banking system.

The proposed project consists of an equity investment of up to $1.5 million in Bank Yuzhniy Region (Southern Region Bank, or SRB), a medium-size bank located in Rostov-on-Don (a frontier region), to purchase up to 20% of the voting shares of SRB. 

The branch network of SRB comprises 2 branches and 2 points of sale.  The Bank is a member of the deposit insurance system. The Banks primary business lines are corporate and retail lending, with focus on SME financing.  Primary funding for the Bank is received through corporate and retail deposits.  The Banks deposit base comprises over 2,600 retail and 1,500 corporate clients.  The Banks loan portfolio has around 30 corporate and over 520 retail borrowers and is adequately diversified in terms of industry exposures. The project is expected to have a strong development impact.  IFC would contribute to the consolidation of Russias highly fragmented banking sector and help to develop a stronger banking platform by supporting the expansion of SRB both through organic growth and through mergers and acquisitions process.

The project would create a demonstration effect for other banks active in the Southern Federal District in terms of best practices in social and environmental management, because SRB will need to comply with IFCs environmental and social management standards and establish the Social and Environmental Management System (SEMS).
NMC II Project Scanfert Oy, a Finnish holding company currently operates in Russia through OOO Ava Peter and OOO New Medical Center (NMC). Both are leading private providers of healthcare services in St. Petersburg. NMC is an existing IFC client (project #10407).  Scanfert Oy has embarked on a five year expansion program in Russia. The proposed project, estimated at a total cost of approximately $49.0 million, comprises the following components of the above expansion program  - Construction and operation of the Primorsky clinic;  - Refurbishment and operation of the Kazan clinic and hospital (public-private partnership);  - Refurbishment and operation of 10 satellite clinics. Supporting the expansion of the company in Russia will have a strong development impact by widening access to quality healthcare, particularly services not commonly available e.g. infertility services, and establishing benchmarks for administrative and patient care practices in the countrys nascent private health sector.
Chuvashia 2012 The proposed investment would support the implementation of the Chuvashias capital expenditure program in the preschool education sector 2012-2014, which includes construction and reconstruction of preschool education facilities (kindergartens) in major cities and smaller settlements. Implementation of the project will increase the coverage of children (1 to 7 year olds) by quality preschool education up to 77% from current 68% in the Republic. The project is expected to improve access to essential pre-school education services in the Republic by increasing the number and capacity of the centers for preschool education. The project is also expected to improve the quality standards of pre-school education in the Republic available to local population.
Limited Liability Company Rusfinance Bank The project is to provide a partial credit guarantee and thereby credit enhance a Ruble-denominated bond issue by Commercial Bank Rusfinance Bank Limited Liability Company (Rusfinance Bank or the Bank).  The bond issue will be for an expected aggregate of up to RUR 3 billion and with an expected maturity of 2 years.  This credit enhancement will be in the form of an IFC partial credit guarantee that would cover all principal and interest payment shortfalls up to a maximum amount equal to 50 percent of the initial outstanding principal amount of the bond.  Rusfinance Bank is a medium-sized regional bank based in Samara, an industrial city situated in the Lower Volga region.  The Bank specializes in short to mid term consumer lending, particularly for automobile acquisition.  The Bank is present in over 38 regions of Russia, with the portfolio well-diversified between regions.    IFC would enable Rusfinance Bank to tap domestic capital markets to obtain much needed longer term local currency funding with which to further develop its consumer finance business.
Forus Loan II The proposed project is to provide a US$5 million straight senior loan to Forus Bank (Forus or Bank). The loan is intended to support the Banks micro-lending operations in the European part of Russia. Forus Bank is a unique specialized microfinance institution, located in Nizhny Novgorod. The Bank was formed by FORA Fund, a non-banking microfinance organization in Russia, part of Opportunity International Microfinance Network. Since then Forus has gone through a transformation into a commercial bank and managed to build a sustainable business model and a recognized brand. IFC has been engaged with the Bank since 2006. At the moment Forus is the only commercial bank in Russia specialized on lending to micro enterprises. The Bank operates through 6 regional branches and 34 satellite offices located in 26 regions of Russia, which translates into the market share of about 2.5% of the total microfinance market in Russia. The development impact of the Project is expected to be high. The Bank already has a locally recognised franchise and a loyal customer base in servicing micro- and small businesses, including those in the remote regions, small towns and rural areas.  This segment is underserved and especially lacks access to quality financial services, on both lending and savings sides.
ZAO Europlan II Europlan or the company is Russias leading provider of automobile and equipment capital lease financing to local SME customers and IFCs portfolio client since 2000. The companys current portfolio is primarily comprised of assets in growth sectors of the Russian economy such as automobile manufacturing, trade, food production, machinery and printing. Its car lease portfolio with about 5,000 cars is the largest in Russia at present. Europlan has the widest national presence of any leasing company in Russia and besides its headquarters in Moscow, it has branches in St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Krasnodar and representation offices in other 15 regional cities.   Project Concept: This project comprises an A Loan of up to $20 million to Europlan and would have a maturity of 6 years and envisage a Ruble-linked feature. The loan would be used by the Company to finance its leasing activities in Russia.
Novatek Gas Independent Russian gas producer OAO Novatek (the sponsor) has requested IFC assistance in the staged expansion of a large natural gas and condensate field in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region of Russias Arctic Circle.  The Yurkharov Gas Field is operated by OOO Yurkharovneftegaz (YNG or the company), a wholly owned subsidiary of OAO Novatek.  Discovered in 1970 by a Gazprom-affiliated exploration company of the Soviet era, the field was deemed too small for Gazproms development threshold.  OOO Yurkharovneftegas was formed in July 1998, and YNGs existing ownership structure was put in place in October 1999.  Production at YNG commenced in January 2003 with 3.115 bcm of gas produced that year.  Gas production is expected to reach 9 bcm/y by the end of 2006.   YNG operates the Yurkharovskoe field (approximately 200 sq. km.), which has 208 billion cubic meters (bcm) (7.4 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of gas and  106 million barrels (mmbbls) of condensate.  The IFC-funded project is to increase YNGs production of gas to 9 bcm/y (Phase I). Two subsequent phases will increase production to 18 bcm/y and to 27 bcm/y.  The companys production will be transported through the regions extensive gas and liquids infrastructure to industrial consumers and gas traders in the domestic market.
Kronostar Project Kronostar (the company or the project) is 100% owned by Krono Holding AG since early 2002.  The AOO Sharjadrew combine dates back to early 1900s with a construction of a saw mill.  Over the years, it has established a particleboard factory, and was privatized in 1992.  AOO Sharjadrew filed for insolvency in 1997.  In 2002, Krono Holding AG purchased AOO Sharjadrews assets.  The purpose of the investment is to upgrade of the existing wood panels plant, and to install a new particleboard and Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) lines.  The project has strong business fundamentals.  It will contribute to the modernization of Russian wood panel industry, which is currently characterized by old and inefficient operations, and it will have a potentially strong impact on the revival and development of the:            -  rural area of the Kostroma Oblast; -  wood panel industry, and        -  furniture industry in the Russian Federation.  The project is supported by the strong expected demand growth for wood panels.  Using modern technology, Kronostar will produce particleboard and wood panels, and it will create employment for over 600 direct jobs at the peak of the companys operations.    IFCs role in the project is manifold.  IFC will act as a catalyst for foreign investment and private sector participation in Kostroma, and to help the sponsor gain access to long-term financing.  The role of IFCs involvement is also to ensure that the projects benefits trickle down in a sustainable manner to the community.
IXcellerate The Project (IXcellerate) is an early stage equity investment in a holding company named IXcellerate Ltd. (the Company) established in the United Kingdom with the purpose of developing a 6,200m2 greenfield data center (DC) in Moscow through a 100% owned operating company named OOO IXcellerate (the Operating Company or IXcellerate Moscow) established in the Russian Federation.

The facility will be designed and constructed on par with the leading North American and European DC co-location facilities and the current design has been reviewed and approved by Ove Arup and Partners, which is a leading consulting firm in this field.  This will be one of the first independent high quality pure-play DC co-location service providers in the Moscow market. The Project is expected to have the following impacts:
i) Expanding availability of IT infrastructure, services and solutions: IXcellerate fills a gap in the market for high quality/high availability systems hosting which is, in turn, needed for business continuity and disaster recovery service offerings.  
ii) The Company's association with Guy Willner, who co-founded one of largest global providers of vendor neutral data centers, brings best practice in operational procedures, design, and business model to the country. 
iii) Improved private sector connectivity and public sector competitiveness: This Project will help provide cost-efficient and energy-efficient IT infrastructure and services.
ZMZ-Bearings The project is to support Daido Metal Co. Ltd.''s (Daido Metal or the sponsor) entry into Russia through the acquisition of LLC ZMZ-Bearings (ZMZ-Bearings or the company), a leading local manufacturer of half bearings for automotive engines.  ZMZ-Bearings, which started production of bearings in 1959, is the largest manufacturer of steel and aluminum strip and plain bearings for automobile engines in Russia and the CIS countries.  Its major customers are domestic Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Avtovaz, GM- Avtovaz, GAZ and SeverstalAuto. The project will introduce the up-to-date technology and high-quality manufacturing standards of a Tier 1 parts supplier into Russia.  In addition, the following should be noted:    - The project will demonstrate that all Japanese automotive parts manufacturers do not have to locate near to St. Petersburg under the auspices of Toyota and will thus help to move these types of investments to regions outside of this area.   - Daido Metal will likely improve the quality and the productivity of the operation. This could have a positive effect on the Nizhny region to attract other automotive industry investment.  - The presence of a Japanese car parts producer will have positive spin off effects for the region''s industry.  Daido Metal will introduce new efficiency and quality methods which will be a great example to the regional factories.