Circ re Proposed New Manager and Change of Name

Gartmore Asia Pacific Trust PLC (the "Company") 6 October 2006 Proposed appointment of a new investment manager of the Company and change of name The Company has today issued a circular (the "Circular") regarding the proposed change of investment manager and change of name of the Company. Subject to shareholder approval, the Board will appoint Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Limited to manage the Company's portfolio and change the Company's name to Aberdeen All Asia Investment Trust PLC. Terms used in this announcement shall have the same meaning as those used in the Circular. Background to the Proposals In summer 2006, the Company's two principal fund managers gave notice that they were leaving Gartmore to join other asset management businesses. In light of this, on 19 July 2006, the Board announced that it was considering the future arrangements for the management of the Company's portfolio. Following that announcement, the Board received a number of proposals regarding the future management of the Company, and, having carefully considered these, the Board has decided to appoint Aberdeen as the new investment manager in place of Gartmore. The Board considers that Aberdeen has an excellent track record and is committed to providing investment management services to the Company. In addition, the proposals put forward by Aberdeen ensure there is a continuity of the Company's mandate which will remain the same (i.e. a focussed portfolio covering Asia, including Japan). The Board has decided that the appointment of Aberdeen will be conditional upon obtaining Shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting of the Company to be held at 10:30 a.m. on 9 November 2006. The resolution to be put to Shareholders will also, if passed, change the Company's name to "Aberdeen All Asia Investment Trust PLC". The Board has consulted certain major Shareholders of the Company who have indicated their support for the new investment manager. New Investment Manager - Aberdeen Background on Aberdeen Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, was established in 1992 as the Asia Pacific investment manager for the Asian investments of the Aberdeen Group. Today, Aberdeen is a leading independent manager of Asian equities, with a global client list that includes institutions such as central banks, national pension schemes, corporate entities as well as other asset managers, investing through both segregated and pooled fund structures. As at 31 August 2006, Aberdeen managed regional equities with an aggregate value of £13.5 billion. The Aberdeen Group today has a stable and experienced investment team of 27 based in Singapore, Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo. This Asia Pacific investment team is led by Hugh Young, who is Aberdeen Group's head of equities as well as the managing director of Aberdeen. Aberdeen is an active manager, and follows a bottom-up, stock-picking investment style, characterised by first-hand research. Aberdeen has a clearly articulated investment process that is disciplined and consistent. All investment decisions are made on a team basis, with investment managers cross-covering stock and markets. No stock is bought without Aberdeen's investment managers having met management, with regular visits thereafter. Over the years, Aberdeen's investment managers have visited many thousands of companies. Aberdeen's investment managers conduct around 1,200 meetings annually. Track record Aberdeen has a strong track record of managing funds with an Asia, including Japan, mandate. The Aberdeen Asia including Japan Fund has been in the first quartile in its sector over three, five and ten years. An illustration of its cumulative performance (to 30 September 2006) is set out below by percentage growth: 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years NAV total 9.39 64.85 127.18 69.15 return (Asia including Japan) MSCI AC Asia 9.68 54.30 65.93 5.72 Pacific Benchmark Quartile 2nd 1st 1st 1st Source: Aberdeen / Lipper, Total Return, UK Net Income Reinvested, GBP Net of annual management fees and expenses, gross of initial charge. New Management Arrangements If Aberdeen's appointment is approved by Shareholders at the EGM, Aberdeen will assume responsibility for the investment management of the Company with effect from 10 November 2006. Aberdeen's appointment will be on terms which are substantially similar to those set out in the Existing Management Agreement. The fees payable to Aberdeen will be the same as those currently payable to Gartmore and will comprise: * a management fee of 0.75 per cent. per annum of total assets less current liabilities, with a rebate to the Company for any fees received in respect of any investments by the Company in investment vehicles managed by the Aberdeen group; and * a performance fee of 15 per cent. of the portfolio's out-performance against the benchmark index. The performance fee will be subject to a cap of 0.25 per cent. in any year in which the year-end net asset value per Share is less than the previous year-end net asset value per Share. Payment of a performance fee will also be subject to the net asset value per Share at the end of a performance period being higher than the last net asset value per Share by reference to which a performance fee was paid to Aberdeen in the three years before the end of the relevant performance period. The New Management Agreement will be terminable by either party on six months' notice in writing and the standard of care and indemnity provisions will also remain largely unchanged. Existing Management Agreement In accordance with the terms of the Existing Management Agreement, Gartmore will be paid its final management fee on 9 November 2006. Whether Gartmore will be entitled to a performance fee in respect of the period from 1 April 2006 to 9 November 2006 will depend on whether the Company's net asset value as at the latter date exceeds both the benchmark index and the net asset value on which the last performance fee was paid. Any performance fee will be calculated pro rata because it would be payable in respect of a period of less than one year. Change of Name In order to reflect the proposed change of investment manager of the Company, the Directors propose that the Company's name should be changed to "Aberdeen All Asia Investment Trust PLC". If the Company's name is not changed to exclude the word "Gartmore" and the management passes to another fund management group, the Company may in certain circumstances become liable to Gartmore for a licence fee under the terms of the Existing Management Agreement. Costs of the Proposals Aberdeen has agreed to pay the Company £0.125m (inclusive of VAT) which the Board estimates as the costs and expenses of the Proposals. The Company will bear the cost of any performance fee which may become due to Gartmore. Extraordinary General Meeting The implementation of the Proposals will require the approval of Shareholders. The EGM will be held at 20 Moorgate, London EC2R 6DA at 10:30 a.m. on 9 November 2006. At the EGM, a special resolution will be proposed to approve the appointment of Aberdeen as the new investment manager on the terms of the New Management Agreement and to change the Company's name. New Share Scheme Arrangements For practical reasons, Gartmore is unable to administer saving schemes for a fund that it no longer manages. Aberdeen, through its sister company Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited, will be contacting Scheme Participants in due course to explain the options for Scheme Participants to transfer their investment into Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited's Share, ISA and/or PEP plans, which are similar to those run by Gartmore. In the meantime the Gartmore saving schemes will close to further contributions with effect from 7 November 2006. For the avoidance of doubt, the last contributions of the Scheme Participants who make regular monthly contributions will be those for October 2006. Expected Timetable 2006 Latest time and date for receipt of Voting 5.00 p.m. on 2 November Direction Form from Scheme Participants Latest time and date for receipt of Forms of 10:30 a.m. on 7 November Proxy for use at the Extraordinary General Meeting Extraordinary General Meeting 10:30 a.m. on 9 November Appointment of the New Manager becomes 10 November effective Enquiries David Price - Chairman, Gartmore Asia 01790 753 764 Pacific Trust PLC William Hemmings - Aberdeen Asset 020 7463 6000 Management
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