At today’s shareholders’ meeting of BTC plc, with an attendance record of 95.04%, the shareholders almost unanimously (99.9% of the votes) adopted all the resolutions proposed by the Management and Supervisory Boards. Among other items they discussed the balance-sheet, profit distribution and the Management and Supervisory Boards’ discharge paper, appointed the auditor for 2005 and reaffirmed the decisions reached at the shareholders’ meeting of 17 December 2001.
The balance-sheet profit for 2004 of SIT 1,285,159,293.66 SIT shall be distributed as follows:
• For dividends SIT 445,349,520.00, which means SIT 1,980 gross per dividend. Dividends are not paid out for personal shares.
• In accordance with the company’s statutory provisions the financial reward for members of the Supervisory Board, amounting to SIT 15,737,705.90 gross.
• Dividends and profit shall be paid out from the undistributed balance-sheet profit from 1998 and 1999.
• Balance-sheet profit of SIT 500,000,000.00 is distributed among other profit reserves.
• Balance-sheet profit of SIT 324,072,067.76 SIT remains undistributed and its use will be decided upon in the business years to come.
• Those entitled to dividends are all shareholders registered at KDD-centralno klirinško depotna družba plc Ljubljana on the day following the shareholders’ meeting.
• Dividends and rewards shall be paid out by 30 June 2005 at the latest.
The Management and Supervisory Boards were given a discharge paper for 2004 and were thus acknowledged for their work in the 2004 business year. Constantio UHY Ltd, an audit company based at Vilharjeva 27, Ljubljana was appointed for 2005.
The shareholders were more than pleased with the business performance in 2004. Only BTC City in Ljubljana witnessed the construction of 77,000 m2 of new premises, with the investment being realised with the help of domestic and foreign partners. The last remaining 24,000 m2 of warehouse space saw a programme upgrading involving shopping and entertainment programmes. Thus, 2004 was a historic business year in which logistical services were finally moved from BTC City on Šmartinska street to the Logistical Centre on Letališka street.
2004 was a year of an intensive investment policy which saw SIT 5,123,318,000 worth of investment. Clearly the biggest completed investments were the construction of a multi-level car park, the construction of a roof over the outside market area and the biggest investment realised in the company’s history, namely the Atlantis Water Park encompassing 14,500 m2 of covered business space. It opened up its doors on 22 April 2005. With the completion of this investment BTC City has become the biggest business, shopping, sports, entertainment and cultural centre in Europe. The company’s investment policy is also set to continue. Namely, it has bought land to build a similar water park in Velenje and has started negotiations on the construction of a similar undertaking in Maribor.
The company is still very actively employing new staff, with the Water Park alone offering 90 new positions. In 2004 the company’s business partners further invested SIT 8.1 billion within the BTC CITY area thereby positioning BTC CITY as the biggest business, shopping, sports and entertainment centre in the whole of Europe. Last year two multi-level car parks were constructed that spread over 56,000 m2 and offer 2,500 parking places. Spar Slovenia also constructed its multi-level car park.
Another important investment was the construction of the Merkur centre, an up-to-date ‘everything for the home’ centre, that was built by the company’s business partner Merkur. This year will witness the completion of the new entertainment centre Arena that is being built by the company’s partners KD and Kolosej.
The first year of Slovenia’s entry to the European Union has passed and BTC has reached its goal of becoming the biggest shopping, business, sports, entertainment and cultural centre in Europe.
The shareholders reaffirmed all the decisions reached at the shareholders’ meeting of 17 December 2001. These refer to a reduction of the company’s basic capital, the withdrawal of its shares from the stock market, the amendments and annexes to the company’s statute and the appointment of the company’s Supervisory Board. A shareholder, Ficom Ltd, announced it was commencing proceedings against the decision on the affirmation of all decisions reached in 2001. The Ajdacom shareholders requested an immediate discharge as in their opinion these proceedings were commenced in order to compromise the company’s reputation. Ficom Ltd had bought 57 shares just 5 days prior to the shareholders’ meeting and all proceedings brought by Ficom Ltd have so far always been settled in favour of BTC.
Marketing and Public Relations Department
Ljubljana, 28 April 2005
