| Project description |
Packages Limited (“Packages” or the “Company”) is Pakistan’s premier pulp and paper packaging company that has been an IFC client since 1964. It is listed on all the three stock exchanges of Pakistan. The company’s product range includes: paper and paper board (brown and white); writing and printing paper; tissue and sanitary products; and, flexible packaging products. It principally uses wheat straw, recycled and waste paper to produce paper and paper products. Packages is the market leader in sophisticated and high quality packaging products and the only company that provides complete packaging solutions under one roof in the country. Packages has strong business relationships with major multinationals operating in Pakistan such as Unilever, Nestle, P&G, Colgate and Tetrapak.
Packages is about to complete its expansion program, started in 2005, to increase capacity to 300,000 tons per annum (“tpa”) from 100,000 tpa. To achieve financial stability and secure long term viability, the company proposes to retire some $70 million of debt raised for the expansion and invest some $30.0 million to implement an environmental upgrade program and de-bottlenecking of its plant to enhance operational efficiencies (the “Project”) and capacity enhancements in its Packaging division. The total Project cost of some $100 million is proposed to be financed with a combination of equity/quasi equity and internally generated cash from operations during 2009-10 of the company. |
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| Project sponsor and major shareholders of project company |
Packages is a part of a well-diversified business group comprised of public and private companies, covering a wide range of businesses. Some of the companies in which the group has interests include IGI Insurance Limited, Nestle Milkpak Limited, Tetrapak Pakistan Limited, Tripack Films Limited, First International Investment Bank Limited, DIC Pakistan Ltd. etc.
Packages’ main sponsor is the Wazir Ali family who is well respected for its integrity and honesty in Pakistan. Packages group companies hold about 33% shares in the company while the family holds about 16%. The balance is held by local institutional investors (15%), foreign investors (9%) and general public (27%). |
| Total project cost and amount and nature of IFC's investment |
| The total project cost is estimated at $100 million. IFC is expected to participate in the Project through an investment of up to US$50 million as equity/quasi-equity in the company. |
| Location of project and description of site |
| Packages has two pulp and paper-making sites in Pakistan, the Lahore factory and the new mill, Bulleh Shah Paper Mill (“BSPM”). BSPM is located some 15 km from Kasur (some 75km away from Lahore site). Manufacturing operations started at BSPM in July 2007. Paper-making at Lahore is being run down with the start of manufacturing at BSPM. BSPM is located near the main wheat growing region and will significantly reduce transportation cost for wheat straw. BSPM is also located near the main railway track, which will support the bulk of transportation of imported raw materials and finished goods from and to BSPM. |
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| Anticipated development impact of the project |
The project is expected to have the following development outcomes:
- Supporting a Socially Responsible Company:
IFC investment will help ensure continued operation of a socially responsible company that provides direct employment to some 3,450 persons and indirectly impacts the livelihood of some 27,000 persons linked with its supply chain whose economic activity would otherwise be uncertain.
Packages actively engages with the community around its two sites. Several community development projects are ongoing at BSPM including provision of a deep tube well for drinking water; renovations to school buildings and provision of safe drinking water and sanitary facilities at 9 schools that have over 2,000 total enrollments; and widening of the road serving the factory to facilitate to promote greater economic activity in the s surrounding areas.
- Environmental Improvements at Lahore and BSPM:
IFC financial package will help the company to further reduce emissions and residue, which will lead to more environmentally and socially friendly production facilities at both the sites. This is also expected to have a strong demonstration impact on other local pulp and paper producers.
Private Sector Development
BSPM is located away from the key centers of commercial activity and would generate economic activity in what is otherwise an agrarian-based and under-developed part of the country. The company’s increased procurement of wheat straw will positively impact farmers’ incomes, who normally burn wheat straw for disposal. An increase in waste paper procurement will positively impact the income levels of waste paper collectors who typically belong to the poorest sections of the society. The company’s also contributions to national exchequer by way of import and corporate taxes.
Climate Change Benefits
The Project is expected to have a strong climate change impact by reducing carbon emissions related with burning of wheat straw; transportation saving on shipping of waste paper from other countries; and, elimination of approximately 450,000 cubic meters of land fills annually. Land filling has such negative environmental impacts as contamination of ground waters, residual soil contamination after landfill close, contribution to inefficient use of land space and off-gassing of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, generated by decaying organic wastes. |
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| IFC's expected development contribution |
IFC key role will include:
Counter Cyclical Role: IFC will play a counter cyclical role by providing equity support to a long standing, well performing existing client at a time when other foreign investors are pulling out their investment from the country. IFC’s investment will signal to other investors and financial market players that it can stand by the company across economic cycles.
Long Term Strategic Investor: IFC is viewing this as a strategic investment to support Packages who needs funds to minimize the impact of tightening financial markets, which is occurring at a time when the benefits of the additional capacity have yet to be realized.
Advisory services: IFC will provide advisory services to improve waste paper collection. The improvement in waste paper collection yield will reduce the need to import waste paper by the company and provide a cheaper local source of raw material.
Neutral Party Role: The Sponsors are keen on IFC’s material involvement in this equity raising. They view IFC as a neutral party that has consistently proven over the long history of the relationship, to always act in the best interests of the company. The Sponsors are accordingly, not at all inclined to source equity from overseas financial houses or from other domestic financial sources as a result.
Resource Mobilization: IFC will help identify other multilateral institutions to invest alongside IFC in the preferred stock issue of the Company.
Raising Environmental and Social Standards: IFC will continue to guide the company to ensure high environmental and social standards in its operations. By 2011, the company expects to become the only player in the local industry to meet IFC E&S guidelines. This is expected to have a strong demonstration effect on the local industry. |
| Environmental and social issues - Category B |
The key environmental and social issues associated with this project are occupational health and safety, management of emissions to air and water, and traffic impacts arising from the transport of raw material and finished goods, and particularly at BSPM community development facilitated by the new manufacturing site. These impacts are largely site specific, reversible and may be mitigated by readily available measures. This is therefore an Environmental and Social Category B project.
To view the environmental documents for this project, click here |
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| For inquiries about the project, contact: |
Mr. Shahid Hafeez, Manager Industrial Performance
Tel : +92 (42) 582 0870
Fax: : +92 (42) 581 1978
Email: shahid.hafeez@packages.com.pk
Website: www.packages.com.pk |
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| For inquiries and comments about IFC, contact: |
General IFC Inquiries
IFC Corporate Relations
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20433
Telephone: 202-473-3800
Fax: 202-974-4384
E Mail: Webmaster |
| Local access of project documentation |
This Summary of Project Information, Environmental Review Summary and associated Action Plan will be made available for local review at Bulleh Shah Paper Mills and Lahore – outside the gatehouse at each site.
Addresses are:
Packages Limited, Shahrah-e-Roomi,
PO Amer Sidhu, Lahore 54760,
Pakistan
Packages Limited,
Bulleh Shah Paper Mills,
10 – km, Kasur Kot Radha Kishan Road,
District Kasur, Pakistan |
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