PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
OF ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF
ELLAKTOR SA
Construction activity in Greece faced serious challenges in 2012, as the overall sector was under intense pressure. The Public Investments Plan radically shrunk and Private Investments were practically inexistent, facts that restricted liquidity and the award of new projects.
In order to address these circumstances, the Group focused its efforts mostly on seeking projects abroad, very carefully selecting both the projects and the countries. The high unexecuted balance of construction projects of the Group (3.3 billion euros, with a further 250 million euros from project contracts to be signed), following the recent award of projects in Qatar and Serbia, enables it to view the future with optimism. Indicative of the new direction is that the total unexecuted balance from foreign projects exceeds 1 billion euros. In parallel, emphasis was placed on the reduction of construction operating costs.
The economic adversity also had a negative impact on concession projects, with a reduction in use and vehicle traffic recorded in 2012, as a result of the rising fuel prices and less commercial and professional trips, due to the shrinking income. The positive development in this area is that the new concession works, following a long period of stagnation, are now being resumed; there are expectations that with the completion of the negotiations between Concessionaires, Banks and the State, they will give a boost both to the activities of the Group and the Greek economy.
In any case, these difficult circumstances find the Group holding an extensive portfolio of operations with "defensive" characteristics, which both create a safety net against the crisis and offer prospects of growth:
- In the field of Concessions, Attiki Odos, despite the decrease in traffic (about 14% in 2012 compared to 2011), is an important asset and is expected to distribute a dividend for the first time, from the results of 2012, constituting one the main sources of operating flows for AKTOR CONCESSIONS in the coming years.
- In the Environmental field, given the strategic emphasis placed on this sector and in the framework of the further globalization of its activities, the Group, through its subsidiary HELECTOR, is solidifying its position in Cyprus and Germany, is penetrating the Balkan markets and mainly Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, while cautiously attempting to enter the markets of Jordan and Turkey.
- Wind Farms have been affected by the financial circumstances to a lesser extent. Particularly, high load wind farms still have a positive outlook in Greece, even though financing terms are significantly aggravated. Today the Group operates Wind Farms with a total installed capacity of 170 MW, while farms of a total capacity of 60 MW are currently under construction.
With regard to the Group's administrative matters, because the term of the previous Board of Directors ended, the General Meeting elected a new Board, with a five year term, marked by the introduction of new members with an important presence in the business and financial world. The new Board of Directors shall be comprised as follows:
1. Anastasios Kallitsantsis, son of Parisis;
2. Leonidas Bobolas, son of Georgios;
3. Dimitrios Kallitsantsis, son of Parisis;
4. Dimitrios Koutras, son of Athanasios;
5. Loukas Giannakoulis, son of Ioannis;
6. Aggelos Giokaris, son of Christos;
7. Edward Sarantopoulos, son of Konstantinos;
8. Ioannis Tzivelis, son of Dimitrios;
9. Theodoros Pantalakis, son of Nikolaos, Independent - Non-executive member;
10. Dimitrios Hatzigrigoriadis, son of Konstantinos, Independent - Non-executive member;
11. Iordanis Aivazis, son of Stergios, Independent - Non-executive member.
Also, the Ordinary General Meeting of ELLAKTOR's shareholders decided not to distribute dividends for 2012.
Finally, failing to establish the required quorum of 2/3 of the paid-up share capital, discussion and decision-making on two items of the agenda was postponed, and they will be discussed in the 1st Iterative General Meeting of Shareholders on 8 July 2013, Monday, at 11.00 am, at the offices of the Company at 25 Ermou Street in Kifissia.
Kifissia, 27/6/2013