OCI Says To Pay Egypt’s Tax Initial Payment Of EGP2.5 Bln In Days

Orascom Construction Industries S.A.E. (OCIC.CA), announced on Tuesday that it will start to pay the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) the agreed initial payments of EGP 2.5 billion within the coming few days.

Omar Derwaza – Head of Investor Relations at Orascom Construction Industries – stated that the payments shall start with an initial payment of EGP 2.5 billion which will be paid within the coming few days, EGP 900 million in December 2013, six equal installments of EGP 450 million and two final installments of EGP 500 million in 2017 totaling the agreed to EGP 7.1 billion.

On April 30, OCI S.A.E. announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with ETA in which OCI’s Dutch Unit OCI N.V. will pay the authority ten installments during 2013- 2017 totaling EGP 7.1 billion less EGP 182 million in existing tax credits to end a dispute regarding tax claims for the years 2007 to 2010. 

During that period, OCI SAE divested its cement business through the sale of a listed subsidiary, Orascom Building Materials Holding (OBMH). The agreed amount is based on the originally disclosed tax claim by the ETA of EGP 4.7 billion including accrued interest and delay fees.

OCI N.V. will loan its subsidiary OCI S.A.E., the Egypt listed company, the necessary funds required for the tax settlement through intercompany loans to be coordinated and channeled into the country through the Central Bank of Egypt.

The settlement amount was reached following months of challenging negotiations. In conjunction with this agreement, the ETA has determined that there was no tax evasion by the Company and is exonerating management and the Company from any wrongdoing related to the transaction.