Uzbekistan, Tashkent, June 25 / Trend D. Azizov /
Uzbektelecom is Uzbekistan's national telecommunications operator. It will pay dividends for 2009 amounting to 4.4 percent per annum for each ordinary share and 25 percent per annum - for preference share of par value 1,000 sums, amounting to 43.45 sums and 250 sums respectively.
This decision was taken by shareholders of the company at the annual general meeting on Friday.
In 2008 the dividends amounted to 65 soums on ordinary and 250 soums on preferred stocks.
About 5 percent is transferred from the total net profit to develop the company. The same amount was transferred to a reserve fund.
Uzbektelecom's income from the main activity last year increased by 13.6 percent - up to 269.9 billion soums. The level of tariff revenue increased by 14 percent - up to 239.5 billion soums.
The largest weight is occupied by an international and long distance communication - 76 percent compared to 73.8 percent in 2008, local telephony - 17 percent compared to 20.9 percent a year earlier.
In 2009, the assets of Uzbektelekom increased by 3.1 percent - up to 613.897 billion soums, including fixed assets - by 2,4 percent up to 562.113 billion soums.
Total investments of the company in 2009 increased by 1,3 percent - up to 47.468 billion soums.
In 2009, the total capacity of 2.041 automatic telephone exchange of Uzbektelecom totaled 2.044 million numbers. At the same time the share of digital telephone exchanges increased by 84 percent up to 88.8 percent, or up to 1,845 million numbers. The length of the fiber-optic communication lines in local networks was more than 1.700 kilometers.
Uzbektelekom's authorized capital, formed from the assets of 19 branches, two subsidiaries and shares in eight joint ventures, is $32 billion 694.633 million soums. It is divided into 31 million 579.649 pieces of ordinary shares and 1 million 114.984 of pieces of preferred shares of 1,000 soums each.
The company owns 94 percent of shares, the labor collective - 5,8 percent, other shareholders - 0,2 percent.
On June 25, the official exchange rate is 1592,25/$ 1.