RE: doomed15 May 2016 19:59
c m I think, but I haven't been keeping watch as its dull here. That said the ERCA (Ethiopian revenue and customs authority) along with other backward African regulation systems are renowned for pulling stunts like this. In the UK the tax man can do similar - but if a mistake is made they pay it back, and are quick to do so. The problem with Africa is that they don't really know what they are doing and are stupidly stubborn and fairly ignorant. I looked into this last week and there does not appear to be a valid reason for the ERCA to have taken the cash. Now, either they will dig in like the thieves they are, and given they seldom pay attention to any kind of judicial systems, turn it into a legal battle - or they will soon accept their mistake and pay back what is owed, along with the required interest and costs incurred by Atlas and any shareholders who decide to put a claim in for the decline in share price resulting from their actions. If the money is returned swiftly then the SP will bounce hard. No one likes a legal stand off, but there can be a massive upside - just look at the multiple spikes in PFP and others. Atlas have just secured a 45year land lease and works for now are, I believe, funded for now. If you read the feasibility study for the bottling plant this will do quite well so wouldn't say its doomed either way. Also they didn't have a problem raising funds. Also the Directors finally put some of their own money in her recently. Might be worth contacting the ERCA directly and demanding their reasoning for this action. That said Atlas are soooooo slow with their comms to shareholders that this is prob all out of date already!!! St Brides (PR) don't really do much either.