devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
AMERRA Latin America Finance LLP AMERRA Capital Management, LLC, (AMERRA) is an investment fund manager, focused on providing customized agriculture-focused and commodity-based finance solutions to producers, processors, distributors and traders, mainly in the Americas. AMERRA has about US$800 million in assets under management across several funds and accounts managed for single institutional investors.IFC approved a US$ 50 million loan to support AMERRA in 2012, which has since then has been fully deployed in AMERRAs operations.   IFC is currently considering providing a new loan of about US$ 10 million to help AMERRA extend its reach to new clients and to countries where it has historically not been as active.  In 2013, AMERRA started making additions to its team which is supporting an increase in its lending operations in Paraguay and Uruguay.  Between 2009-2014,  AMERRA has been deploying capital raised largely from US institutional investors with a small but focused team led by its principals, who have decades of commodity finance experience. AMERRA has proven a good complement to the banking sector in terms of providing finance solutions to clients in the agribusiness value chain where assessment of lending risks is specialized and where client needs often require shorter response times than banks are able to provide. The proposed project entails IFC extending about US$ 10 million as a medium-term loan to help fund a part of the portfolio of AMERRA Agri Fund II, L.P. (Agri Fund II), increasing the capital it will have to lend (the Project). The Project will support liquidity in the food supply chain and help ensure agribusiness companies (and the farmers linked to them) can continue to maximize production in scenarios of high commodity prices, which would make a contribution to food security. Many AMERRA clients are low cost producers of food staples.   Despite their contribution to food supply and rural livelihoods, smaller and medium-sized agribusiness companies (and the farmers that supply them) have historically had insufficient access to finance from private sector sources, in particular finance that extends for more than one crop season. The supply-to-demand dynamics for financing of the agricultural sector continue to show insufficient supply from the established financial sector and commercial banks that had been financing some parts of the supply chain but continue to be under pressure to strengthen their capital ratios, which limits their activity in the sector.   The IFC Project supports the expansion of an innovative firm whose business model includes providing financing into this segment by intermediating capital from an institutional investor segment in developed countries that has not historically invested significantly in these agribusiness segments from the emerging markets.
QBE del Istmo Reinsurance Company, Inc. The proposed investment in QBE del Istmo Re (the Company or QBEDIR) fits well with IFCs industry strategy to support locally-based reinsurance companies that have a regional focus.  By providing insurance for insurance companies, reinsurance companies support the industry in managing its business more effectively in the context of risk, uncertainty and volatility of insurers underlying underwriting and business activity.  In addition, reinsurers also provide expertise and services to primary insurers, especially in the fields of product development, pricing, underwriting and claims management.  This is particularly useful in developing markets where access to insurance skills may be limited and costly. In recent years, reinsurers have additionally served as an invaluable source of capital relief and flexible financing not otherwise available to insurers, other than reverting back to shareholders.

The Company is an established regional player that is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as a result of the strong management team and market growth potential.  The proposed project supports the development of the insurance and reinsurance sectors in the Latin American and Caribbean regions through an investment package that will enable an experienced regional player to further expand and provide a broader range of products while also improving its corporate governance standards. This project is expected to strengthen the capital structure of a regional reinsurance player active in over 20 countries; and to support the Companys growth throughout the regions. Developmental impact of the Project is expected to be strong in the following areas:

Expand the availability of insurance services throughout the regions, which are underserved by global insurance players;
Serve as a catalyst for the development of an insurance industry throughout the Latin America and Caribbean regions;
Support the development of new insurance products like dental insurance that will target the low to middle income segment of the population.
Abraaj ALAF II Abraaj Latin America Fund II, L.P. (ALAF II) is raising $600 million to make 12-15 growth equity investments in middle-market companies located in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile. (i)	Local and regional private equity industry development: Private equity remains an important source of capital and expertise which complements traditional sources of financing, largely dominated by banks. This is particularly relevant for small- and mid-market businesses which are constrained by a lack of access to long-term, risk capital and institutional support, where IFC could have difficulty investing directly. (ii) Scale up regional business integration in LAC: The Fund will support growing businesses that seek to expand their operations and sales across the region. (iii)	Strengthen businesses and create jobs: The Fund will strengthen investees' operational, financial and ESG policies with the aim to improve their competitiveness and sustainability, creating better employment opportunities.
LAAD IV Project Proposed investment consists of long-term loan to Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation S.A. (LAAD or the Company) and its fully owned subsidiary LAAD Americas N.V. to support growth of its portfolio of medium and long-term loans to agribusiness SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). (i) Support access to finance to agricultural SMEs, mostly of these family-owned businesses, which have traditionally been underserved due to high perceived risks; (ii) Positive impact on rural communities in the region; in FY15 LAAD supported 291 projects in 14 countries which created over 9,000 new jobs; and (iii) Support to a unique and very successful business model which has consistently grown in a financially and developmentally sustainable way.
Viamericas Project Viamericas Corporation (Viamericas) is in the business of cross border money transfer. Transfers originate at over 2,500 retail locations in 40 US states, on the phone or online. The termination of the payment takes place at over 32,000 payout locations in 18 Latin America countries. Viamericas has regional operating centers in Mexico and Colombia.  The purpose of IFCs proposed funding is to help expand the Company''s operations in Mexico and Colombia, increase network coverage in the Latin America region and finance Companys growing working capital requirements by pre-funding agents in Latin America. i. Viamericas enables low cost, expedient, money transfer services to millions of low income families in Latin America. In the ten largest US to LAC remittance corridor countries, the cost of a remittance transfer through Viamericas is up to 40% below the cost of other major providers. A significant number of beneficiaries are in rural areas where remittances serve as the main, if not only, source of income. ii. Viamericas leverages its payout network to extend the reach of financial services to unbanked populations in LAC for opening and funding of bank accounts, buying pre-paid payment cards, etc. iii. Viamericas employs more than 70% of its employees in Colombia and Mexico, in areas such as accounting & finance, legal & compliance and technology services and company plans to more than double its staff in these countries over next three years. IFC''s investment will create additional employment opportunities for highly skilled staff in these markets.
Safetypay Project Safetypay enables consumers without credit cards to buy goods and services online (e-commerce) by paying directly from their bank account using online banking. The system is more secure than payment by credit card, has lower cost and risk for retailers and benefits countries with low payment card penetration. The companys service can expand the availability of ecommerce alongside financial inclusion strategies without the need to push people onto costly payment cards. It expands the ability of companies in developing countries to sell goods and services into other countries online and increases exports. Safetypay creates an alternative online payment system that benefits merchants in countries with underdeveloped online payment systems and allows them to export their goods by selling them online.  The company''s system provides banked low income consumers in developing countries the ability to benefit from the lower cost, greater transparency and wider availability of goods and services delivered by ecommerce from which they are otherwise excluded because they do not qualify for credit cards or credit cards are simply too expensive.  The company''s system creates incentives to obtain bank accounts rather than just a prepaid card or another transactional payment service and thereby supports financial inclusion. As an investor the IFC can ensure that the benefits offered by Safetypay are increasingly made available to consumers and merchants in developing countries.  Banks in developing countries which often do not generate much or any income from issuing credit cards and merchant acquiring (enabling merchants to accept credit cards) gain a new source of fee income and can monetize their online banking service. Safetypay is already working on technology that will enable unbanked customers to purchase goods online by obtaining vouchers from banks which generate fee income and cross selling opportunities for the banks and, again, creates an opportunity for financial inclusion.
Australis Partners Fund LP The project entails and IFC equity commitment of up to $40 million, not to exceed 20% of total commitments, in Australis Partners Fund LP (the Fund), a private equity fund to make control or significant minority investments in 7-10 middle-market companies in Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile. (i) Regional integration in the Pacific Alliance and LAC: The Fund will support businesses seeking to expand their operations and sales across the Pacific Alliance and neighboring countries. (ii) Job creation and economic growth: The Fund will invest in high-growth companies that are expected to create new employment opportunities at a higher and more sustainable rate than national averages, thereby contributing to economic development and employment. (iii) Growth and development of Latin American businesses: the Fund managers have consistently shown a strong ability to select companies with growth potential and apply operational, financial and ESG policies to achieve such growth.
RSE COVID LAAD The proposed investment consists of an up to US$30 million unsecured loan 5 year tenor including 2 year grace to Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation S.A. and its wholly owned subsidiaries LAAD Americas N.V. and Agronegocios LAAD, S.A. de C.V., SOFOM, E.N.R., to continue to support its existing lending program in the midst of COVID 19.  The project will help IFC to continue to support access to finance to agribusiness SMEs throughout Latin America, most of these are family owned businesses which have traditionally been underserved due to high perceived risks, and which are currently undergoing stress due to COVID 19 outbreak. The project will provide positive impact on rural communities in the region by providing access to finance to farmers and by helping maintain employment levels. In FY 19 LAAD supported 343 projects in 15 countries, which created over 9,200 new jobs. By sustaining LAAD's operations, the project supports agribusiness companies in the face of increased financing needs and operational disruptions. By limiting supply disruptions, the project promotes resilience in the export-oriented agribusiness sector more broadly
NXTP Opportunity The proposed project entails an equity investment in NXTP Fund 2, L.P. (NXTP 2), a $120 million early stage venture capital fund that will make venture investments in high growth technology companies across Latin America. (i) Address funding gap for early stage investments: NXTP 2 will support promising early stage companies (30-40) that otherwise may have trouble raising follow-on funding. (ii) Job creation: NXTP expects companies it invests in via NXTP 2 to create a significant number of high quality new jobs directly. (iii) Support local entrepreneurship: NXTP 2 will help support entrepreneurs directly and the innovation ecosystem across Latin America.
Riverwood III The project entails an IFC equity commitment of up to US$15 million in Riverwood Capital Partners Latam L.P., (the Fund). The Fund will make investments in technology and technology-enabled companies in Latin America The main project outcome is expected to be an increase in growth capital for investee companies, which, supported by Riverwood, are expected to achieve strong growth. The main contribution to market creation is an increased digital economy integration in LAC through the support of technology and tech-enabled companies.
GWFP Mercon 2019 The proposed investment consists of a participation of USD 40 million by IFC in a revolving credit facility (the Facility) in favor of Mercon Coffee Group (Mercon). The Facility aims at supporting Mercon for all its activities across the coffee sector value chain, from production and storage in countries of origin (Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil, Guatemala, Vietnam) to transportation and commercialization in multiple destinations.   This project prioritizes improving farmers access to markets, access to finance, provision of technical expertise and climate-smart considerations. With its Leading Innovation and Farmers Traceability (LIFT) program, Mercon is committed to improve levels of productivity, ensure positive environmental and social impact, and raise the living standards of coffee communities in the region.
Kordsa Global-multi country Kordsa Global Endustriyel Iplik ve Kord Bezi Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Kordsa or the Sponsor), a former IFC client, is the worlds leading producer of nylon and polyester yarns, cord and industrial fabric mainly used in automotive tires, rubber parts, and transmission and conveyor belts. Kordsa has 11 manufacturing plants located in 9 countries. The proposed investment in the South American subsidiaries of Kordsa entails providing two separate corporate loans to Kordsa Argentina S.A. (Kordsa Argentina) and Kordsa Brasil S.A. (Kordsa Brasil), to be utilized for refinancing part of their existing debt, working capital requirements and maintenance capital expenditures (collectively the Project). The Project will have significant development impacts:
IFC's investments in Kordsa Brasil and Kordsa Argentina will benefit the manufacturing cluster in both countries, and particularly in the case of Brazil, in a frontier region of the country, where employment opportunities are limited.
Employment preservation: By strengthening the capital structure of the companies, IFC's investment will help retain jobs and assist the companies emerge from the crisis as more viable entities.
Continued know-how and technology transfer: Given the Sponsor's focus on product innovation and its ability to meet stringent quality standards, the Project is expected to result in continued technology and know-how transfer to the subsidiaries in terms of manufacturing and quality processes.
La Hipotecaria Latin America The project consists of a U.S. dollar-denominated revolving warehouse credit line of $30 million to the three operating companies under La Hipotecaria Holding (LH or the company) to support the continuous development of its low- to mid-income housing finance operations in Panama and El Salvador and to facilitate the ramp-up of its new operations in Colombia by replicating its tested and successful business model in Panama and El Salvador. LH is an existing client in El Salvador and Panama. This project will have the following developmental impacts:  - Help promote primary mortgage lending in Panama, El Salvador, and Colombia in the low to mid income segments;  - Standardize mortgage finance underwriting criteria;  - Help build a securitizable pool of mortgage assets which will eventually benefit the Panamanian, El Salvadorian, and Colombian capital markets.
SeniorAssist LAC The project consists of an equity investment of up to US$ 10 million into a subsidiary of Senior Assist International (the Group), one of Europes leading elderly care providers to support the Groups expansion in Latin America starting with the countries of Chile and Colombia (under the brand Acalis). (i) Support economic growth by freeing productive resources and promote gender equality;  (ii) Promoting cost-efficient healthcare systems by reducing burden on existing health systems;  (iii) Providing structured and cost efficient elderly care; (iv) Promoting higher quality standards; and (v) Knowledge transfer based on the Group''s expertise; and  (vi) Contribute towards female employment.
Geopark Project GeoPark Holdings Limited (GeoPark or the company), is a small South American exploration and production (E&P) company with producing assets in both Argentina and Chile. The Del Mosquito, Cerro Dona Juana and Loma Cortaderal blocks in Argentina are located in the Neuquen and Austral basins (central and southern Argentina) and are fully owned by the company.  The Fell block in Chile is located in the Magallanes basin (also known as the Austral basin) and is 90 percent owned by GeoPark, with the remaining interest held by La Empresa Nacional de Petroleo (ENAP), the Chilean state-owned oil and gas company.  Current oil and gas production is about 371 barrels a day (b/d) and 165,000 cubic feet per day, respectively, with the majority coming from Del Mosquito.

IFC has been requested to provide early-stage financing to the company to strengthen GeoParks capital base and to help finance a portion of the companys currently projected $80 million capital expenditure program which aims to increase oil and gas production to about 5,000 b/d and 40 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d), respectively, by December 2008.  This capital expenditure program is expected to entail the drilling of about 100 primary wells, the completion of approximately 50 work-overs and the installation of production and separation facilities, and product flow lines throughout the companys properties.
CCFP Bladex The proposed Project falls under the Critical Commodities Finance Program (CCFP or the Program) (Project No. 31679) approved by the Board on January 12, 2012 as part of IFCs multi-faceted rapid response to the current financial crisis. Phase two of the Program was approved by the Board on January 31, 2013.  The proposed project involves establishing a funded risk-sharing facility (Facility) with Banco Latinomericano de Comercio Externo S.A. (Bladex or the Bank) for the purpose of providing short-term trade and commodity related financing to local regional commercial entities operating in the agribusiness sector (Project). The Project is expected to have a significant development impacts by maintaining funding for trade of critical agricultural inputs and commodities to/from the LAC region. The CCFP is aimed at helping to address the current liquidity constraint faced by both financial institutions and real sector businesses. The CCFP-Bladex facility is expected to have the following development impacts:  - Maintaining access to finance: The Project will maintain the availability of trade and commodity finance mainly for the agriculture sector across many countries in LAC, including lower income countries in Central America.  Supporting the stability of credit for the agricultural sector is expected to benefit multiple companies along the agricultural value chain and, thus, support continued growth, sustain employment and encourage the generation of higher incomes going forward.  Its support of agricultural imports will enhance food security and help to mitigate potential negative effects of a decrease in the supply of critical staples.    - Strong demonstration effect: IFC will act as a catalyst among others international finance institutions ("IFIs") by supporting commodity backed finance and market reach through partnerships with banks. This will promote commodities as an asset class and encourage banks to participate in funding the critical agricultural sector, which will ultimately help increase access to finance and develop local markets.
Basic Energy Consorcio Energético Punta Cana-Macao S.A. (CEPM) is a small, off-grid, and vertically-integrated private utility owned by CEPM Energy Ltd. and ENDESA of Spain.  Since 1992, CEPM serves resort areas and their surrounding communities in Bavaro and Punta Cana in the eastern shore of the Dominican Republic.  The company currently has about 56 MW in installed capacity, all based on diesel-power generation.  CEPM also owns 100% of another smaller, off-grid and vertically-integrated private utility, Compañia de Electricidad de Bayahibe (CEB), which serves resort areas and surrounding communities in Bayahibe since 1999 and has an installed capacity of 13 MW, all in diesel generation.

CEPM is undertaking several capital investments that will be supported by the IFC investment, including the construction, operation and maintenance of:

-  up to a 8.25 MW greenfield wind power plant and transmission line for displacing part of CEPMs existing diesel generation capacity to save on fuel and operating and maintenance costs; 
-  up to a 10 MW diesel capacity expansion of CEPM; 
-  a 1.5 MW diesel capacity expansion of CEB; 
-  the purchase of existing diesel engines and co-generation supply contracts with six hotels from another provider and the construction of a transmission line; and 
-  ongoing network upgrading.
L Catterton Latin America III, L.P. IFC proposes an equity investment of up to US$20 million in L Catterton Latin America III L.P. The Fund is seeking commitments to pursue growth capital investments in mid-cap consumer companies in Latin America. Project-level outcomes are: (i) increased access to equity for consumer companies in Latin America; and (ii) increased investee growth through the Fund's value creation strategies. The main market-creation outcomes are: increased competitiveness in LAC PE market.
AgCert International Limited The project involves the modification of Animal Waste Management Systems (AWMS) on swine, dairy or other livestock farms to enable the capture and disposal of methane, produced by animal waste.  This capture and disposal of methane will generate a stream of revenues through the creation and sale of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) or Carbon Credits under the Kyoto Protocol.  The project involves modification of AWMS on sites in Brazil, Mexico and other countries over a several-year period.