Japanese investors welcome the launch of IFFIm’s debut 'vaccine bonds'
Japanese investors welcome the launch of IFFIm’s debut 'vaccine bonds'
4 March 2008
Japanese investors welcomed the launch of the debut offering in the Japanese market of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company
Japanese investors welcomed the launch of the debut offering in the Japanese market of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company
Tokyo, 4 March 2008 - Japanese investors enthusiastically welcomed the launch of the debut offering in the Japanese market of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company ("IFFIm"), a ZAR 1.7 billion (USD equivalent 223 million) two year uridashi issue. The funds raised by the issue will be used by the GAVI Alliance for health and immunisation programmes in 70 of the poorest countries around the world to save millions of lives.
IFFIm is one of the newest supranational issuers in the international capital markets and is rated AAA/Aaa/AAA by Fitch Ratings Limited ("Fitch"), Moody's Investors Service Inc ("Moody's") and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P"). The World Bank is IFFIm's Treasury Manager.
"IFFIm brings together sovereign capital, World Bank expertise and the GAVI immunisation programs to make a difference in millions of lives," said Doris Herrera-Pol, the World Bank
Vaccine Bonds
The "Vaccine Bonds" are being arranged by Daiwa Securities SMBC Co. Ltd., the wholesale securities firm under Daiwa Securities Group, and distributed by Daiwa Securities to Japanese investors. IFFIm's debut in Japan is the largest South African rand denominated bond seen to date in the uridashi market. The final terms are as follows:
Issuer: International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company
Total Amount: ZAR 1.7 billion
Coupon: 9.90% per annum (semi-annual payment)
Settlement Date: March 18, 2008
Maturity Date: March 18, 2010
Uridashi Price: 100%
Denomination: ZAR 10,000
Listing: Luxembourg
Lead Manager: Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe Limited
Japanese investors
Alan Gillespie, Chairman the IFFIm Board and Chairman, Ulster Bank Group, a member of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group: "Japan is a large source of funding for supranational borrowers and with this transaction IFFIm has now successfully established itself in that market. This success could not have been possible without the hard work of Daiwa and others, and we are very grateful to them and the Japanese public and investors for their investment in immunisation for the poorest countries."
Arunma Oteh, member of the IFFIm Board and Vice President, Corporate Services, African Development Bank Group: "We are delighted that the South African Rand, the currency of one of IFFIm's donor countries, South Africa, is a popular choice amongst Japanese investors. Because of this, IFFIm's first appearance in the Japanese market also serves to highlight on an international stage that emerging and developing countries are working together as donors to save and improve lives."
Alice Albright, Chief Financial and Investment Officer, GAVI Alliance: "IFFIm is an innovative way of raising aid money. Since its launch in 2006, it has already made a significant impact on GAVI's ability to assist countries. The nearly USD1 billion raised so far has allowed GAVI to help countries to immediately protect children from a number of deadly diseases including hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), measles, polio, and yellow fever as well as help strengthen the systems required to deliver these vaccines. We are so pleased with the interest among Japanese investors. The money raised in Japan will help GAVI save millions of additional lives."
A special opportunity
Doris Herrera-Pol, Director and Global Head of Capital Markets, the World Bank, IFFIm's Treasury Manager: "Being part of IFFIm's debut in the Japanese market is a special opportunity. We thank Daiwa and its clients for enthusiastically supporting this bond as they have supported World Bank bonds for so many years. IFFIm brings together sovereign capital, World Bank expertise and the GAVI immunisation programs to make a difference in millions of lives."
Sam Amalou, Managing Director and Head of Debt Capital Markets, Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe: "We are delighted with the opportunity to work together with such prestigious organisations as IFFIm, GAVI and the World Bank to open up the Japanese investor base for IFFIm's fundraising, and to support such a noble and important cause - the future of millions of the world's children. The deal, the largest ever in this market in ZAR, has laid the foundation for similar exercises in the future."
About the GAVI Alliance
The GAVI Alliance is a public-private partnership that aims to immunise children and strengthen health systems in the world's poorest countries. It brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, NGOs, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and private philanthropists. GAVI provides vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis combined with haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B as so-called pentavalent (five antigens in one vaccine) as well as vaccines against measles, yellow fever, pneumococcal diseases (pneumonia and meningitis) and rotavirus (diarrhoea).
About IFFIm
International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company (IFFIm) is a multilateral development institution created to accelerate the availability of predictable, long-term funds for health and immunisation programmes through the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) in 70 of the poorest countries around the world. IFFIm was created as a development financing tool to help the international community achieve the Millennium Development Goals. IFFIm's financial base consists of legally binding grants payments from its sovereign sponsors (France, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the UK), on the basis of which IFFIm's is rated AAA/Aaa/AAA (Fitch/Moody's/S&P). The World Bank is the Treasury Manager for IFFIm. IFFIm was established as a charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and is registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee with number 5857343 and as a charity with number 1115413.
About the World Bank
The World Bank is a global development cooperative owned by 187 member countries. Its purpose is to help its members achieve equitable and sustainable economic growth in their national economies and to find effective solutions to pressing regional and global problems in economic development and environmental sustainability. The goal is to help overcome poverty and improve standards of living for people worldwide. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), rated Aaa/AAA (Moody's/S&P), is the oldest and largest entity in the World Bank Group and provides funding, risk management tools and credit enhancement to sovereigns. To fund this activity, IBRD has been issuing debt securities in the international capital markets for 60 years. The World Bank is also the Treasury Manager for IFFIm. In that capacity, the World Bank, as IFFIm's agent, manages IFFIm's finances according to prudent policies and standards. This includes IFFIm's funding strategy and its implementation in the capital markets, rating agency and investor outreach, hedging transactions and investment management. The World Bank also coordinates with IFFIm's donors and manages their pledges and payments as well as IFFIm's disbursements for immunisation and health programmes through the GAVI Alliance.
This press release is not an offer for sale of Notes of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation Company ("IFFIm"), in the United States. The Notes are not being registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to US persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from such registration. Any offering of the Notes will be made only by means of a prospectus containing detailed information regarding IFFIm and its management, including financial statements. Such prospectus will be made available through IFFIm. This press release does not constitute an offer for sale of the securities described. The offering and sale of the securities described in this document are subject to restrictions under the laws of several countries. Securities may not be offered or sold except in compliance with all such laws.
For more information, please contact:
World Bank:
Yoshiyuki Arima (Tokyo), yarima@worldbank.org Tel: +81 3 3597 6650
Rachel Winter Jones (Paris), rjones1@worldbank.org Tel: +33 1 4069 3052 office
Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe:
Caroline Lewis, London, Tel: (44-20) 7597-8101
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