Maputo, Mozambique, June 2, 2010
— IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today increased its support to small businesses surrounding the Oil, Gas and Mining sectors in Africa by building linkages between clients and local small suppliers to build capacity, develop local procurement and meet world-class standards to ensure sustainability, increase competitiveness and growth.
IFC hosted the IFC Oil, Gas and Mining Linkages Africa Roundtable
on 2-4 June 2010 in Maputo for its Africa region Oil, Gas and Mining Linkages clients, partners and team. About 50 representatives from the extractive industries, local small businesses and officials attended this event.
The goal of this roundtable is to provide an opportunity for participants to engage in open conversation with peers and walk away with new ideas and solutions to enhance small businesses and communities benefits from the OGM industries through shared experiences on implementation of local supplier development programs, challenges and opportunities for improvement and new tools developed by IFC to help firms create local procurement policies and strategies.
The roundtable will also allow IFC team to transfer expertise and know-how to their local partners to take over the programs while ensuring their sustainability and monitoring the results in the years to come.
In Africa, IFC, with the support of donors including Japan, Norway and the Netherlands, has been implementing ‘business linkages’ programs that are increasing local procurement by strengthening SMEs.
These programs have been implemented in Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia as well as other developing countries globally.
Clients in Africa include BHP Billiton, ExxonMobil, First Quantum, GAC, Glencore, Lonmin, Mozal, Newmont, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations, Rio Tinto, and Sasol. Additionally, SAB Miller/Cerveceria de Mozambique and Coca Cola have partnered with extractive industries, Sasol and Mozal, in a cluster linkages program in Mozambique.
In Ghana, the IFC-Newmont team won in April 2010 3 of 8
'Chartered
Institute of Purchasing & Supply Procurement Awards' including Best Procurement Community Award, Best Supplier Diversity Project and Best Procurement Professional of the Year.
Babatunde Onitiri, IFC Country Manager in Mozambique said “The roundtable brings together several years of IFC experience and partnerships in linkages and local content projects. This area is increasingly strategic and important as host government and communities demand greater social and economic impact from extractive projects. The roundtable aims to share experiences on how we can enhance the sustainability and operational aspects of our business.”
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing capital for private enterprise, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $14.5 billion in fiscal 2009, helping channel capital into developing countries during the financial crisis. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.