Change to Company's policy

Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited 14 October 2004 Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited (the 'Company' or 'VOF') Change to the Company's policy on returning value to shareholders and other matters This announcement sets out the Board's proposal to change the Company's policy on the manner in which it returns realised profits to Shareholders and to provide Shareholders with information relating to some recent and proposed changes to the administration of the Company including the appointment of one new non-executive director to the Board, the appointment of a new member of the advisory committee and a change to the performance fee payable to the Company's investment manager VinaCapital Investment Management Limited (the 'Manager'). Change to policy on returning value to Shareholders The Company's current policy, as set out in its AIM admission document dated 24 September 2003, is to distribute substantially all of its income and capital gains after administrative expenses and tax to shareholders by way of annually declared dividends. The current dividend policy was established with the primary aim of providing ongoing income and for a faster return of capital to investors. Since this policy was established, the Company has had several requests from existing and prospective investors to change this policy. Firstly, some investors would rather retain their profits in the fund for reinvestment. Secondly, paying capital gains in the form of a dividend is highly tax inefficient in certain markets where dividends are taxed much higher than capital gains. Consequently, it was decided to change the annual dividend to an annual tender offer at net asset value ('NAV') equal to the amount of realised returns and income available for distribution. This will achieve the same practical result of paying out realised returns to those who want it while allowing those who wish to retain their money in the Company to decline the offer. Having a tender offer at NAV should also reduce any potential discount that the share price may have to NAV. Tender Facility Consequently the Board is proposing that, subject to the passing of the resolution to be proposed at the EGM of the Company (further details of which are set out below), the Board will not declare annual dividends but will instead utilise any profits which would otherwise have been available for distribution in purchasing by way of an annual tender offer the Company's ordinary shares of $0.01 each ('Ordinary Shares') at the then prevailing NAV per Ordinary Share (the 'Tender Facility'). The Tender Facility (which will take the form of a tender offer to all Shareholders) will be utilised on at least an annual basis. Pursuant to the Tender Facility (and subject to, where necessary, the approval of Shareholders in general meeting), Shareholders may request to tender all or part of their holdings of Ordinary Shares for cash. Repurchase will be effected at the prevailing NAV per Ordinary Share on the record date chosen by the Board ('Record Date') (less any incidental administrative costs) in a tax efficient manner, where possible. Subject to the above limitations, this facility will operate annually commencing in October 2005. Repurchases on any chosen Record Date will be restricted to such proportion of the Ordinary Shares as the Directors may decide based upon the amount of realised returns and income available for distribution with any tender requests in excess of this number being scaled back pro rata. The mechanics of the Tender Facility will be as follows: • not less than thirty business days before each Record Date, if the Company intends to repurchase any Ordinary Shares on that date, it will send a short, written circular to Shareholders announcing the extent of the tender offer to be made, together with a tender form; • Shareholders may then tender some or all of their Ordinary Shares by returning the tender form to the Company's Administrators not less than 10 business days prior to the relevant Record Date; • the purchase price will be calculated by reference to the NAV per Ordinary Share as at the close of business on the relevant Record Date and Ordinary Shares will be repurchased at that price on that date; • if the number of Ordinary Shares tendered for repurchase exceeds the number of Ordinary Shares which the Company has the resources to repurchase, tenders will be scaled back pro rata in proportion to the excess amount tendered; and • cheques or wire transfers are expected to be despatched (at the recipient's option and risk) within 10 business days of the relevant Record Date. The Company makes no statement regarding the effect of the Tender Facility on the tax position of Shareholders' investments in the Company and Shareholders who are in any doubt about the effect of this change to the Company's policy in terms of returning value to Shareholders are advised to seek advice from their professional tax advisers. Authority to purchase Ordinary Shares Under the terms of the Company's Articles of Association the ability of the Company to purchase its own Ordinary Shares, and therefore the operation of the Tender Facility, is dependent upon the approval by Shareholders of the method of purchase by way of an ordinary resolution. Accordingly, at the end of this document Shareholders will find a notice convening the EGM to be held at 9.00 a.m. (Vietnam time) on Wednesday 27 October, 2004 at the offices of VinaCapital Investment Management Limited, 17th Floor, Sun-Wah Tower, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam at which an ordinary resolution will be proposed to grant the Directors the power to purchase the Company's issued Ordinary Shares at a minimum price equivalent to the prevailing NAV per Ordinary Share on the relevant Redemption Date ('Buy-back Authority') and to approve in general terms the proposed change to the Company's policy on returning value to Shareholders. Realised returns for the financial year ending 30 June 2004 will still be paid as a dividend to Shareholders as at 30 June 2004, which will be declared at the Company's forthcoming annual general meeting. Extraordinary General Meeting Whether or not you intend to attend the EGM Shareholders are requested to complete and return the enclosed form of proxy in accordance with the instructions printed thereon as soon as possible and in any event, so as to be received by HSBC Trustee (Cayman) Limited not later than 48 hours before the meeting. The completion and return of a form of proxy will not prevent a Shareholder from attending the EGM and voting in person if he/she wishes to do so. The quorum for the EGM is two Shareholders present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote at the meeting. In the event that a quorum is not achieved the EGM will be adjourned until the same time on Wednesday 3 November, 2004 and the adjourned EGM will be held at the same place as the original meeting. The quorum for such adjourned meeting is one Shareholder present in person or by proxy. If you have any queries regarding any of the meetings please contact the Manager on +852 29180088. (Please note that the Manager can only give procedural advise in relation to the meeting and is not authorised to provide investment advice). Appointment of New Director and Adviser At its board meeting to be held on 27 October 2004 the Board intends to appoint Mr William Vanderfelt as a non-executive director of the Company, effective as of that date. Mr Vanderfelt is a highly experienced institutional investor with over 30 years experience as Managing Partner of Petercam, the leading Benelux investment bank, in charge of Institutional Research and Sales. Mr Vanderfelt is an experienced fund investor and acts as a board director of several listed funds. He is a passionate proponent of good corporate governance and will help the Company ensure that it maintains best practice in its corporate governance. His appointment to the Board will also create an even balance between its independent and non-independent directors. The Company aims to add one further independent director in the near future. In addition the Manager has appointed Mr Markus Winkler to its advisory committee. Mr Winkler as Managing Director of VGZ has over 30 years of direct investment experience with particular focus on emerging market closed-ended funds. He is a founder-member and a former Vice-President of the Swiss Association of Asset Managers as well as a founder and Board member of the Swiss Investors' Association and brings a wealth of experience and relationships to the advisory committee. Amendment to Manager's Performance Fee Under the current investment management agreement between the Company and the Manager dated 24 September 2003 (the 'IMA') the Manager is entitled to receive a performance fee amounting to 20 per cent. of the returns received by the Company in respect of individual investments over an annualised hurdle rate of 10 per cent. compounded for each year or fraction of a year during which such investment is held. Instead of the performance fee operating at the time a specific investment is realised, the Board and the Manager have agreed to amend the terms of the IMA in order to simplify the performance fee with effect that the performance fee will be paid on an annual basis at the rate of 20 per cent. of the total increase of the NAV of the Company during the course of a year with a high water mark over an annualised compounding hurdle rate of 10 per cent. This change will ensure that the performance fee is paid on the total absolute performance of the Company from inception rather than being based upon the performance of individual investments, which the Board believes will align the Manager's interests more fully with that of the Company's investors and is more in line with industry practice. As the amendment to the IMA represents a 'related party transaction' for the purposes of the rules of the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange plc (the 'AIM Rules') the Board has consulted (in accordance with the provisions of the AIM Rules) with its AIM nominated adviser, Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, with regard to the proposed amendment to the IMA and is consequently satisfied that the amendment is fair and reasonable in so far as Shareholders are concerned. Change of Broker With effect from 1 November 2004, following the expiry of the notice period under its current brokerage arrangements with Collins Stewart Limited, the Company will be formally appointing LCF Rothschilds Securities Limited as its market broker. LCF Edmond de Rothschild Securities Limited in London is a fully owned subsidiary of Banque Privee Edmond de Rothschild in Geneva. It is a leading broker for listed emerging market funds, covering Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America. It has a devoted team of five people with an aggregate of over fifty years experience in the sector. Change to NAV Reporting In order to increase transparency in the Company's share price the Board has decided that the Company's NAV should be quoted on a monthly basis rather than on the current quarterly basis. The Board feels that this change to the Company's reporting procedures will be advantageous for existing and prospective Shareholders and is part of the Company's ongoing review of its Shareholder relations strategy. Copies of this circular have been sent by the Company to shareholders today and will also be available, free of charge from the offices of Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, Grant Thornton House, Melton Street, Euston Square, London NW1 2EP or, Unit 1703, Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a period of 30 days from the date of this announcement. Dated 14 October 2004 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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