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GSC — Capital/Financing Update 2014
May 15, 2014
52060_rns_2014-05-15_b63579f5-2a68-44f1-aa3f-7cb09ab3de82.pdf
Capital/Financing Update
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GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
US$20,000,000 Zero Coupon Credit Enhanced Convertible Bonds Due 2008 Issue Price: 100%
The US$20,000,000 Zero Coupon Credit Enhanced Convertible Bonds Due 2008 (the ‘‘Bonds’’) will be issued by Gigastorage Corporation (the ‘‘Company’’), a company limited by shares incorporated in Taiwan, Republic of China (‘‘ROC’’ or ‘‘Taiwan’’). Unless previously redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or converted, the Bonds will be redeemed on September 5, 2008 at their principal amount.
The Bonds may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company at any time on or after March 5, 2004 and prior to September 5, 2008, at their principal amount in US dollars if the Closing Price (as defined herein) of the common shares, par value NT$10 per share, of the Company (the ‘‘Shares’’) on the TSE (as defined herein) translated into US dollars at the Prevailing Rate (as defined herein) on the same day with respect to such Closing Price for each of the 20 Trading Days (as defined herein) within a period of 30 consecutive Trading Days, is at least 125% of the Conversion Price (as defined herein) of the Bonds then in effect, translated into US dollars at a fixed exchange rate of NT$34.21 = US$1.00. The Bonds may also be redeemed, in whole but not in part, at the option of the Company, at their principal amount in US dollars if at least 90% in principal amount of the Bonds has already been redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or converted. The Bonds may also be redeemed in whole, but not in part, at any time at the option of the Company at their principal amount in the event of certain changes relating to ROC taxation. The Company will, at the option of the holder of any Bond, redeem all (or any portion of the principal amount that is US$1,000 or any integral multiple thereof) of such holder’s Bond on September 5, 2005 at 105% and on September 5, 2006 at 107.5% of its principal amount.
The Bonds may be converted (unless previously redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or converted and except during a Closed Period (as defined herein)) at any time on or after October 6, 2003 and prior to the close of business (at the place the Bond is deposited for conversion) on August 6, 2008 into Shares. The Conversion Price will initially be NT$15.8 per Share and will be subject to adjustment in the manner provided herein. A fixed rate of exchange of NT$34.21 = US$1.00 will apply upon conversion of the Bonds. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Conversion.’’ The Shares are listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (the ‘‘TSE’’) and application will be made to list the Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds on the TSE. On August 28, 2003, the closing price of the Shares on the TSE was NT$15.2 per Share.
Payments of principal in respect of the Bonds will be supported by an irrevocable standby letter of credit (the ‘‘Letter of Credit’’) issued by:
Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd.
Investing in the Bonds involves risks. See ‘‘Risk Factors’’ beginning on page 8.
The Bonds and the Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘‘Securities Act’’) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act (‘‘Regulation S’’)) unless registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act is available. The Bonds are being offered and sold pursuant to this Offering Circular only outside the United States to non-US persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. For a description of these and certain other restrictions on offers and sales of the Bonds and the Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds, and distribution of this Offering Circular, see ‘‘Transfer Restrictions’’ and ‘‘Plan of Distribution.’’
EnTrust Securities (H.K.) Limited (the ‘‘Manager’’) expects to deliver the Bonds against payment therefor on or about September 5, 2003 (the ‘‘Closing Date’’).
Manager
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August 28, 2003
The Company, having made all reasonable enquiries, confirms that this Offering Circular contains all information with respect to the Company, its subsidiaries, the Bonds and the Shares, which is material in the context of the issue and offering of the Bonds (including all information required by applicable laws of the ROC), that the information contained herein (except as set out below) is true and accurate in all material respects and is not misleading, that the opinions and intentions expressed herein are honestly held and have been reached after considering all relevant circumstances and are based on reasonable assumptions, that there are no other facts, the omission of which would, in the context of the issue and offering of the Bonds, make this Offering Circular as a whole or any of such information or the expression of any such opinions or intentions misleading in any material respect and that all reasonable enquiries have been made by the Company to verify the accuracy of such information and that this Offering Circular does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated herein or necessary in order to make the statements herein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. The Company accepts responsibility accordingly. Information provided herein with respect to the ROC, its political status and economy has been derived from government and other public sources and the Company accepts responsibility only for accurately extracting information from such sources.
The distribution of this Offering Circular and the offering and sale of the Bonds in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this Offering Circular comes are required by the Company and the Manager to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. For a description of certain further restrictions on offers and sales of the Bonds and distribution of this Offering Circular, see ‘‘Plan of Distribution’’ and ‘‘Transfer Restrictions.’’ This Offering Circular does not constitute an offer of, or an invitation by or on behalf of, the Company or the Manager to subscribe for or purchase any of the Bonds in any jurisdiction in which such offer or invitation would be unlawful.
No person is authorized in connection with the issue, offering or sale of the Bonds to give any information or to make any representation not contained in this Offering Circular and any information or representation not contained herein must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Company or the Manager. Neither the delivery of this Offering Circular nor any sale made in connection with the issue of the Bonds shall, under any circumstances, constitute a representation or create any implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date hereof or that the information contained herein is correct as at any time subsequent to its date.
The Bonds will be represented by beneficial interests in a permanent global certificate (the ‘‘Global Certificate’’) in registered form, which will be registered in the name of a nominee of, and shall be deposited on or about the Closing Date with, a common depositary for Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System (‘‘Euroclear’’) and Clearstream Banking, socie´te´ anonyme (‘‘Clearstream, Luxembourg’’). Except as described herein, certificates for the Bonds will not be issued in exchange for beneficial interests in the Global Certificate. Interests in the Global Certificate will be subject to certain restrictions on transfer. See ‘‘Transfer Restrictions’’ and ‘‘Summary — The Offering — Form and Denomination of the Bonds.’’
The Bonds and the Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds have not been approved or disapproved by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission in the United States or any other US regulatory authority, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Bonds or the accuracy or adequacy of this Offering Circular. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.
Payment of principal on the Bonds will be made after withholding for or on account of certain taxes of the ROC and the Company will pay additional amounts in respect of such withholding to the extent set forth under ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Taxation.’’
In this Offering Circular, references to the ‘‘PRC’’ are to the People’s Republic of China and do not include Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan. References to the ‘‘ROC’’, ‘‘Taiwan’’ and the Republic of China are to the island of Taiwan and other areas under the effective control of the Republic of China.
The Company has prepared the audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and the unaudited unconsolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 contained herein. These financial statements were prepared in conformity with the ‘‘Rules Governing Preparation of Financial Statements of Securities Issuers’’ and generally accepted accounting principles in the ROC (together referred to herein as ‘‘ROC GAAP’’) which differ in certain material respects from generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (‘‘US GAAP’’). See ‘‘Summary of Principal Differences between ROC GAAP and US GAAP.’’
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In connection with this issue, to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, applicable laws and regulations, the Manager may effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the Bonds at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail for a limited period after the Closing Date. However, there is no obligation on the part of the Manager to do this. Such stabilizing, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time, and must be brought to an end after a limited period.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements under ‘‘Summary’’, ‘‘Risk Factors’’, ‘‘Business’’ and ‘‘Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations’’ and elsewhere in this Offering Circular constitute ‘‘forward-looking statements.’’ All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Offering Circular, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company’s results of operations, financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to the Company’s products), are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results or performance of the Company, or industry results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results or performance to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, conditions affecting the markets for optical storage media products and, in particular, the development of market demand for such products, the ability of the Company to expand its production of such optical storage media products, market supply of and average selling prices for the Company’s principal products and the Company’s ability to reduce unit production costs of its principal products. Additional factors that could cause actual results or performance to differ materially include, but are not limited to, those discussed in ‘‘Risk Factors.’’ These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Offering Circular. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change of events, conditions or circumstances, on which any such statement was based.
ENFORCEABILITY OF FOREIGN JUDGMENTS IN THE ROC
The Company is a company limited by shares and incorporated under the Company Law of the ROC (the ‘‘Company Law’’). Substantially all of the Company’s directors, supervisors and executive officers named herein are residents of the ROC and a substantial portion of the assets of the Company and such persons are located in the ROC. As a result, it may not be possible for investors to effect service of process upon the Company or such persons outside the ROC, or to enforce against any of them judgments obtained in courts outside the ROC including those predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any State or territory within the United States.
The Company has been advised by Tsar & Tsai, its legal adviser in the ROC, that any final judgment obtained against the Company or such persons in any court other than the courts of the ROC in respect of any legal suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Bonds or the Shares will be enforced by the courts of the ROC without further review of the merits only if the court of the ROC in which enforcement is sought is satisfied that: (i) the court rendering the judgment has jurisdiction over the subject matter according to the laws of the ROC; (ii) the content and litigation procedures of the judgment is not contrary to the public order or good morals of the ROC; (iii) the judgment is a final judgment for which the period for appeal has expired or from which no appeal can be taken; (iv) if the judgment was rendered by default by the court rendering the judgment, the Company or such persons were legally served within the jurisdiction of such court during reasonable period of time or process was served on the Company or such persons with judicial assistance of the ROC; and (v) judgments of the courts of the ROC are recognized and enforceable in the jurisdiction of the court rendering the judgment on a reciprocal basis. Moreover, a party seeking to enforce a foreign judgment in the ROC would, except under limited circumstances, be required to obtain foreign exchange approval from the Central Bank of China (the ‘‘CBC’’) for the remittance out of the ROC of any amounts recovered in respect of such judgment denominated in a currency other than NT dollars (as defined herein).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | Page | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 | The Global Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 64 |
| Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 8 | Exchange Rate Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 66 |
| Use of Proceeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
15 | Description of The Letter of Credit . . . . . . . | 67 |
| Capitalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
16 | Description of The Letter of Credit Bank . . | 69 |
| Selected Financial Information . . . . . . . . . . . | 17 | Description of The Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 72 |
| Management’s Discussion and Analysis | Transfer Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
76 | |
| of Financial Condition and Results | ROC Taxation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 78 | |
| of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 19 | Plan of Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
80 |
| Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 26 | General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 83 |
| Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
36 | Summary of Principal Differences Between | |
| Market Price of the Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
39 | ROC GAAP and US GAAP . . . . . . . . . . . . | 84 |
| Dividends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 40 | Index to Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . | F-1 |
| Principal Shareholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 41 | APPENDIX A — Foreign Investment and | |
| Related Party Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
42 | Exchange Controls in The ROC . . . . . . . . |
A-1 |
| Changes in Share Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 44 | APPENDIX B — The Securities Market | |
| Description of the Bonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 45 | of The ROC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | B-1 |
Unless otherwise specified or the context requires, references to ‘‘US dollars’’ and ‘‘US$’’ are to the lawful currency of the United States of America, references to ‘‘New Taiwan dollars’’, ‘‘NT dollars’’ and ‘‘NT$’’ are to the lawful currency of the ROC and references to ‘‘Japanese Yen’’, ‘‘Yen’’ and ‘‘Y=’’ are to the lawful currency of Japan. Unless otherwise specified, where financial information in relation to the Company has been translated into US dollars, it has been so translated, for convenience only, at the exchange rate of NT$34.75 = US$1.00 (the noon buying rate in the City of New York for cable transfer in NT dollars per US dollar as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the ‘‘Noon Buying Rate’’) on March 31, 2003). All amounts translated into US dollars as described above are provided solely for the convenience of the reader and no representation is made that the NT dollar or US dollar amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into US dollars or NT dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For further information relating to exchange rates, see ‘‘Exchange Rate Information.’’
Any discrepancies in any table between totals and the sums of the amounts listed are due to rounding.
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SUMMARY
The following summary is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information and financial statements contained elsewhere in this Offering Circular.
The Company
The Company manufactures and sells a broad range of optical storage media products. The principal optical storage media products of the Company include compact discs-recordable, or CD-Rs, compact discsrewritable, or CD-RWs and digital versatile discs-recordable, or DVD-Rs. In addition, the Company is also engaged in the production of optical storage media related products, such as optical storage-based portable players and duplicators. Sales of optical storage media products accounted for approximately 68.0% of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues in 2002 and approximately 87.6% of the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2003. The principal component of the optical storage media sales of the Company in both periods was sales of CD-Rs.
The Company’s consolidated net operating revenues grew to NT$1,778.1 million (US$51.2 million) in 2002 from NT$1,672.0 million in 2001 and NT$1,476.5 million in 2000. The Company had consolidated gross profit of NT$241.8 million in 2000 but a consolidated gross loss of NT$59.8 million in 2001 and NT$140.7 million (US$4.0 million) in 2002. The Company’s consolidated net loss was NT$187.7 million, NT$593.0 million and NT$599.4 million (US$17.2 million), respectively, in 2000, 2001 and 2002. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had consolidated stockholders’ equity of NT$3,655.0 million (US$105.2 million).
In the three months ended March 31, 2003, the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues increased to NT$472.9 million (US$13.6 million) from NT$369.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002. However, the Company generated an unconsolidated net loss of NT$95.1 million (US$2.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003 compared to a net loss of NT$116.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002. As of March 31, 2003, the Company had unconsolidated stockholders’ equity of NT$3,538.2 million (US$101.8 million).
The Company was incorporated in the ROC (Registration No. 97178376) on March 26, 1997 under the ROC Company Law. The Company’s registered address is 2 Kuang Fu South Road, Hsinchu Industrial Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Company’s Shares have been listed on the TSE since April 2000.
Strategy
To enhance manufacturing efficiencies by seeking to improve existing manufacturing processes and exploring new cost-reduction opportunities.
The Company believes that manufacturing efficiencies and the ability to lower manufacturing costs have been significant factors in its success. The Company has successfully developed its in-house knowhow in chemical engineering technology such as dye synthesis, which enables it to reduce unit production costs by either manufacturing its own dye or recycling imported dyes and solvents from overseas countries such as Japan. Further, the Company intends to continue to source certain key raw materials, including dyes and solvents for the manufacture of CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, from local suppliers in order to lower its raw material costs. The Company will continue to emphasize its chemical engineering expertise as a means of reduction of production cost and adding value to its existing product ranges.
To provide a comprehensive range of high quality products and services to customers around the world.
The Company intends to continue to strengthen its global sales network in order to provide it with an integrated global franchise and network with close proximity to major customers, especially those in the emerging markets. The Company also intends to establish partnerships with local vendors or distributors in selected markets to expand its business in such markets. Further, the Company intends to continue to enhance its distribution logistics by establishing logistics centers close to key customers and upgrading its information technology systems in an effort to shorten delivery lead time.
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To emphasize DVD products.
While broad market acceptance of DVD-Rs has to date been impeded by a number of factors, including the existence of competing DVD formats and issues relating to DVD licensing arrangements, the Company believes that, in the medium term, DVD products and, in particular, DVD recordable products will be an increasingly significant growth area for the Company as the CD-R and CD-RW markets mature. In order to capture this emerging market, the Company is focusing a portion of its capital expenditure on the expansion of its DVD recordable production facilities so that it will be well-positioned to capitalize on the potential growth in the DVD recordable market. In addition, the Company has developed a manufacturing lines conversion procedure, which can convert its CD-R manufacturing facilities into DVD recordable manufacturing facilities in a timely and cost-effective way.
To leverage core technology in optical storage media and diversify into higher growth and higher margin markets.
The Company has, since early 2000, broadened its product lines to include information appliance products. The Company has made efforts to capitalize on the strategic relationships established and technological and manufacturing expertise gained by it as a manufacturer of optical storage media products to diversify into this new business area. For example, the Company has successfully designed key components, and served as a system integrator, for Hasbro, a major consumer electronics manufacturer in the United States, for the development of its ‘‘Video Now Player’’, a lightweight portable audio device which enables users to play pre-recorded movies in MP3 compression standard. The commercial production of this product commenced in April 2003 and the launch of this product in the United States is expected in the third quarter of 2003. The Company has also developed and is in the process of developing for commercial production other portable optical storage media devices, including handheld video game players and handheld language-tutorial devices. The Company believes that by entering business of manufacturing information appliance products, it will be able to diversify its revenues and capture new growth opportunities.
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Selected Financial Information
The following tables set forth selected financial information derived from the Company’s (i) audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and (ii) unaudited unconsolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003. The financial statements of the Company are prepared in conformity with ROC GAAP. ROC GAAP differs in certain material aspects from US GAAP. See ‘‘Summary of Principal Differences between ROC GAAP and US GAAP.’’ The amounts expressed in US dollars do not form part of any of the audited consolidated or unaudited unconsolidated financial statements of the Company and are provided solely for the convenience of the reader.
| Consolidated Income Statement Data: Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost of goods sold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gross profit (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating expenses Selling expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development expenses . . . . . . . . . Operating loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss before income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income tax benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consolidated Balance Sheet Data: Current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property, plant and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | 2002 (US$ million) 51.2 (55.2) (4.0) (5.0) (3.9) (1.3) (10.1) (14.1) 1.1 (4.2) (17.2) (17.2) 2002 (US$ million) 51.3 11.6 86.8 8.3 158.0 35.8 17.0 52.8 105.2 158.0 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 (NT$ million) 1,476.5 (1,234.7) 241.8 (130.4) (170.3) (64.6) (365.3) (123.5) 104.7 (188.5) (207.3) 19.6 (187.7) |
2001 2002 (NT$ million) (NT$ million) 1,672.0 1,778.1 (1,731.8) (1,918.8) (59.8) (140.7) (342.8) (173.9) (174.2) (134.7) (45.2) (43.8) (562.2) (352.4) (622.0) (493.1) 157.4 39.2 (128.4) (145.5) (593.0) (599.4) — — (593.0) (599.4) As of December 31, |
|||
| 2000 (NT$ million) 2,285.9 269.7 3,697.2 263.8 6,516.6 694.6 895.9 1,590.5 4,926.1 6,516.6 |
2001 (NT$ million) 1,974.2 381.1 3,339.6 317.1 6,012.0 904.4 822.1 1,726.5 4,285.5 6,012.0 |
2002 (NT$ million) 1,782.3 405.5 3,015.2 288.5 5,491.5 1,245.0 591.5 1,836.5 3,655.0 5,491.5 |
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| Unconsolidated Income Statement Data: Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost of goods sold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gross profit (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating expenses Selling expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss before income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income tax benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unconsolidated Balance Sheet Data: Current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property, plant and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 369.2 472.9 13.6 (382.1) (453.4) (13.0) (12.9) 19.5 0.6 (53.4) (72.5) (2.1) (14.7) (19.9) (0.6) (10.9) (10.6) (0.3) (79.0) (103.0) (3.0) (91.9) (83.5) (2.4) 10.3 6.3 0.2 (34.5) (18.4) (0.5) (116.1) (95.6) (2.7) — 0.5 0.0 (116.1) (95.1) (2.7) As of March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT$ million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 1,858.9 1,719.7 49.5 388.2 376.2 10.8 3,243.9 2,909.5 83.7 262.6 285.4 8.2 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 834.4 1,244.6 35.8 738.7 503.9 14.5 2.3 4.1 0.1 1,575.4 1,752.6 50.4 4,178.2 3,538.2 101.8 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 369.2 472.9 13.6 (382.1) (453.4) (13.0) (12.9) 19.5 0.6 (53.4) (72.5) (2.1) (14.7) (19.9) (0.6) (10.9) (10.6) (0.3) (79.0) (103.0) (3.0) (91.9) (83.5) (2.4) 10.3 6.3 0.2 (34.5) (18.4) (0.5) (116.1) (95.6) (2.7) — 0.5 0.0 (116.1) (95.1) (2.7) As of March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT$ million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 1,858.9 1,719.7 49.5 388.2 376.2 10.8 3,243.9 2,909.5 83.7 262.6 285.4 8.2 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 834.4 1,244.6 35.8 738.7 503.9 14.5 2.3 4.1 0.1 1,575.4 1,752.6 50.4 4,178.2 3,538.2 101.8 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 2003 (NT million) (NT$ million) 369.2 472.9 (382.1) (453.4) (12.9) 19.5 (53.4) (72.5) (14.7) (19.9) (10.9) (10.6) (79.0) (103.0) (91.9) (83.5) 10.3 6.3 (34.5) (18.4) (116.1) (95.6) — 0.5 (116.1) (95.1) As of March 31, |
||
| 2002 (NT$ million) 1,858.9 388.2 3,243.9 262.6 5,753.6 834.4 738.7 2.3 1,575.4 4,178.2 5,753.6 |
2003 (NT$ million) 1,719.7 376.2 2,909.5 285.4 5,290.8 1,244.6 503.9 4.1 1,752.6 3,538.2 5,290.8 |
4
The Offering
The following is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the ‘‘Description of the Bonds.’’ Capitalized terms used and not defined have the meaning given to them in ‘‘Description of the Bonds.’’
| Issuer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Gigastorage Corporation. |
|---|---|
| Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | US$20,000,000 Zero Coupon Credit Enhanced Convertible Bonds Due 2008. |
| The Bonds are being offered by the Manager outside the United States in | |
| reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. | |
| Issue Price . . . . . . . . . . . | 100%. |
| Closing Date . . . . . . . . . | September 5, 2003. |
| Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | The Bonds will be direct, unconditional, unsubordinated and, subject to the |
| provisions set forth under ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Negative Pledge’’, | |
| unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank pari passu without any | |
| preference or priority among themselves shall at all times rank at least | |
| equally with all other present and future direct, unconditional, |
|
| unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Company, except as may | |
| be preferred by mandatory provisions of law. | |
| Letter of Credit Bank. . . . | Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd. |
| Letter of Credit. . . . . . . . | The Letter of Credit Bank has committed to issue the Letter of Credit to |
| support payments of principal of the Bonds. The Letter of Credit will be | |
| issued on or prior to the Closing Date in favor of the Trustee for the benefit | |
| of the holders of the Bonds. The Letter of Credit will be issued with an | |
| initial face value (not exceeding US$20 million) of 100.0% of the principal | |
| amount of the Bonds as of the Closing Date and will be available for | |
| drawings to cover the obligations of the Company to repay the principal in | |
| respect of the Bonds upon a failure of the Company to pay such amount at | |
| maturity or upon the Bonds being declared due and payable on the | |
| occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined herein) under the Bonds. See | |
| ‘‘The Letter of Credit.’’ | |
| The Letter of Credit does not support any other obligations of the Company | |
| under the Bonds, including obligations described under ‘‘Description of the | |
| Bonds — Conversion’’, the obligations to make payment of ROC |
|
| withholding tax, the obligation to make payments for any amount in | |
| excess of the principal amount of the Bonds upon the exercise of the | |
| Holders’ Put Right (as defined herein) or the obligation to pay default | |
| interest on the Bonds. | |
| Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . | Subject to prior permitted redemption and subject as otherwise provided |
| herein, the Bonds are convertible at any time on or after October 6, 2003 and | |
| prior to the close of business (at the place at which the Bond is deposited for | |
| conversion) on August 6, 2008, except during any Closed Period, into Shares | |
| at a Conversion Price per Share of NT$15.8 (subject to adjustment as | |
| described herein) (the ‘‘Conversion Price’’), determined on the basis of a | |
| fixed exchange rate of NT$34.21 = US$1.00. The Company will neither | |
| issue fractions of Shares nor make any cash adjustments in respect of | |
| fractions of Shares. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Conversion.’’ |
5
Conversion Price Reset . . The Conversion Price will be adjusted on the 60th day prior to each anniversary of the Closing Date (each a ‘‘Reset Date’’) in the event that the Reset Reference Price (as defined herein) for the 20 consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to the Reset Date, converted into US dollars at the Prevailing Rate (as defined herein) is less than the Conversion Price then in effect converted into US dollars, at the fixed exchange rate of NT$34.21 = US$1.00; provided that, among others, any adjustment to the Conversion Price pursuant to the Conversion Price Reset shall be limited so that the adjusted Conversion Price shall not be less than 80% of the initial Conversion Price (but may be adjusted to reflect any adjustments required under the ‘‘Description of the Bonds’’ which may have occurred prior to the relevant Reset Date). See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Conversion — Conversion Price Reset.’’
Special Conversion Price After each Special Reset Date (as defined herein), the Company may offer Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . the holders of the Bonds the option to convert their Bonds for a period of up to seven Business Days, which period shall start on a day selected by the Company but end no later than twelve (12) Business Days (as defined herein) prior to the applicable Holders’ Put Date (exclusive of such Holders’ Put Date), at 86.58% and 84.57%, respectively, of the Special Reference Price (as defined herein) on any or all of July 25, 2005 and July 25, 2006. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Conversion — Special Conversion Price Reset.’’
Negative Pledge . . . . . . . The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Principal Subsidiaries to, create or permit to be outstanding any Security (as defined herein) for the benefit of holders of any International Investment Securities (as defined herein) or for any guarantee thereof without granting equivalent security in respect of the Bonds. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Negative Pledge.’’ Final Redemption . . . . . . Unless previously redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or converted in the circumstances referred to in ‘‘Description of the Bonds’’, the Bonds will be redeemed at their principal amount in US dollars on September 5, 2008. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Redemption, Purchase and Cancellation — Redemption at Maturity.’’
Redemption at the Option of The Company may, having given not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ the Company . . . . . . . . notice to the holders of the Bond, at the option of the Company at any time on or after March 5, 2004 and prior to September 5, 2008, redeem the Bonds, in whole or from time to time in part (being US$1,000 in principal amount or integral multiples thereof), at their principal amount, if the Closing Price of the Shares, translated into US dollars at the Prevailing Rate on the same day, for each of the 20 Trading Days within a period of 30 consecutive Trading Days, is at least 125% of the Conversion Price then in effect, translated into US dollars at a fixed exchange rate of NT$34.21 = US$1.00. The Company may, having given no less than 30 or more than 60 days’ notice to the holders of the Bonds, at the option of the Company at any time, redeem, in whole but not in part, the Bonds at their principal amount, in US dollars, if at least 90% of principal amount of the Bonds has already been redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or converted. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Redemption, Repurchase and Cancellation — Redemption at the Option of the Company.’’
6
| Redemption at the Option of | Until and unless previously redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or |
|---|---|
| Holders of the Bonds . . | converted, each holder of the Bonds shall have the right, at such holder’s |
| option, to require the Company to redeem all (or any portion of the principal | |
| amount thereof that is US$1,000 or any integral multiple thereof) of such | |
| holder’s Bonds on September 5, 2005 at 105% and on September 5, 2006 at | |
| 107.5% of the principal amount. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds — | |
| Redemption, Repurchase and Cancellation — Redemption at the Option of | |
| the Holders.’’ | |
| Tax Redemption . . . . . . . | The Company may at any time redeem the Bonds, in whole but not in part, at |
| their principal amount, in the event of certain changes in ROC taxation. See | |
| ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Redemption, Purchase and Cancellation — | |
| Redemption for Taxation Reasons.’’ | |
| Form and Denomination of | The Bonds will be issued in registered form in the denomination of |
| the Bonds . . . . . . . . . . | US$1,000. The Bonds will be offered and sold in principal amounts of |
| US$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof and will be transferable in principal | |
| amounts of US$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof. | |
| The Bonds will be represented by beneficial interests in the Global | |
| Certificate, which will be registered in the name of a nominee of, and | |
| shall be deposited on or about the Closing Date with, The Bank of New | |
| York, as common depositary for Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg. | |
| Transfer of the Bonds . . . | Transfers of interests in the Bonds and the Shares to be issued upon |
| conversion of the Bonds will be subject to certain restrictions. For a | |
| discussion of these restrictions, see ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Transfers | |
| of the Bonds; Issue of Certificates’’, ‘‘Plan of Distribution’’ and ‘‘Transfer | |
| Restrictions.’’ | |
| Governing law . . . . . . . . | The laws of the State of New York. |
| Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . | The Bank of New York. |
| Use of Proceeds . . . . . . . | The net proceeds of the issue of the Bonds are expected to amount to |
| approximately US$19.8 million. The net proceeds will be used by the | |
| Company to purchase raw materials overseas, expand production facilities | |
| and purchase machinery and equipment. The Company has committed to | |
| deposit 85% of the gross proceeds of the issue of the Bonds into an account | |
| designated by the Letter of Credit Bank as collateral for the issuance of the | |
| Letter of Credit. See ‘‘Use of Proceeds’’, ‘‘Description of the Letter of | |
| Credit’’ and ‘‘Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition | |
| and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.’’ |
7
RISK FACTORS
Risks Relating to the Company and its Business
The market for CD-Rs experienced severe downturns during 2000, 2001 and 2002 and may experience further downturns, which would adversely affect the Company.
The Company has depended, and expects to continue to depend, on the optical storage media business, particularly sales of CD-Rs, as its main source of revenue for the foreseeable future. From 2000 to the third quarter of 2002, the worldwide CD-R market experienced sharp declines in average selling prices and profit margins, which were caused by a general market oversupply of CD-Rs. Although the CD-R market has shown signs of recovery since September 2002, there can be no assurance that the recovery is sustainable or the CD-R market will not deteriorate further in the remainder of 2003. There can be no assurance that such price recovery will improve the Company’s profit margin. In order to attempt to maintain its gross margins, the Company has continued to develop or acquire advanced manufacturing technologies or to seek local sources for certain key raw materials to lower its unit production costs, but there can be no assurance that these efforts will enable the Company to manufacture its products on a cost-effective basis.
When CD-R prices have fallen in the past, the Company, like other CD-R manufacturers, has experienced significantly reduced CD-R gross margins and operating margins. One of the factors contributing to the decrease in operating margins is the fact that the royalty payments required to be paid by CD-R manufacturers in connection with their sales of CD-Rs to companies from which such manufacturers license technology are fixed and as a general matter do not fluctuate based on the price at which CD-R manufacturers can sell CD-Rs. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve CD-R profit margins comparable to those in the past or at all, or that declines in CD-R prices combined with fixed CD-R royalty payments will not further erode operating margins in the future. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
The Company’s results of operations depend on its ability to keep pace with product innovations and changes in technology, which is partly dependent on the Company’s relationships with its major customers.
The optical storage media industry is characterized by rapid changes in design and process technology. Certain optical storage media products have relatively short product lives due to frequent product introductions, rapidly changing technology and evolving industry standards. The Company’s success in these businesses will depend in part on its ability to keep pace with technological developments and emerging industry standards and developing and introducing new products. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to keep pace with technological developments in the industries in which its businesses operate. Failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
The Company derives a significant portion of its revenues from a small number of key customers and a loss of one or more of these customers would have a material adverse effect on its business.
During 2000, 2001 and 2002, the five largest customers of the Company accounted for 62.3%, 60.6% and 29.7%, respectively, of its consolidated net sales. During the first three months in 2003, the five largest customers of the Company accounted for 48.0% of its unconsolidated net sales. In addition, the Company currently plans to increasingly target its sales to one or two major customers in each geographical market, which could lead to a greater concentration of its customer base.
The Company typically does not enter into long-term sales contracts with its customers and such customers may in the future vary order levels significantly from period to period due to various reasons. There is no assurance that the customers of the Company will not cancel orders or that they will continue to place orders with the Company in the future or at the same levels as in the previous periods. Although the Company has long-standing relationships with its largest customers, a substantial reduction in sales to any of these customers could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations and financial condition.
8
Market competition may adversely affect the Company’s financial performance.
The optical storage media industry is characterized by rapid technological changes, evolving industry standards, changes in consumer demands and frequent new product innovations. Advances in optical storage media products could lead to new competitive technologies and products that have better performance or lower prices, and could render the Company’s products obsolete. If the Company is unable to adapt to this rapidly changing market on a cost-effective and timely basis, its business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected. The Company’s optical storage media products accounted for 68.0% of its consolidated net operating revenues in 2002 and 87.6% of its unconsolidated net operating revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2003. In 2001 and 2002, faced with a general market oversupply, the worldwide CD-R market experienced downward pressures on average selling price and profit margins. While the Company believes that the average selling price of CD-Rs will increase in line with increasing demand and decreasing supply, it cannot assure you that the CD-R market outlook would improve significantly, or at all.
The markets for the Company’s products in Taiwan and abroad are highly competitive and rapidly changing. The Company expects competition to persist and intensify, which could result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share for its products.
For the Company’s optical storage media products, it competes with both local and foreign companies. Some of its competitors and potential competitors have a number of significant advantages over the Company, including significantly greater financial, marketing, manufacturing and technological resources, broader product lines, greater brand name recognition and larger customer bases. In addition, some of the Company’s competitors, including Ritek Corporation and Lead Date Inc., are also its customers.
As a result of existing or increased competition, the Company could encounter significant pricing pressures. See ‘‘Business — Competition.’’ These pricing pressures could result in significantly lower average selling prices for the Company’s products. The Company may not be able to offset the effects of any price reductions with an increase in the number of its customers, cost reductions, or otherwise. The Company cannot assure you that it can successfully compete with any of its existing or future competitors, and failing to do so, its results of operations could suffer.
Ritek Corporation’s interest in the Company may cause diversion of corporate opportunities to Ritek Corporation and reduce the Company’s potential revenues.
In February 2001, Ritek Corporation, an optical disc manufacturer in Taiwan, acquired certain equity interest in the Company and as of April 29, 2003, Ritek Corporation held a 12.22% equity interest in the Company as one of its major shareholders. In addition, four out of the eleven Directors and two out of the three Supervisors of the Company are appointed by Ritek Corporation. Ritek Corporation holds sufficient shares in the capital of the Company to influence its operations, management and policies. This ability to influence is expected to continue. Ritek Corporation is currently among the top two storage media product manufacturers in Taiwan by production volume, and competes with the Company in the optical storage media market. Although the Company is currently targeting different types of customers in different geographical markets, Ritek Corporation’s interest in the Company may create conflicts of interest for directors or executive officers serving both companies, which may result in diversion of corporate opportunities which could otherwise benefit the Company, to Ritek Corporation. As a result, the Company may be subject to competitive disadvantage or lose growth opportunities because of its inability to benefit from those corporate opportunities.
The Company is vulnerable to intellectual property claims of others that could materially and adversely affect its business and operating results.
Similar to other optical storage media product manufacturers, the Company has occasionally received communications alleging that its products or processes infringe product or process technology rights held by others. The Company is currently involved in patent disputes with Koninkijke Philips Electronics N.Y., or Philips, in Taiwan, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and the United States, where Philips alleged the production and sale of the Company’s CD-R and/or CD-RW products have infringed its patents. See ‘‘Business — Legal Proceedings.’’ The Company may continue to receive such communications. If the Company’s products or manufacturing processes are found to infringe such third party rights, the Company may be subject to significant liabilities and be required to change its production processes or products. This
9
could restrict the Company from making, using, selling or exporting some of its products, which could in turn materially and adversely affect its business and financial condition. In addition, any patent litigation could materially and adversely affect the Company’s operating results because of management attention required and legal costs incurred.
Anti-dumping tariffs imposed upon the Company may adversely affect the Company.
In April 2001, the European Commission commenced an anti-dumping investigation into the exports of CD-Rs to European Union countries by certain Taiwanese CD-R manufacturers, including the Company. The European Commission announced the results of its investigation, which included a finding that the Company had violated applicable anti-dumping rules, and imposed a punitive tariff of 20.1% on the Company’s exports of CD-Rs into the European Union in effect from December 20, 2001. In anticipation of the imposition of such tariffs, the Company has since 2001 begun to reduce the sale of its CD-Rs into this market. Sales of CD-Rs to the European Union accounted for approximately 32.3% of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues in 2000, which was significantly reduced to 2.1% and 2.1%, respectively, in 2001 and 2002, and to 5.4% of the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2003. Although the Company believes it has taken steps to mitigate its impact, this tariff, in the short- to medium-term, may adversely affect the Company’s ability to compete in the CD-R market in the European Union, and the results of operations and financial condition of the Company could suffer.
On January 21, 2002, based on the recommendation of the Korean Trade Commission, the Minister of Finance and Economy of South Korea announced the imposition of anti-dumping duties with respect to exports of CD-Rs from Taiwan to South Korea, including the Company’s CD-Rs. The ruling imposes a provisional anti-dumping duty of 51.72% on several Taiwan CD-R producers, including the Company, for a period of four months, effective January 21, 2002. In April 2002, the Korean Trade Commission made a final decision to impose a 51.7% dumping duties on several Taiwan CD-R manufacturers, including the Company. In 2001 and 2002, CD-R sales to South Korea constituted 0.1% and 0.9% of the total consolidated net operating revenues of the Company and is expected to be less than this percentage in the short- to medium-term.
The Company is dependent on license agreements for some of its core products.
The Company had in the past entered into a joint license agreement with Philips which covered the patents owned by Philips, Sony Corporation and Taiyo Yudan in order to produce its CD-R products. In January 2001, the joint license agreement has been ruled by the ROC Fair Trade Commission as violating ROC Fair Trade Law. The Company has successfully renegotiated a license agreement with each of Sony Corporation and Taiyo Yudan, respectively, but failed to do so with Philips. The Company currently does not have any license agreement with Philips and is involved in royalty payment disputes with Philips. See ‘‘Business — Legal Proceedings.’’
In addition, the license agreements between the Company and each of Sony Corporation, Taiyo Yudan and other licensors contain customary termination provisions. The Company is required to make one-time and on-going royalty payments under these license agreements. In the future, the Company may need to obtain additional patent licenses or to renew existing license agreements. The Company cannot assure you that such licenses can be renewed on favorable or competitive terms, or at all. If not, its business and future operating results could be materially and adversely affected. See ‘‘Business — Intellectual Property.’’
If the Company is unable to obtain sufficient raw materials in a timely manner, its production schedules could be delayed and it may lose customers.
The Company depends on the supply of raw materials from third parties in its manufacturing process. Accordingly, the Company faces the risk of the suppliers failing to meet its orders on a timely basis, or limiting their supply to the Company or increasing their prices (which the Company may not be able to passthrough to its customers), any of which could materially and adversely affect the results of operations and financial condition. See ‘‘Business — Raw Materials.’’
10
The Company’s diversification into new businesses or product lines may not be successful.
The Company’s recent expansion into the information appliance business area represents an expansion by the Company into a highly technical and complex business area in which it has little business experience and in which it has had, until recently, little technical expertise. In addition to the costs (including increased management attention) that will be required to be incurred by the Company to expand into this business area, the Company expects to face intense competition in the information appliance market as other companies, including those with more relevant technological and managerial experience, such as computer and mobile phone manufacturers, enter the market.
Within its optical storage media business, the Company has focused a certain amount of capital expenditure on the development of DVD-R and DVD+RW production facilities so that it is well-positioned to capitalize on the potential growth in demand for DVD-Rs and DVD+RWs. To date, broad market acceptance of DVD-Rs and DVD+RWs has been impeded by a number of issues, including the existence of competing DVD formats and the lack of a comprehensive industry approach to DVD-R licensing arrangements. There can be no assurance that these factors will not continue to impede the development of the market for DVDs.
The Company’s diversification into new businesses will put pressure on its managerial, technical, financial, production, operational and other resources. To manage future growth, the Company must add production and distribution capacity, enhance financing controls and hire additional skilled personnel as well as manage relationships with a greater number of customers, suppliers, equipment vendors and other third parties. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully compete in these businesses or product areas, that demand in these businesses or for these products will grow to the extent that the Company expects it to, that these businesses or products will provide the returns that the Company expects them to or that the Company’s attempts to expand into these businesses or with respect to these products will be successful. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the implementation of such plans, including the management attention that such implementation is expected to require, will not adversely affect the Company’s existing operations.
You should not rely on the Company’s financial forecasts reported by it from time to time pursuant to the requirements of the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
The Company is required to publish its financial forecasts within a three-year period from April 2000 when its Shares were listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The Company is also required to publish its financial forecasts thereafter pursuant to the requirements under relevant laws and regulations. The Company urges you not to rely on the forecasts published by it from time to time as such forecasts are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions regarding its industries, investments and general market, political and economic conditions, many of which are beyond its control, and are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. For example, the financial forecasts published by the Company in April 2002 were adjusted downward in August 2002 due to unexpected declines of the market prices of the CD-R products. None of the information included in this Offering Circular has formed or will form the basis of the Company’s future forecasts. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update these forecasts, except as required by applicable laws and regulations.
Internally prepared annual financial information published by the Company from time to time pursuant to recent requirements of the Taiwan Stock Exchange may be inaccurate and incomplete.
Effective as of January 1, 2002, the Taiwan Stock Exchange requires companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange that publish financial forecasts to report to the Taiwan Stock Exchange and publish by the end of January each year certain internally prepared unaudited unconsolidated information regarding the realization of the financial forecasts made by such companies during the prior fiscal year. The Company has complied with this requirement for the year ended December 31, 2001 and 2002 and it intends to continue to comply with this requirement. The information the Company publishes in response to this requirement will not be subject to the same review and scrutiny, including internal auditing procedures and review by independent auditors, to which the Company subjects quarterly financial information it publishes from time to time pursuant to the requirements of the Taiwan Stock Exchange, or to its audited semi-annual or annual financial statements. Further, because this information is unaudited and unconsolidated, it may vary from the Company’s audited consolidated ROC GAAP financial statements for the same period. Any such variance may be material and adverse.
11
The Company relies on key personnel.
The Company’s success depends on its ability to attract and retain highly qualified management, engineering and technical personnel. The process of hiring employees with the combination of skills and attributes required to implement the Company’s strategy can be competitive and time-consuming. In particular, the Company’s continuing expansion into the production of information appliance products has required the recruitment of additional employees with specific sets of skills and there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to attract or retain necessary personnel, who are in high demand. The loss of services of key personnel, or the inability to attract additional key personnel, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.
Exchange rate fluctuations may have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial performance.
In 2000, 2001 and 2002 the Company had consolidated net operating revenues derived from sales outside the ROC of approximately NT$1,265.9 million, NT$859.8 million and NT$1,020.2 million (US$29.4 million), respectively. These represented approximately 85.7%, 51.4% and 57.4%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues, and were settled mainly in US dollars. In the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003, the Company had unconsolidated net operating revenues derived from sales outside the ROC of approximately NT$228.0 million and NT$322.0 million (US$9.3 million), respectively, or approximately 61.6% and 68.2% respectively, of its unconsolidated net operating revenues. During the same periods, approximately 64.0%, 29.0% and 54.0%, respectively, of the Company’s raw materials purchases were settled in foreign currencies, principally US dollars and Japanese Yen, with the remainder settled in NT dollars. Consequently, the Company is exposed to fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly between the US dollar and the NT dollar. There can be no assurance that future exchange rate fluctuations will result in net foreign exchange gains for the Company. The impact of future exchange rate fluctuations between these currencies on the Company’s production costs, operating margins and net income cannot be accurately predicted. Although the impact of exchange rate fluctuations has, in the past, been partially mitigated by the Company’s policy of hedging its foreign currency payables through foreign currency options and exchange rate forward contracts, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to offset any adverse impact of any exchange rate fluctuations in the future.
Risks Relating to the ROC
The Company is subject to risks associated with the political status and international relations of the ROC.
The Company is incorporated in the ROC, and a substantial amount of its assets are located in, and all of its revenues are derived from its production operations in the ROC. The ROC has a unique international political status. The People’s Republic of China asserts sovereignty over all of China (i.e., Taiwan, certain other islands and all of mainland China) and does not recognize the legitimacy of the ROC government.
Although significant economic and cultural relations have been established during recent years between the ROC and the PRC, the government of the PRC has indicated that it may use military force to gain control over Taiwan in some circumstances, such as a declaration of independence by Taiwan. Relations between the ROC and the PRC have been particularly strained in recent years. Certain past developments in relations between the ROC and the PRC have occasionally adversely affected the market value of Taiwanese companies and the value of the Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Stock Index (the ‘‘TSE Index’’) and the ROC GreTai Securities Market Index.
An increase in tension between the ROC and the PRC could adversely affect the market price and liquidity of the Shares and the Bonds, the availability of the PRC as an export market for the Company’s products and the ability of the Company to implement future plans for the development of production facilities in the PRC.
Taiwan is susceptible to natural disasters that could disrupt the normal operations of the Company’s business and adversely affect earnings.
Taiwan is susceptible to earthquakes. On September 21, October 22 and November 2, 1999 and June 11, 2000, Taiwan experienced severe earthquakes that caused significant property damage and loss of life, particularly in the central part of Taiwan. These earthquakes caused damage to production facilities and
12
adversely affected the operations of many companies. Although the Company did not experience any major structural damage to its facilities, there can be no assurance that future earthquakes will not occur and result in major damage to the Company’s facilities, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
Taiwan is also susceptible to typhoons, which may cause damage and business interruption to companies with facilities located in Taiwan. In 2001, Taiwan experienced severe damage from typhoons, including a typhoon on September 16 that caused over 100 deaths, severe flooding and extensive damage to property and businesses. Although the Company did not experience any material damage or business interruption from typhoon activities in Taiwan, there can be no assurance that the Company will not suffer damage or business interruption due to typhoons, or that the Company’s results of operations and financial condition will not be adversely affected as a result.
In May 2002, Taiwan experienced a severe drought. Although the Company’s manufacturing process does not rely on an adequate supply of water and the Company was not affected by the May 2002 drought directly, any temporary or sustained adverse impact from any future droughts may adversely affect Taiwan’s economic, social or political conditions and may lead to fluctuations in the market price of the Company’s Shares and Bonds.
The value of the Shares and the Bonds may be adversely affected by the volatility of the ROC securities market.
The ROC securities market is smaller and more volatile than the securities markets in the United States and in certain European countries. The TSE Index has had substantial fluctuations in the prices of listed securities and has shown particular volatility following certain political events, market events and scandals and there are currently limits on the range of daily price movements on the TSE Index. The TSE Index peaked at 12,495 points in February 1990, and subsequently fell to a low of 2,560 points in October 1990. On August 28, 2003, the TSE Index closed at 5,523.12 points. See ‘‘Appendix B — The Securities Market of the ROC.’’ The TSE Index has experienced problems such as market manipulation, insider trading and payment defaults. In addition, the ROC Ministry of Finance (the ‘‘MOF’’) has on occasion restricted the daily downward price movements on the TSE Index to 3.5% from the usual limit of 7% in response to certain political and economic events. The recurrence of these or similar problems could adversely affect the market price and liquidity of the securities of ROC companies, including the Bonds and the Shares in both domestic and international markets.
ROC exchange controls may adversely affect the ability of a holder to receive proceeds from the sale of the subscription rights for the Company’s Shares.
Under existing ROC law, a holder of the Bonds, after becoming a holder of Shares, must obtain foreign exchange approval from the CBC on a payment-by-payment basis for conversion from NT dollars into other currencies in respect of the proceeds from the sale of subscription rights for newly issued Shares if the proceeds are in excess of US$100,000 per remittance. Although such approvals have been routinely granted in the past, there can be no assurance that in the future any such approval will be obtained in a timely manner or at all. See ‘‘Appendix A — Foreign Investment and Exchange Controls in the ROC.’’
Risks Related to Ownership of the Bonds and the Shares
The market for the Bonds and the Shares may not be liquid.
There has been no trading market for the Shares outside the ROC and the only trading market for the Shares is the TSE. In addition, the Bonds will not be listed on any stock exchange, and there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Bonds will develop.
In addition, the Manager, or its affiliates, intends to purchase Bonds for its own account and enter into transactions relating to the Bonds, including asset swaps, repackagings and other transactions, which transactions may involve a substantial proportion of the Bonds and may adversely affect the liquidity of any trading market in the Bonds. Such transactions would be carried out as bilateral trades with selected counterparties and separately from any offering, sale or resale of the Bonds to which this Offering Circular relates (notwithstanding that such selected counterparties may also be purchasers of the Bonds).
13
Furthermore, to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, applicable laws and regulations, the Manager may make a market with respect to the Bonds but is not obligated to do so, and any market-making with respect to the Bonds may be discontinued at any time without notice.
Holders of the Bonds will be required to appoint an ROC Tax Guarantor.
Holders of the Bonds (being either individuals or legal entities) who are non-ROC persons, upon exercising their conversion right, will be required to appoint an agent in the ROC for filing tax returns and making tax payments. Such agent (a ‘‘Tax Guarantor’’) will be required to meet the qualifications set by the MOF and to act as the guarantor of the converting bondholder’s tax payment obligations.
Under current ROC laws, repatriation of profits by holders of the Bonds is subject to the submission of evidence of the appointment of a Tax Guarantor to, and approval thereof by, the tax authority or submission of tax clearance certificates to the tax authority so long as the capital gains from securities transactions are exempt from ROC income tax. Notwithstanding the above requirement for the appointment of a Tax Guarantor or submission of tax clearance certificates as provided in the applicable ROC regulations, the CBC has not required submission of such evidence or tax clearance certificates as a condition to repatriation of sale proceeds of Shares. However, there can be no assurance that the CBC will not require submission of such evidence or tax clearance certificates in the future.
Further issues of the Company’s Shares, including pursuant to employee stock bonuses, could dilute the holdings and associated rights with respect to the Shares.
Companies in the ROC generally pay employee bonuses (in the form of cash or stock) to their employees and the Company’s Articles of Incorporation provide that (after certain deductions and provisions) employees should receive bonuses of at least 5% of the Company’s distributable retained earnings if the Company decides to distribute the earnings. When bonuses are paid to employees in Shares, the number of Shares issuable are calculated by reference to the par value of NT$10 per share, notwithstanding that the market value of the Shares as of the dates of the declaration and distribution of the stock bonuses were significantly higher than such par value. Such distributions in the form of new Shares, or further issuances of new Shares, will effectively dilute the holdings and associated rights of holders of the Bonds who convert the Bonds to Shares.
14
USE OF PROCEEDS
The net proceeds of the issue of the Bonds are expected to amount to approximately US$19.8 million and will be used by the Company to purchase raw materials overseas, expand production facilities and purchase machinery and equipment. The Company has committed to deposit 85% of the gross proceeds of the issue of the Bonds into an account designated by the Letter of Credit Bank as collateral for the issuance of the Letter of Credit. See ‘‘Description of the Letter of Credit’’, ‘‘Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.’’
15
CAPITALIZATION
Set out below are the unconsolidated short-term borrowings and total capitalization of the Company as of March 31, 2003, as derived from the Company’s unaudited unconsolidated financial statements as of that date and as adjusted to reflect the issue of the Bonds. The following table should be read in conjunction with the unaudited unconsolidated financial statements of the Company and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Offering Circular. See ‘‘Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.’’
| Borrowings: Short-term debt Short-term bank loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Commercial paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current portion of long-term liabilities . . . . . . . . Total short-term borrowings . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term debt (net of current portion) . . . . . . . . . The Bonds (now being issued) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total long-term borrowings . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stockholders’ equity: Common stock(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capital reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Retained earnings Unappropriated earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrealized loss on long-term investments . . . . . . Cumulative translation adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total capitalization(3)(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, 2003 Actual As adjusted (NT$ million) (US$ million)(1) (NT$ million) (US$ million)(1) 385.0 11.1 385.0 11.1 50.0 1.4 50.0 1.4 59.1 1.7 59.1 1.7 344.8 9.9 344.8 9.9 838.9 24.1 838.9 24.1 503.9 14.5 503.9 14.5 — — 695.0 20.0 503.9 14.5 1,198.9 34.5 2,520.1 72.5 2,520.1 72.5 2,406.0 69.2 2,406.0 69.2 (1,299.5) (37.4) (1,299.5) (37.4) (76.7) (2.2) (76.7) (2.2) (11.7) (0.3) (11.7) (0.3) 3,538.2 101.8 3,538.2 101.8 4,042.1 116.3 4,737.1 136.3 |
As of March 31, 2003 Actual As adjusted (NT$ million) (US$ million)(1) (NT$ million) (US$ million)(1) 385.0 11.1 385.0 11.1 50.0 1.4 50.0 1.4 59.1 1.7 59.1 1.7 344.8 9.9 344.8 9.9 838.9 24.1 838.9 24.1 503.9 14.5 503.9 14.5 — — 695.0 20.0 503.9 14.5 1,198.9 34.5 2,520.1 72.5 2,520.1 72.5 2,406.0 69.2 2,406.0 69.2 (1,299.5) (37.4) (1,299.5) (37.4) (76.7) (2.2) (76.7) (2.2) (11.7) (0.3) (11.7) (0.3) 3,538.2 101.8 3,538.2 101.8 4,042.1 116.3 4,737.1 136.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Actual (NT$ million) (US$ million)(1) 385.0 11.1 50.0 1.4 59.1 1.7 344.8 9.9 838.9 24.1 503.9 14.5 — — 503.9 14.5 2,520.1 72.5 2,406.0 69.2 (1,299.5) (37.4) (76.7) (2.2) (11.7) (0.3) 3,538.2 101.8 4,042.1 116.3 |
||
| (NT$ million) 385.0 50.0 59.1 344.8 838.9 503.9 — 503.9 2,520.1 2,406.0 (1,299.5) (76.7) (11.7) 3,538.2 4,042.1 |
(NT$ million) 385.0 50.0 59.1 344.8 838.9 503.9 695.0 1,198.9 2,520.1 2,406.0 (1,299.5) (76.7) (11.7) 3,538.2 4,737.1 |
(1) For convenience purposes only, this figure has been translated at the Noon Buying Rate of NT$34.75 = US$1.00 on March 31, 2003.
(2) The Company’s authorized share capital as of March 31, 2003 was NT$3,380 million divided into 338.0 million Shares of which 252.0 million Shares have been issued. All the Shares of the Company have been fully paid up.
(3) Includes long-term debt (net of current portion), total stockholders’ equity at March 31, 2003 and, as adjusted, the Bonds (now being issued).
(4) Save as disclosed herein, there has been no material change in the Company’s capitalization since March 31, 2003.
16
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following tables set forth selected financial information derived from the Company’s (i) audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and (ii) unaudited unconsolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003. The financial statements of the Company are prepared in conformity with ROC GAAP. ROC GAAP differs in certain material aspects from US GAAP. See ‘‘Summary of Principal Differences between ROC GAAP and US GAAP.’’ The amounts expressed in US dollars do not form part of any of the audited consolidated or unaudited unconsolidated financial statements of the Company and are provided solely for the convenience of the reader.
| Consolidated Income Statement Data: Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost of goods sold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gross profit (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating expenses Selling expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development expenses . . . . . . . . . Operating loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss before income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income tax benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consolidated Balance Sheet Data: Current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property, plant and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | 2002 (US$ million) 51.2 (55.2) (4.0) (5.0) (3.9) (1.3) (10.1) (14.1) 1.1 (4.2) (17.2) (17.2) 2002 (US$ million) 51.3 11.6 86.8 8.3 158.0 35.8 17.0 52.8 105.2 158.0 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 (NT$ million) 1,476.5 (1,234.7) 241.8 (130.4) (170.3) (64.6) (365.3) (123.5) 104.7 (188.5) (207.3) 19.6 (187.7) |
2001 2002 (NT$ million) (NT$ million) 1,672.0 1,778.1 (1,731.8) (1,918.8) (59.8) (140.7) (342.8) (173.9) (174.2) (134.7) (45.2) (43.8) (562.2) (352.4) (622.0) (493.1) 157.4 39.2 (128.4) (145.5) (593.0) (599.4) — — (593.0) (599.4) As of December 31, |
|||
| 2000 (NT$ million) 2,285.9 269.7 3,697.2 263.8 6,516.6 694.6 895.9 1,590.5 4,926.1 6,516.6 |
2001 (NT$ million) 1,974.2 381.1 3,339.6 317.1 6,012.0 904.4 822.1 1,726.5 4,285.5 6,012.0 |
2002 (NT$ million) 1,782.3 405.5 3,015.2 288.5 5,491.5 1,245.0 591.5 1,836.5 3,655.0 5,491.5 |
17
| Unconsolidated Income Statement Data: Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost of goods sold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gross profit (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating expenses Selling expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss before income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income tax benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unconsolidated Balance Sheet Data: Current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property, plant and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 369.2 472.9 13.6 (382.1) (453.4) (13.0) (12.9) 19.5 0.6 (53.4) (72.5) (2.1) (14.7) (19.9) (0.6) (10.9) (10.6) (0.3) (79.0) (103.0) (3.0) (91.9) (83.5) (2.4) 10.3 6.3 0.2 (34.5) (18.4) (0.5) (116.1) (95.6) (2.7) — 0.5 0.0 (116.1) (95.1) (2.7) As of March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT$ million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 1,858.9 1,719.7 49.5 388.2 376.2 10.8 3,243.9 2,909.5 83.7 262.6 285.4 8.2 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 834.4 1,244.6 35.8 738.7 503.9 14.5 2.3 4.1 0.1 1,575.4 1,752.6 50.4 4,178.2 3,538.2 101.8 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 369.2 472.9 13.6 (382.1) (453.4) (13.0) (12.9) 19.5 0.6 (53.4) (72.5) (2.1) (14.7) (19.9) (0.6) (10.9) (10.6) (0.3) (79.0) (103.0) (3.0) (91.9) (83.5) (2.4) 10.3 6.3 0.2 (34.5) (18.4) (0.5) (116.1) (95.6) (2.7) — 0.5 0.0 (116.1) (95.1) (2.7) As of March 31, 2002 2003 2003 (NT$ million) (NT$ million) (US$ million) 1,858.9 1,719.7 49.5 388.2 376.2 10.8 3,243.9 2,909.5 83.7 262.6 285.4 8.2 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 834.4 1,244.6 35.8 738.7 503.9 14.5 2.3 4.1 0.1 1,575.4 1,752.6 50.4 4,178.2 3,538.2 101.8 5,753.6 5,290.8 152.2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 2003 (NT million) (NT$ million) 369.2 472.9 (382.1) (453.4) (12.9) 19.5 (53.4) (72.5) (14.7) (19.9) (10.9) (10.6) (79.0) (103.0) (91.9) (83.5) 10.3 6.3 (34.5) (18.4) (116.1) (95.6) — 0.5 (116.1) (95.1) As of March 31, |
||
| 2002 (NT$ million) 1,858.9 388.2 3,243.9 262.6 5,753.6 834.4 738.7 2.3 1,575.4 4,178.2 5,753.6 |
2003 (NT$ million) 1,719.7 376.2 2,909.5 285.4 5,290.8 1,244.6 503.9 4.1 1,752.6 3,538.2 5,290.8 |
18
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations together with the audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and the notes to such statements, and the unaudited unconsolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 and the notes to such statements, included in this Offering Circular. The Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and unaudited unconsolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with ROC GAAP, which differ in many material respects from US GAAP. For a discussion of these differences, see ‘‘Summary of Principal Differences Between ROC GAAP and US GAAP.’’
Overview
The Company manufactures and sells a broad range of optical storage media products. The principal optical storage media products of the Company include CD-Rs, CD-RWs and DVD-Rs. In addition to the optical storage media production business, the Company is also engaged in the production of optical storage media related products, such as optical storage-based portable players and duplicators.
The following table shows the breakdown of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues by category of principal products in 2000, 2001 and 2002:
| Product Optical storage media products CD-Rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DVD-Rs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other optical storage media products(1) Others(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | % 93.9 3.9 0.0 0.6 1.6 100.0 |
2001 | % 84.2 0.6 0.2 3.3 11.7 100.0 |
2002 | ||
| NT$ million 1,386.0 57.7 0.3 8.3 24.2 1,476.5 |
NT$ million 1,408.2 9.6 2.8 56.5 194.9 1,672.0 |
NT$ million 1,133.3 23.2 53.4 — 568.2 1,778.1 |
% 63.7 1.3 3.0 — 32.0 |
|||
| 100.0 |
(1) Includes the sales of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.
(2) Includes operating revenues from the trading of finished optical storage media products and raw materials for optical storage media products and the sale of other products, such as optical storage-based portable players and duplicators.
The following table shows the breakdown of the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues by category of principal products for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003:
| Product Optical storage media products CD-Rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DVD-Rs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other optical storage media products(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Three Months Ended March 31, | Three Months Ended March 31, | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | % 70.8 0.2 3.0 0.0 26.0 100.0 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ million 261.6 0.6 10.9 0.0 96.1 369.2 |
NT$ million 367.8 5.8 40.8 — 58.5 472.9 |
% 77.8 1.2 8.6 — 12.4 |
||
| 100.0 |
(1) Includes the sales of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.
(2) Includes operating revenues from the trading of finished optical storage media products and raw materials for optical storage media products and the sale of other products, such as optical storage-based portable players and duplicators.
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Consolidation
Under ROC GAAP, the Company is required to consolidate the financial results of any subsidiary whose total assets or net sales exceed 10% of its unconsolidated total assets or net sales, as the case may be. In addition, the ROC Securities and Futures Commission, or the ROC SFC, requires the Company to consolidate the financial statements of each subsidiary whose total assets or net sales exceed 3% of its unconsolidated total assets or net sales, if the total assets or net sales of all such unconsolidated subsidiaries exceed 30% of its unconsolidated total assets or net sales, as the case may be. See ‘‘Principal Differences Between ROC GAAP and U.S. GAAP — ROC GAAP — Consolidation.’’ The Company’s consolidated subsidiary in 2000, 2001 and 2002 was Gigastorage Corporation USA, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary.
Unconsolidated Results of Operations
Three months ended March 31, 2002 as compared to three months ended March 31, 2003
Net operating revenues
Net operating revenues increased by 28.1% to NT$472.9 million (US$13.6 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003, from NT$369.2 million for the same period in 2002. The increase in net operating revenues was attributable principally to an increase in net operating revenues from the sale of CDRs and DVD-Rs. Net operating revenues from the sale of CD-Rs increased by 40.6% from NT$261.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$367.8 million (US$10.6 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003, mainly reflecting an increase in units sold, which was partially offset by a decline in the average selling price of such product. Net operating revenues from the sale of DVD-Rs increased by 274.3% from NT$10.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$40.8 million (US$1.2 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003, mainly reflecting a significant increase in units sold, which was offset by a significant decline in the average selling price of such product.
Cost of goods sold
Cost of goods sold increased by 18.7% from NT$382.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$453.4 million (US$13.0 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003. The increase in cost of goods sold was attributable primarily to increases in raw materials and direct labor costs as a result of the substantial increase in unit production of optical storage media products, principally CD-Rs.
Gross profit (loss)
The Company recorded gross profit of NT$19.5 million (US$0.6 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003 as compared to a gross loss of NT$12.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002. Accordingly, gross margin (gross profit expressed as a percentage of net operating revenues) increased to 4.1% in the three months ended March 31, 2003 from negative 3.5% in the three months ended March 31, 2002. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to an increase in the utilization rate of the Company’s production facilities, which reduced the Company’s average unit production costs for its products.
Operating expenses
Operating expenses increased by 30.4% from NT$79.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$103.0 million (US$3.0 million) in three months ended March 31, 2003, primarily due to an increase in selling expenses as a result of an increase in allowance for doubtful accounts in the three months ended March 31, 2003. As a percentage of net operating revenues, operating expenses remained relatively unchanged, which was 21.4% in the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 21.8% in the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Operating loss
As a result of the foregoing factors, operating loss decreased by 9.0% from NT$91.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$83.5 million (US$2.4 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003, with operating margin (operating income expressed as a percentage of net operating revenues) improving from negative 24.9% to negative 17.7%.
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Net non-operating expenses
Net non-operating expenses decreased by 50.0% from NT$24.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$12.1 million (US$0.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003. This decrease was due principally to a 62.7% decrease in investment loss from NT$8.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$3.2 million (US$0.1 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003, primarily due to the decreased operating loss of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Gigastorage Corporation USA. The decrease was also attributable to a 34.2% decrease in interest expenses from NT$19.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002 to NT$12.7 million (US$0.4 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003, primarily due to decreases in both the outstanding amount of bank borrowings and interest rates for such borrowings.
Net income
As a result of the above factors, the Company’s loss before income tax decreased by 17.7% to NT$95.6 million (US$2.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003 from NT$116.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002. The Company’s income tax benefit was NT$0.5 million (US$0.01 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003 compared to none in the three months ended March 31, 2002. The Company’s net loss decreased by 18.1% to NT$95.1 million (US$2.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003 from NT$116.1 million in three months ended March 31, 2002.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2002 compared to year ended December 31, 2001
Net operating revenues
Net operating revenues increased by 6.3% to NT$1,778.1 million (US$51.2 million) in 2002 from NT$1,672.0 million in 2001. The increase in net operating revenues was attributable principally to increases in net operating revenues from the sale of duplicators and DVD-Rs, partially offset by a decrease in net operating revenues from the sale of CD-Rs. The Company commenced the manufacture and sale of duplicators in 2002 and generated net operating revenues of NT$568.2 million (US$16.4 million) in that year. Net operating revenues from the sale of DVD-Rs increased by 1,807.1% from NT$2.8 million in 2001 to NT$53.4 million (US$1.5 million) in 2002, mainly reflecting an increase in units sold, which was partially offset by a decline in the average selling price of such product. Net operating revenues from the sale of CD-Rs decreased by 19.5% from NT$1,408.2 million in 2001 to NT$1,133.3 million (US$32.6 million) in 2002, mainly reflecting a decline in the average selling price, which was partially offset by an increase in the units sold of such product.
Cost of goods sold
Cost of goods sold increased by 10.8% from NT$1,731.8 million in 2001 to NT$1,918.8 million (US$55.2 million) in 2002. The increase in cost of goods sold was due primarily to the increase in units sold of the Company’s products in 2002 compared to 2001.
Gross profit (loss)
Gross loss increased by 135.3% from NT$59.8 million in 2001 to NT$140.7 million (US$4.0 million) in 2002. Accordingly, gross margin decreased to negative 7.9% in 2002 from negative 3.6% in 2001. The decrease in gross margin reflected principally a decline in average selling price of the CD-R products.
Operating expenses
Operating expenses decreased by 37.3% from NT$562.2 million in 2001 to NT$352.4 million (US$10.1 million) in 2002, primarily due to a decrease in selling expenses as a result of decreases in the allowance of doubtful accounts and royalty payments in 2002. As a percentage of net operating revenues, operating expenses decreased from 33.6% in 2001 to 19.8% in 2002.
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Operating loss
As a result of the foregoing factors, operating loss decreased by 20.7% from NT$622.0 million in 2001 to NT$493.1 million (US$14.1 million) in 2002, with operating margin improving from negative 37.2% to negative 27.7%.
Net non-operating income (expenses)
The Company had net non-operating income of NT$29.0 million in 2001 and net non-operating expenses of NT$106.3 million (US$3.1 million) in 2002. Net non-operating income in 2001 was primarily due to gains on foreign exchange of NT$50.1 million, income from increased market price of short-term investments of NT$42.9 million and income from increased market price of inventory of NT$37.0 million, partially offset by interest expenses of NT$65.2 million. Net non-operating expenses in 2002 were primarily due to interest expenses of NT$66.4 million (US$1.9 million) and investment losses of NT$46.0 million.
Net income
As a result of the above factors, the Company generated a loss before income tax and net loss of NT$599.4 million (US$17.2 million) in 2002 compared to a loss before income tax and net loss of NT$593.0 million in 2001.
Year ended December 31, 2001 compared to year ended December 31, 2000
Net operating revenues
Net operating revenues increased by 13.2% to NT$1,672.0 million in 2001 compared to NT$1,476.5 million in 2000. The increase in net operating revenues was attributable principally to an increase in net operating revenues from the sale of CD-ROM products, which was partially offset by a decrease in net operating revenues from the sale of CD-RWs. The increase in net operating revenues from the sale of CDROM products was primarily due to an increase in units sold, partially offset by a decline in the average selling price of such products. The decrease in net operating revenues from the sale of CD-RWs was primarily due to decreases in both units sold and the average selling price of such product.
Cost of goods sold
Cost of goods sold increased by 40.3% from NT$1,234.7 million in 2000 to NT$1,731.8 million in 2001. The increase in cost of goods sold in 2001 was attributable primarily to a change in product mix due to the deteriorating market conditions of CD-Rs in that year. The Company utilized part of its CD-R production capacity for the production of CD-ROMs in 2001, which resulted in additional cost of goods sold. The Company also increased its trading activities of optical storage media products in 2001 which increased cost of goods sold in that year since the cost of goods sold of products the Company purchased for resale was higher than that of its manufactured products.
Gross profit (loss)
The Company recorded gross profit of NT$241.8 million in 2000 and gross loss of NT$59.8 million in 2001. Accordingly, gross margin decreased to negative 3.6% in 2001 from 16.4% in 2000. The decrease in gross margin reflected principally a decline in the average selling price of CD-R products in 2001 compared to 2000 as well as an increase in trading activities in 2001 as the gross margin of such trading activities was lower than the sale of manufactured products.
Operating expenses
Operating expenses increased by 53.9% from NT$365.4 million in 2000 to NT$562.2 million in 2001, primarily due to an increase in selling expenses as a result of increases in allowance for doubtful accounts and royalty payments in 2001 compared to 2000. As a percentage of net operating revenues, operating expenses increased from 24.8% in 2000 to 33.6% in 2001.
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Operating loss
As a result of the foregoing factors, operating loss increased by 403.6% from NT$123.5 million in 2000 to NT$622.0 million in 2001, with operating margin decreasing from negative 8.4% to negative 37.2%.
Net non-operating income (expenses)
The Company had net non-operating expenses of NT$83.8 million in 2000 and net non-operating income of NT$29.1 million in 2001. Net non-operating expenses in 2000 was primarily due to interest expenses of NT$66.6 million, investment loss of NT$65.2 million and loss from decreased market price of inventory of NT$52.4 million, partially offset by gains on foreign exchange of NT$70.3 million. Net nonoperating income in 2001 was primarily due to gain in foreign exchange of NT$50.1 million, income from increased market price of short-term investments of NT$42.9 million and income from increased market price of inventory of NT$37.0 million, partially offset by interest expenses of NT$65.2 million.
Net income
As a result of the above factors, the Company generated a loss before income tax and net loss of NT$593.0 million in 2001 compared to a loss before income tax of NT$207.3 million and net loss of NT$187.7 million in 2000.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company’s principal sources of cash have been net cash provided by operating activities, bank borrowings, sales of commercial paper and proceeds of issues of new shares for cash. The Company’s primary uses of cash have been to fund capital expenditures and working capital requirements related to its sales growth and expansion relating to optical storage media products. The Company’s net cash provided by operating activities was NT$155.3 million (US$4.5 million) in 2002, NT$188.9 million in 2001 and NT$550.3 million in 2000. In the three months ended March 31, 2003, the Company’s net cash provided by operating activities, on an unconsolidated basis, was NT$31.9 million (US$0.9 million), and the Company’s net cash used in operating activities, on an unconsolidated basis, was NT$85.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002.
Accounts receivable and inventories are significant components of the Company’s current assets and require significant working capital. Accounts receivable, on a consolidated basis, increased by 28.6% to NT$478.9 million (US$13.8 million) as of December 31, 2002 from NT$372.4 million as of December 31, 2001, compared with a 6.3% increase in net operating revenues for the same period, reflecting primarily the Company’s increased sales of its products retained in inventory in the fourth quarter of 2002, which generated a large amount of accounts receivable in that year. Accounts receivable, on a consolidated basis, decreased to NT$372.4 million as of December 31, 2001 from NT$877.5 million as of December 31, 2000, reflecting primarily the Company’s write-off of bad debts in 2001. Inventories, on a consolidated basis, decreased by 22.0% to NT$305.7 million (US$8.8 million) as of December 31, 2002 from NT$392.0 million as of December 31, 2001, principally due to the Company’s increased sales of products retained in inventory in the fourth quarter of 2002. Inventories, on a consolidated basis, increased by 51.3% to NT$392.0 million as of December 31, 2001 from NT$259.1 million as of December 31, 2000, principally due to an increase in finished products retained in inventory as a result of a decreased sales of such products.
The Company made capital expenditures of NT$109.0 million (US$3.1 million) in 2002 compared to NT$97.0 million for the same period in 2001. The capital expenditures in 2002 were made primarily to acquire machinery and equipment for DVD production. In connection with the expansion of its production capacity, the Company made capital expenditures, on a consolidated basis, of NT$109.0 million (US$3.1 million), NT$97.0 million and NT$1,093.0 million in 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively, to acquire machinery and equipment and other fixed assets and to procure raw materials for use in its optical storage media production.
The Company’s long-term investments, on an unconsolidated basis, decreased by NT$12.0 million to NT$376.2 million (US$10.8 million) as of March 31, 2003 compared to NT$388.2 million as of March 31, 2002. On a consolidated basis, long-term investments increased to NT$405.5 million (US$11.7 million) in 2002 from NT$381.1 million in 2001 and NT$269.7 million in 2000. The increase in long-term investments
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in 2002 compared to 2001 was due primarily to additional long-term investments in Prorit Corporation of NT$60.0 million (US$1.7 million) and Informax Optical Technology Corporation of NT$21.0 million (US$0.6 million) in 2002. The increase in long-term investments in 2001 compared to 2000 was due primarily to the reclassification of the Company’s investments in Ritek Corporation and Lead Data Inc. from short-term investments to long-term investments on July 1, 2001 as well as certain additional longterm investments the Company made in 2001.
The Company has budgeted capital expenditures in 2003 of NT$154.0 million (US$4.4 million) primarily for equipment purchases in connection with the production of DVDs. The budgeted amount may vary from the actual amount of capital expenditures for a variety of reasons, including changes in market conditions, changes in interest rates and other factors. The Company does not anticipate significant additional capital expenditures in connection with its information appliance business during 2003.
As of December 31, 2002, the Company had available long-term credit lines, on a consolidated basis, of NT$932.0 million (US$26.8 million), all of which had been drawn down. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had available short-term credit lines, on a consolidated basis, of NT$1,035.0 million (US$29.8 million), of which approximately NT$358.0 million (US$10.3 million) had been drawn down. As of March 31, 2003, the Company had available long-term credit lines, on an unconsolidated basis, of NT$1,700.0 million (US$48.9 million), all of which had been drawn down. As of March 31, 2003, the Company had available short-term credit lines, on an unconsolidated basis, of NT$990.0 million (US$28.5 million), of which NT$516.5 million (US$14.9 million) had been drawn down.
The net proceeds of the issue of the Bonds are expected to amount to approximately US$19.8 million. The net proceeds will be used by the Company to purchase raw materials overseas, expand production facilities and purchase machinery and equipment. The Company has committed to deposit 85% of the gross proceeds of the issue of the Bonds into an account designated by the Letter of Credit Bank as collateral for the issuance of the Letter of Credit. See ‘‘Description of Letter of Credit.’’
Foreign Currency Exposure
In 2002, 2001 and 2000, the Company had net operating revenues, on a consolidated basis, derived from sales outside Taiwan of NT$1,020.2 million (US$29.4 million) (or 57.4% of net operating revenues), NT$859.8 million (or 51.4% of net operating revenues) and NT$1,265.9 million (or 85.7% of net operating revenues), respectively. Such net operating revenues were settled mainly in US dollars. During the same periods, approximately 64.0%, 29.0% and 54.0%, respectively, of the Company’s raw material purchases were settled in foreign currencies, principally US dollars and Japanese Yen, with the remainder settled in NT dollars. The Company has outstanding significant accounts receivable and other assets, and significant liabilities denominated in US dollars. Consequently, the Company’s results of operations are affected by fluctuations in the exchange rates among US dollars, NT dollars and Japanese Yen, with the Company’s US dollar denominated revenues and income characteristically exceeding its US dollar and other foreign currency costs and expenses. The effects of such fluctuations are partially mitigated by the Company’s hedging of its foreign currency exposure through foreign currency options and exchange rate forward contracts.
Inflation
The Company does not believe that inflation in Taiwan, where the majority of its operations are located, has had a material impact on its results of operations.
Income Tax
The statutory income tax rate applicable to the Company in the ROC is 25%. In 1997, the ROC Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to the ROC Income Tax Law to integrate corporate income tax and shareholder dividend tax. Under the amendment, all after-tax earnings generated after January 1, 1998 and not distributed to shareholders as dividends for the year in which such retained earnings were generated will be assessed a 10% tax. However, the Company has benefited and expects to benefit from tax holidays in respect of the income from certain of its products. The Company has been granted one five-year tax holiday in respect of income derived from CD-R and CD-RW products commencing from 1999, one five-year tax holiday in respect of income derived from CD-R and DVD-ROM products commencing from 2000 and another five-year tax holidays in respect of income derived from CD-R, CD-RW and DVD-ROM products,
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the commencement of which have not been elected by the Company. In addition, the Company benefits from tax credits at various rates available on the acquisition of certain machinery for production or equipment purchases and expenses for research and development. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had approximately NT$458.0 million (US$13.2 million) in unused tax credits which will progressively expire between 2003 and 2007.
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BUSINESS
Introduction
The Company manufactures and sells a broad range of optical storage media products. The principal optical storage media products of the Company include CD-Rs, CD-RWs and DVD-Rs. In addition, the Company is also engaged in the production of optical storage media related products, such as optical storage-based portable players and duplicators. Sales of optical storage media products accounted for approximately 68.0% of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues in 2002 and approximately 87.6% of the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2003. The principal component of the optical storage media sales of the Company in both periods was sales of CD-Rs.
The Company’s consolidated net operating revenues grew to NT$1,778.1 million (US$51.2 million) in 2002 from NT$1,672.0 million in 2001 and NT$1,476.5 million in 2000. The Company had consolidated gross profit of NT$241.8 million in 2000 but a consolidated gross loss of NT$59.8 million in 2001 and NT$140.7 million (US$4.0 million) in 2002. The Company’s consolidated net loss was NT$187.7 million, NT$593.0 million and NT$599.4 million (US$17.2 million), respectively, in 2000, 2001 and 2002. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had consolidated stockholders’ equity of NT$3,655.0 million (US$105.2 million).
In the three months ended March 31, 2003, the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues increased to NT$472.9 million (US$13.6 million) from NT$369.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002. However, the Company generated an unconsolidated net loss of NT$95.1 million (US$2.7 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003 compared to a net loss of NT$116.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2002. As of March 31, 2003, the Company had unconsolidated stockholders’ equity of NT$3,538.2 million (US$101.8 million).
The Company was incorporated in the ROC (Registration No. 97178376) on March 26, 1997 under the ROC Company Law. The Company’s registered address is 2 Kuang Fu South Road, Hsinchu Industrial Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Company’s Shares have been listed on the TSE since April 2000.
Strategy
To enhance manufacturing efficiencies by seeking to improve existing manufacturing processes and exploring new cost-reduction opportunities.
The Company believes that manufacturing efficiencies and the ability to lower manufacturing costs have been significant factors in its success. The Company has successfully developed its in-house knowhow in chemical engineering technology such as dye synthesis, which enables it to reduce unit production costs by either manufacturing its own dye or recycling imported dyes and solvents from overseas countries such as Japan. Further, the Company intends to continue to source certain key raw materials, including dyes and solvents for the manufacture of CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, from local suppliers in order to lower its raw material costs. The Company will continue to emphasize its chemical engineering expertise as a means of reduction of production cost and adding value to its existing product ranges.
To provide a comprehensive range of high quality products and services to customers around the world.
The Company intends to continue to strengthen its global sales network in order to provide it with an integrated global franchise and network with close proximity to major customers, especially those in the emerging markets. The Company also intends to establish partnerships with local vendors or distributors in selected markets to expand its business in such markets. Further, the Company intends to continue to enhance its distribution logistics by establishing logistics centers close to key customers and upgrading its information technology systems in an effort to shorten delivery lead time.
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To emphasize DVD products.
While broad market acceptance of DVD-Rs has to date been impeded by a number of factors, including the existence of competing DVD formats and issues relating to DVD licensing arrangements, the Company believes that, in the medium term, DVD products and, in particular, DVD recordable products will be an increasingly significant growth area for the Company as the CD-R and CD-RW markets mature. In order to capture this emerging market, the Company is focusing a portion of its capital expenditure on the development of its DVD recordable production facilities so that it will be well-positioned to capitalize on the potential growth in the DVD recordable market. In addition, the Company has developed a manufacturing lines conversion procedure, which can convert its CD-R manufacturing facilities into DVD recordable manufacturing facilities in a timely and cost-effective way.
To leverage core technology in optical storage media and diversify into higher growth and higher margin markets.
The Company has, since early 2000, broadened its product lines to include information appliance products. The Company has made efforts to capitalize on the strategic relationships established and technological and manufacturing expertise gained by it as a manufacturer of optical storage media products to diversify into this new business area. For example, the Company has successfully designed key components, and served as a system integrator, for Hasbro, a major consumer electronics manufacturer in the United States, for the development of its ‘‘Video Now Player’’, a lightweight portable audio device which enables users to play pre-recorded movies in MP3 compression standard. The commercial production of this product commenced in April 2003 and the launch of this product in the United States is expected in the third quarter of 2003. The Company has also developed and is in the process of developing for commercial production other portable optical storage media devices, including handheld video game players and handheld language-tutorial devices. The Company believes that by entering business of manufacturing information appliance products, it will be able to diversify its revenues and capture new growth opportunities.
Products
The principal business of the Company is the manufacture and sale of optical storage media products. The principal optical storage media products produced by the Company are CD-Rs, CD-RWs and DVD-Rs. The Company also manufactures and sells optical storage media related products, such as duplicators. In early 2000, the Company expanded its business to include information appliance products and has generated operating revenues from the sale of MP3 players since that year.
In addition to the sale of optical storage media products manufactured by the Company, the Company also engages in trading activities relating to such products. The trading activities include the purchase of certain types of optical storage media products from other manufacturers, including Ritek Corporation and Lead Data Inc., for resale to the Company’s customers. The Company also sells raw materials for the production of optical storage media products to other manufacturers, including Ritek Corporation and Lead Data Inc. The revenues so generated are recorded as other operating revenues of the Company.
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The following table shows the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues by category of principal products in the periods indicated:
| Product Optical storage media products CD-Rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DVD-Rs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other optical storage media products(1) Others(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | % 93.9 3.9 0.0 0.6 1.6 100.0 |
2001 | % 84.2 0.6 0.2 3.3 11.7 100.0 |
2002 | ||
| NT$ million 1,386.0 57.7 0.3 8.3 24.2 1,476.5 |
NT$ million 1,408.2 9.6 2.8 56.5 194.9 1,672.0 |
NT$ million 1,133.3 23.2 53.4 — 568.2 1,778.1 |
% 63.7 1.3 3.0 — 32.0 |
|||
| 100.0 |
(1) Includes the sales of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.
(2) Includes operating revenues from trading activities of optical storage media products and the sale of other products, such as MP3 players and duplicators.
The following table shows the breakdown of the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues by category of principal products in the periods indicated:
| Product Optical storage media products CD-Rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CD-RWs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DVD-Rs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other optical storage media products(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Three Months Ended March 31, | Three Months Ended March 31, | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | % 70.8 0.2 3.0 0.0 26.0 100.0 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ million 261.6 0.6 10.9 0.0 96.1 369.2 |
NT$ million 367.8 5.8 40.8 — 58.5 472.9 |
% 77.8 1.2 8.6 — 12.4 |
||
| 100.0 |
(1) Includes the sales of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.
(2) Includes operating revenues from trading activities of optical storage media products and the sale of other products, such as MP3 players and duplicators.
Optical Storage Media Products
Compact Disks — Recordable
The Company began commercial production of CD-Rs in November 1997. The Company currently produces primarily 48X and 52X speed CD-Rs. As of December 31, 2002, the aggregate monthly production capacity of the Company for the manufacture of CD-Rs was approximately 25 million units. In 2002 and 2001, the Company’s CD-R sales accounted for 63.7% and 84.2%, respectively, of its consolidated net operating revenues. In the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, the Company’s CD-R sales accounted for 77.8% and 70.8%, respectively, of its unconsolidated net operating revenues.
CD-Rs are non-erasable recordable disks which are mainly used for high quality digital audio and video recording and high capacity data storage for computers. CD-Rs have a standard size with a diameter of 8 or 12 centimeters and a thickness of 1.2 millimeters. Data may be recorded on a CD-R only once. A standard CD-R disk can store up to approximately 700 megabytes (‘‘MB’’) of data and its storage life is approximately 100 years. Due to their non-erasable characteristics, CD-Rs are often used for data exchange applications and for long-term record storage or for the archiving of data. They are also widely used by individual end-users for Internet downloads and virus protection.
The basic manufacturing process for CD-Rs consists of injecting a mould with substrate, substrate cooling, dye coating, edge cleaning, drying, sputtering, lacquering, ultraviolet curing and, subject to a quality check inspection at each stage, packaging and storing. The Company believes that the dye is the
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most critical raw material used in the production of CD-Rs and therefore places particular emphasis in ensuring that its dyes are of high quality. The Company also developed its own in-house technology for designing and producing the dye used in the manufacture of CD-Rs. Such expertise has in the past enabled the Company to reduce the production cost of CD-Rs significantly, thereby enhancing the overall competitiveness of the Company’s products. The Company currently sources certain key raw materials, including dyes and solvents for the manufacture of CD-Rs, from local suppliers, which enables the Company to reduce unit production cost. For raw materials which the Company sources from overseas countries such as Japan, it is able to reduce its unit production cost of CD-Rs by applying its in-house dye technology to recycle the imported dye and solvents.
Compact Disks — Rewritable
The Company began commercial production of CD-RWs in October 1998. In 2002 and 2001, the Company’s CD-RW sales accounted for 1.3% and 0.6%, respectively, of its consolidated net operating revenues. In the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, the Company’s CD-RW sales accounted for 1.2% and 0.2%, respectively, of its unconsolidated net operating revenues.
CD-RWs are rewritable compact disks. CD-RWs have standard sizes with diameters of 8 or 12 centimeters and a thickness of 1.2 millimeters. The storage capacity of a standard CD-RW is approximately 650 MB and its storage life is approximately 30 years. The main advantage of CD-RWs, compared to CD-Rs, is that they can be rewritten approximately 1,000 times.
The manufacturing process for CD-RWs is similar to that for CD-Rs, with the major difference being that the sputtering process is more sophisticated.
Digital Versatile Disks — Recordable and Rewritable
There are five different writable and recordable formats of DVD-ROM discs: DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD+R. All DVD recorders can read DVD-ROM discs, but each uses a different type of disc for recording. DVD-Rs and DVD+Rs can record data once, like CD-Rs, except that they have significantly higher storage capacity. DVD-RAMs, DVD-RWs, and DVD+RWs can be rewritten thousands of times, like CD-RWs, except that they have a significantly higher storage capacity. DVD-Rs first became commercially available in the fall of 1997, DVD-RAMs followed in the summer of 1998, DVD-RWs in December 1999 and DVD+Rs in mid-2002.
The official specification for DVD-ROM was developed by a consortium of ten companies: Hitachi, JVC, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Philips, Pioneer, Sony, Thomson, Time Warner, and Toshiba. Representatives from many other companies also contributed in various working groups. In May 1997, the DVD Consortium was replaced by the DVD Forum, which is open to all companies. The Company is a member of the DVD Forum.
The Company started commercial production of DVD-Rs in July 2000 and is scheduled to commence commercial production of DVD+Rs in September 2003. In 2002 and 2001, the Company’s DVD-R sales accounted for 3.0% and 0.2%, respectively, of its consolidated net operating revenues. In the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, the Company’s DVD-R sales accounted for 8.6% and 3.0%, respectively, of its unconsolidated net operating revenues.
The manufacturing process for DVD-ROM discs is similar to that for CD-Rs, with the major difference being that there is an additional binding process in the production of DVD-ROM discs.
Other Products
Duplicators
A duplicator is a stand-alone device enabling users to duplicate data CDs, Audio CDs, Video CDs and game software onto CD-Rs or CD-RWs without using personal computers. The Company successfully developed one-on-one duplicators in November 2000 and commenced commercial production of such product in 2002. In 2002, the Company’s sales of duplicators accounted for 5.0% of its consolidated net operating revenues. In the three months ended March 31, 2003, the Company’s sales of duplicators accounted for 2.8% of its unconsolidated net operating revenues.
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MP3 Players
The MP3 player is a lightweight portable audio device which enables users to download from the Internet and play music file in MP3 compression standard. The Company has jointly developed with Samsung Taiwan the MP3 mini-CD player, a lightweight device enabling users to play media in either compact disc digital audio, or CD-DA, format, or MP3 format. The Company launched this product in April 2001. In 2002 and 2001, the Company’s sales of MP3 players accounted for 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, of its consolidated net operating revenues. In the three months ended March 31, 2002, the Company’s sales of MP3 players accounted for 0.5% of its unconsolidated net operating revenues. The Company ceased the production of this product in the first half of 2002 and no such products were sold in the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Other Products Under Development
In addition to the products discussed above, the Company is engaged in the research and development of other information appliance products. For example, the Company has successfully designed key components for the MP3 player product Video Now Player for Hasbro, a major consumer electronics manufacturer in the United States. The commercial production commenced in April 2003 and the product is expected to be launched in the United States in July 2003. The Company is engaged in further research and development with a view to improving the resolution of the existing MP3 players, and developing more advanced information appliance products, including handheld video game players and handheld languagetutorial devices.
Production Facilities
The Company currently operates two production facilities in Hsinchu Industrial Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The Giga I factory was established in November 1997 with a gross floor area of approximately 4,783 square meters. The land on which the Giga I factory was built is owned by the Company. The Giga I factory’s monthly production capacity for the manufacture of CD-Rs was approximately 5 million units as of December 31, 2002. The Giga II factory was established in October 1999 with a gross floor area of approximately 17,064 square meters. The land on which the Giga II factory was built is owned by the Company. The Giga II factory’s monthly production capacity for the manufacture of CD-Rs was approximately 20 million units as of December 31, 2002.
The Company plans to expand its production capacity by establishing a new production facility, the Giga III factory, on the site adjacent to the existing Giga II factory. The Company expects to complete the construction of this factory and commence production in the second quarter of 2004. The company expects to complete the ramp-up of this new factory by 2006 and is expected to have monthly production capacity at such factory for the manufacture of CD-Rs and DVD±Rs of approximately 20 million.
Raw Materials
Raw materials accounted for approximately 38.0%, 44.0% and 40.0%, on a consolidated basis, of the Company’s total production costs in 2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively. In 2002, over half of the Company’s raw materials were sourced outside the ROC, mainly from Japan.
The main raw materials for the optical storage media products are polycarbonates, dyes, targets, lacquers and oil ink. The Company generally sources its raw materials from suppliers in Taiwan, the United States and Japan. In recent years, the Company has been able to reduce the unit production cost of CD-Rs by utilizing its own in-house technique to produce dyes (a key component of recordable optical disk) as well as by using its in-house dye technology to recycle imported dyes and solvents.
The Company does not enter into long-term supply contracts for its raw materials. However, the Company places orders on a quarterly basis and provides rolling forecasts to suppliers for certain key raw materials such as polycarbonates, dye and silver. The Company generally maintains a raw material inventory of approximately one month’s supply, as a safeguard against potential supply disruptions. Payment terms are generally 30 to 120 days from the date of invoice. The Company does not consider itself to be materially reliant on any particular supplier for raw materials and has not experienced any significant disruption in supplies in the past.
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Sales and Marketing
The sales department at the Company’s headquarters in Hsinchu is responsible for the Company’s sales and marketing activities. In addition, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Gigastorage Corporation USA, serves as its sales and customer service office in the United States. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had 25 personnel responsible for sales and marketing activities.
The Company’s sales and marketing strategy is focused on satisfying customers with high quality products, prompt and timely delivery, good after-sales service and competitive pricing. The Company also advertises its products and attends trade fairs and exhibitions to promote its sales.
The majority of the Company’s optical storage media products are sold to local private label manufacturers and retail distribution channels on a no-brand basis, with a small portion of its products under its own brand name ‘‘Cursor.’’ Although the Company has established a large and diversified customer base located in over 15 countries, the Company’s sales are concentrated in a relatively small number of key customers. During 2000, 2001 and 2002, the five largest customers of the Company accounted for 62.3%, 60.6% and 29.7%, respectively, of its consolidated net sales. During the first three months in 2003, the five largest customers of the Company accounted for 48.0% of its unconsolidated net sales. In addition, the Company has in the past manufactured and sold certain optical storage media products to Ritek Corporation. For example, in 2001, the Company manufactured and sold CD-Rs to Ritek Corporation, which accounted for 23.0% of its total net operating revenues in that year.
For a majority of its sales, the Company does not typically enter into long-term purchase and sale agreements with its customers. Instead, for planning purposes, such customers typically supply the Company with non-binding rolling forecasts, which form the basis of purchase orders at a later point in time.
The following table sets forth the consolidated net operating revenues of the Company and percentage breakdown, categorized by geographic region to which its products were shipped, for the periods indicated.
| Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asia (excluding Taiwan) . . . . . . . . . . . North and South Americas . . . . . . . . . . Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | % 14.3 6.6 46.7 32.3 0.1 100.0 |
2001 | % 48.6 13.1 35.6 1.9 0.8 100.0 |
2002 | ||
| NT$ million 210.6 98.0 688.9 477.4 1.6 1,476.5 |
NT$ million 812.2 219.7 595.4 32.3 12.4 1,672.0 |
NT$ million 757.9 308.9 415.0 147.9 148.4 1,778.1 |
% 42.6 17.4 23.3 8.3 8.4 |
|||
| 100.0 |
Quality Control
The Company believes that key factors in its success have been the high quality and reliability of its products achieved by following strict quality control procedures and the use of automated production facilities.
Components and raw materials are subject to quality control inspection and testing according to the Company’s specifications before they enter the production line. The quality requirement is particularly high for certain critical components and materials which directly determine the quality and performance of finished products. Such materials are either manufactured and supplied from within the Company or sourced from third party suppliers. In-process quality control procedures are implemented at each stage of the manufacturing processes. Different types of testing equipment are used to ensure compliance with different customers’ quality requirements. Inspection of all finished recordable products is performed on a random sampling basis and concentrates on critical areas such as the reliability and compatibility check of the optical storage media products.
The Company has been certified as meeting the ISO 9001 quality standards in August 1999 for its Giga I factory and Giga II factory in respect of its manufacture of CD-Rs, CD-RWs and DVD-Rs.
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Research and Development
To continuously enhance the quality of the Company’s products and to maximize its cost efficiency, the Company has dedicated its research and development efforts to process- and product-related research and development in respect of its various existing product lines, focusing on improving process efficiency and lowering production cost. The Company also has project orientation teams that serve as a link between the production and research departments, and that focus on production process control to facilitate the development of new products and to improve production efficiency.
In addition to its in-house research and development activities, the Company also works with local raw material suppliers to develop and promote new raw materials for optical storage media products to improve the quality and reduce costs of such raw materials. Additionally, the Company engages in cooperative research efforts with the Bureau of Industry, Ministry of Economic Affairs and universities in Taiwan for the development of process- and product-related technologies. For 2000, 2001 and 2002, the total research and development expenditures of the Company amounted to 4.4%, 2.7% and 2.5%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues. The Company’s total research and development expenditures amounted to 2.3% of the Company’s unconsolidated net operating revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2003.
The Company focuses its research and development efforts with respect to optical storage media products on developing new products in line with market demand, improving existing products, lowering cost of production and enhancing production efficiency. These efforts have enabled the Company to minimize its production costs by increasing yield rates and reducing downtime, and to meet its customers’ specific production requirements. For example, the Company’s researched development efforts that led to the replacing of gold reflective layers with silver ones resulted in lower production costs. The Company has also developed a cyanine dye for DVD-Rs to reduce its product cost and reliance on third parties for the supply of these raw materials. The Company is currently engaged in enhancing its DVD technology in terms of reliability, quality, cost reduction and mass production. The Company has developed four-time writing speed DVD-Rs which the Company believes to be compatible with most of the four-time DVD-dual writers in the market. The Company expects its research to focus on future high capacity storage technology development, including volumetric storage, DVD-Blue and multi-layer storage.
The Company has also made research and development efforts relating to information appliance technology, including MP3 compatible systems. The Company has jointly developed with Samsung Taiwan a MP3 Mini-CD Player, a lightweight device enabling users to play media in either compact disc digital audio, or CD-DA, format, or in MP3 format. The Company has also successfully developed certain key components for the MP3 player product Video Now Player for Hasbro, a consumer electronics manufacturer in the United States. The Company is engaged in further research and development for the improvement of the resolution of the existing MP3 players, or for the development of more advanced information appliance products, including handheld video game players and handheld language-tutorial devices.
Competition
The markets in which the Company’s products are sold have become increasingly competitive in recent years. The Company’s products compete against those produced by foreign companies. With price competition, particularly for CD-Rs, intensifying from 2000 to 2002, a number of major CD-R manufacturers have proceeded with significant capacity expansion plans, including Memorex as well as local ROC companies, such as Ritek Corporation, CMC Magnetics Corporation and ProDisc Technology Inc. Some of these competitors already hold a significant share of their relevant markets. This increased competition and downward price pressure has had the effect of driving a number of the Company’s smaller competitors, as well as certain of its competitors operating in Japan’s higher-cost production environment, out of the business.
Despite the market competition, the Company believes that it is well-positioned to maintain its position in the storage media industry. The Company has a large and diversified customer base worldwide. The Company believes that product quality, good after-sales service, competitive pricing, product design innovation, technological expertise, close relationships with reliable suppliers and efforts in fostering customer loyalty are all key factors in preserving its competitive strength in the industry. The Company believes that the expertise and experience of its management, coupled with its awareness of market
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movements through strategic relationships with major customers, should position the Company to diversify quickly into other sectors in the information storage media industry such as CD-RWs, DVD-RAMs, DVDRs, DVD+RWs and DVD+Rs and into newer areas such as information appliance products and components.
Information appliance products have relatively short product lives due to frequent product introductions, rapidly changing technology and evolving industry standards and the Company expects that the level of competition in its information appliance businesses will be intense. In addition, production of information appliance products involves a highly complicated manufacturing process and will require the Company to hire and maintain a highly skilled labor force to focus on this area. The Company believes that personal computer manufacturers and other companies in related fields will enter this market as they look to expand their business and as margins decrease in their respective business areas. The Company believes that its technological and production know-how, its access to new technology through its existing inter-company relationships and its established customer delivery channels will position it to compete effectively in this business area.
Intellectual Property
The Company owns various patents and trademarks. The Company has registered, among others, ‘‘Gigastorage’’ and ‘‘Cursor’’ as trademarks in Taiwan in the categories relating to optical storage media products. The Company holds a number of patents in the area relating to its manufacturing processes in the ROC. Currently, the Company has four patent applications pending in the United States, Canada and the PRC. The Company believes that its intellectual property rights are valuable and intends to protect its investments in technology by enforcing its intellectual property rights.
The Company was duly licensed by, and made royalty payments to, Philips for the manufacture and sale of its CD-R products. For each unit of CD-R, the Company paid a royalty fee per unit of 10 Japanese Yen (approximately US$0.08) or 3% of the net selling price of CD-Rs, whichever is higher, to Philips for the years 1997 to 2000. In light of the continued decrease in the selling price of CD-Rs, the Company failed to renegotiate with Philips to lower the royalty rate and ceased to make royalty payments to Philips since the second quarter of 2000. The Company currently is involved in disputes with Philips in Taiwan, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and the United States. See ‘‘— Legal Proceedings.’’
In addition, the Company is also required to pay royalties in respect of its CD-R products to Sony and Taiyo Yuden. Pursuant to an agreement between the Company and Sony dated April 4, 2003, the Company pays Sony per-unit royalty fees that vary inversely with the number of units produced. The Company entered into an agreement with Taiyo Yuden on April 22, 2003 which set out royalty arrangements. Royalty rate paid to each of Sony and Taiyo Yuden by the Company are lower than the royalty rate paid to Philips in respect of its CD-R production.
The Company is also required to pay license expenses to DVD Format Licensing Corp. in respect of the formats of DVD-R, DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM. The Company currently does not enter into license agreements with such organization and does not make royalty payments for its DVD-Rs.
In 2000, 2001 and 2002, on an unconsolidated basis, the Company incurred NT$36.0 million, NT$103.0 million and NT$59.0 million (US$1.7 million), respectively, in total royalty expenses.
Insurance
The Company maintains insurance policies with independent third parties in respect of buildings, vehicles and equipment and inventory located in its premises. The Company’s current insurance coverage includes losses resulting from flood, fire, earthquake, explosion, strike or riot, of up to approximately NT$3,276.0 million. Insurance policies of the Company are generally renewed annually. Buildings and equipment are insured for their net book value (plus the cost of shipping of replacement equipment). Raw materials are insured for approximately 80% of their net purchase price and inventory of finished products is insured for approximately 80% of its book value. The Company considers its insurance coverage to be adequate and in accordance with industry norms in the ROC.
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Litigation and Regulatory Issues
In April 2002, Philips brought a civil action in the Hsinchu District Court claiming that the Company had discontinued making royalty payments for CD-R products, and claimed CD-R royalty payments in an approximate amount of Y=7.9 million. In the same action, Philips also requested the Company to provide royalty report relating to the sales of CD-Rs products. Philips’s claim for such royalty payments in this civil action depends on the validity of the CD-R license agreement between the Company and Philips, which has been ruled by the ROC Fair Trade Commission as violating ROC Fair Trade Law in January 2001. Philips petitioned for review of this decision with the Taipei High Administrative Court and the civil action in the Hsinchu District Court was suspended by the court until a decision is made by the Taipei High Administrative Court. Further, in June 2002, Philips brought another civil action in the Hsinchu District Court claiming that the Company has infringed some of its patents relating to CD-R products, claiming damages in the amount of NT$1.55 million. Another company has petitioned for review of the validity of the patents in question with the ROC Intellectual Property Office (‘‘IPO’’) and appealed against the decision of IPO with Taipei High Administration Court; and thus this civil action in the Hsinchu District Court was suspended by the Court until a decision is made by Taipei High Administration Court.
The Company received a summons from the District Court of the Hague in connection with two containers of its CD-R products which were seized by the Dutch Custom Authority in August 2001 as requested by Philips alleging the Company’s infringement of its patents relating to such CD-Rs. This case is currently pending before the Appeal Court of the Hague.
The Company received a summons from the Court of Genoa in Italy for the hearing on July 18, 2003 in connection with 280,000 units of CD-RWs sold by the Company to an Italian customer which were seized by the customs authority as requested by Philips alleging the Company’s infringement of its patents relating to such CD-RWs. The Company has retained an Italian counsel to defend this case.
The Company received a summons from the Court of Antwerp in Belgium in connection with four containers of its CD-R products which were seized by Antwerp customs authorities on April 30, 2001 as requested by Philips alleging the Company’s infringement of its patents relating to CD-Rs. This case is currently pending before the Court of Antwerp.
On June 24, 2002, Philips filed a complaint in the International Trade Commission (‘‘ITC’’) against the Company and its subsidiary, Gigastorage Corporation USA and other distributors of the Company’s CDR and CR-RW products alleging that the CD-R and CD-RW products manufactured, imported into the United States and sold in the United States by the Company infringed six patents owned by Philips. Philips requested that the ITC issue a general exclusion order to prohibit the importation and sale of all the Company’s CD-R and CD-RW products in the United States. Prior to the trial, the Company filed a prehearing statement arguing that all the asserted Philips patent claims are not infringed and/or invalid, and all the asserted Philips patents are unenforceable due to patent misuse. Philips filed its pre-hearing statement arguing that all the asserted Philips patent claims are valid and infringed, there has been no patent misuse, and the ITC should enter a general exclusion order prohibiting the Company from importing and selling CDR and CD-RW products in the United States. The Commission Investigative Staff for the ITC filed its prehearing statement taking the position that all the asserted Philips patents are valid and infringed, but Philips has committed patent misuse. The first trial started on June 10, 2003 and was completed on June 20, 2003. After the trial was completed, the court under the ITC requested that the parties and the Commission Investigative Staff file post-hearing briefs and proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.
In April 2001 the European Commission commenced an anti-dumping investigation into the exports of CD-Rs to European Union countries by certain ROC CD-R manufacturers, including the Company. The European Commission announced the results of its investigation, which included a finding that the Company had violated applicable anti-dumping rules and imposed a punitive tariff of 20.1% on the Company’s exports of CD-Rs into the European Union with effect from December 20, 2001. In anticipation of the imposition of such tariffs, the Company has since 2001 begun to reduce the sales of its CD-Rs into this market. Sales of CD-Rs to the European Union accounted for approximately 32.3% of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2000 and significantly decreased to 2.1% and 2.1%, respectively, in 2001 and 2002, and approximately 5.4% of the Company’s unconsolidated net sales in the three months ended March 31, 2003. Although the Company believes it has taken steps to try to mitigate its impact, this tariff, in the short- to medium-term, may adversely affect the Company’s ability to compete in the CD-R market in the
34
European Union, and the results of operations and financial condition of the Company could suffer materially. See ‘‘Risk Factors — Risks Relating to the Company and its Business — Anti-dumping tariffs imposed upon the Company may adversely affect the Company.’’
On January 21, 2002, based on the recommendation of the Korean Trade Commission, the Minister of Finance and Economy of South Korea announced the imposition of anti-dumping duties with respect to imports of CD-Rs from Taiwan to South Korea, including the Company’s CD-Rs. The ruling imposes a provisional anti-dumping duty of 51.72% on several Taiwan CD-R producers, including the Company, for a period of four months, effective January 21, 2002. In April 2002, the Korean Trade Commission made a final decision to impose a 51.7% dumping duties on several Taiwan CD-R manufacturers, including the Company. In 2001 and 2002, CD-R sales to South Korea constituted 0.1% and 0.9% of the total consolidated net sales of the Company. See ‘‘Risk Factors — Risks Relating to the Company and its Business — Anti-dumping tariffs imposed upon the Company may adversely affect the Company.’’
Except as disclosed above, the Company is not involved in any, and is not aware of any pending or threatened, litigation or other proceedings the outcome of which the Company believes might, individually or taken as a whole, have a material adverse effect on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company.
Environmental Issues
The production process for the Company’s products generates some liquid waste and other industrial wastes in various stages of the manufacturing process. The Company has installed different types of antipollution equipment for the treatment of liquid waste and equipment for the recycling of treated water in the Company’s facilities. In September 2001, the Company’s Giga I factory obtained an ISO 14001 certification on its environmental management system for its design and manufacture of CD-Rs. The Company, together with other companies located in an industrial area, receives assistance from the local environmental protection authorities for the disposal of industrial waste. The Company believes that it is in compliance in all material respects with applicable environmental laws and regulations. For the three-year period ended December 31, 2002, the Company has not been subject to, nor is it aware of, any material claims or legal actions involving non-compliance with environmental regulations.
Employees
As of December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, the Company had approximately 412, 443 and 413 employees, respectively. As of December 31, 2002, approximately 60.0% of the Company’s employees were university graduates or college graduates. The Company provides benefits to its employees, such as medical insurance and travel allowances. The Company provides ongoing training programs to its employees to ensure that they have the requisite skills to carry out their job responsibilities and also to improve the quality of its staff. As an incentive, the Company also pays employee bonuses in the form of cash or stock of at least 5% of the Company’s net income after payment of taxes and contribution to legal and special reserves, such amounts being allocated to employees based on individual performance. As permitted by ROC law and the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, the Company has reserved 20,000,000 Shares for the purpose of transfer to the employees of the Company or its subsidiaries under a stock option plan when it is introduced.
The Company has not experienced any strikes or labor disputes and considers its relations with its employees to be good.
Subsidiaries and Associated Companies
As of March 31, 2003, the Company held direct and indirect investments over 50% or more of the common stock of the following companies:
| Company Gigastorage Corporation USA . . . Quo-Chao Investment Corporation Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . |
Main Business Sales of optical storage media products Investment Sale of CD-Rs and CD-RWs |
Place of Incorporation United States ROC ROC |
Book Value of Investment (millions) — 85.7 25.8 |
The Company’s Effective Equity Interest (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100.0 99.99 78.14 |
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MANAGEMENT
Directors and Supervisors
The ROC Company Law and the Articles of Incorporation of the Company provide that the Company’s Directors is to be elected by the shareholders for three-year terms in a general meeting at which a quorum, consisting of a majority of all issued and outstanding common shares, is present. The Chairman is a Director elected from and among the Directors.
The term of office of the Directors and the Supervisors is three years. They may serve any number of consecutive terms and may be removed from office at any time by a resolution adopted at a meeting of shareholders. Normally, all members of the Board of Directors are elected at the same time, except where the posts of one-third or more of the Directors are vacant, at which time a special meeting of shareholders shall be convened to elect Directors to fill the vacancies. The Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for the management of the business and affairs of the Company.
Under ROC Company Law, the Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the activities of the Board of Directors and have the power to investigate the business and financial condition of the Company, examine its books, records and documents and request the Board of Directors to submit reports. The Supervisors may engage independent experts to carry out any investigations or examinations at the cost of the Company. Any of the Company’s Supervisors can also convene a meeting of shareholders when the Board of Directors do not or cannot convene a meeting of shareholders and/or when such a meeting is necessary for the benefit of the Company. In accordance with the laws of the ROC relating to corporations, each supervisor is elected by shareholders and cannot concurrently serve as a director, managerial officer or other staff member. For a public company, such as the Company, the ROC Company Law requires at least two supervisors be appointed at all times and that a supervisor’s term of office be up to three years.
At present, there are eleven Directors and three Supervisors who are elected by the shareholders of the Company at the Company’s general shareholders’ meeting. The Chairman is the legal representative of the Company under the Company Law of the ROC.
The following table sets forth information regarding the present Board of Directors and the Supervisors as elected by the shareholders of the Company on May 14, 2001 for three-year terms expiring on May 13, 2004:
| Name Chao-Feng Chang(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chih-Tsun Kuo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jih-Hsing Chen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hui-Chu Tsai(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sen-Hsiang Chen(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hsio-Te Tsai(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chih-Jen Chen(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chwei-Jing Yeh(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wei-Fen Yang(1)(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jing-Pu Lu(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ming-Shih Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tien-Tai Shao(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kuo-Hsing Tseng(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yu-Chiu Tsai(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Position within the Company |
|---|---|
| Chairman Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Director Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor |
Notes:
(1) Representative of Ritek Corporation
(2) Ms. Hui-Chu Tsai is the wife of Mr. Chih-Tsun Kuo, a Director of the Company.
(3) Representative of Zun Liy Tiles Co., Ltd.
(4) Representative of China Glaze Co., Ltd.
(5) Mr. Chih-Jen Chen is the brother of Mr. Jih-Hsing Chen, a Director of the Company.
(6) Ms. Wei-Fen Yang is the wife of Mr. Chwei-Jing Yeh, a Director of the Company.
(7) Representative of Superrite Electronics Co., Ltd.
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As of April 29, 2003, the Directors and the Supervisors had a registered holding of 19.61% of the Company’s issued shares. No remuneration was paid to the Directors and the Supervisors of the Company in their capacities as such, in accordance with the resolution in the shareholders’ meeting, for the year ended December 31, 2001 and 2002.
None of the Directors or Supervisors has any options to subscribe for the Company’s Shares.
Executive Officers
The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’s executive officers and key employees as of January 2003:
| Executive Officers Chih-Jen Chen . . . . . . . . . . . Sheng-Ru Yang. . . . . . . . . . . Jing-Pu Lu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shu-Hua Huang. . . . . . . . . . . Chi-Jie Wu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Position President Executive Vice President Head of Administration Division Assistant Manager of Marketing Head of Manufacturing Division |
Current Position Since |
|---|---|---|
| 07/01/1997 05/26/1997 05/14/2001 09/01/2001 08/01/2002 |
Biographies of Directors, Supervisors and Executive Officers
Mr. Chao-Feng Chang has served as the Company’s Chairman since May 2001. He is also a Director of Ritek Corporation, Chung Yung Venture Capital Fund Ltd., Prodisc Technology Inc., Catalyst Logic Co., Ltd., Universal Disc Co., Ltd., Kuo Chau Investment Industrial Co., Ltd., Taimide Tech. Inc. and Jade Investment Ltd. and a Supervisor of CGCG Inc. Mr. Chang holds a doctoral degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Mr. Chih-Tsun Kuo has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. He is also the Director of Kuo Chia Fu Investment Co., Ltd., Formosan Union Chemical Corp. and Hsin Chong Construction Group Limited. Mr. Kuo holds a degree in civil engineering from the Tamkang University.
Mr. Jih-Hsing Chen has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. He is also the Chairman of Maxmax Group Corporation and the President of Li Hsing Construction Co., Ltd. Mr. Chen holds a degree in chemical engineering from Chinese Cultural University.
Ms. Hui-Chu Tsai has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. She is also a Director of Kuo Chia Fu Investment Co., Ltd. and Hsin Chong Construction Group Limited. Ms. Tsai holds a degree in accounting from the Fu Jen Christian University.
Mr. Sen-Hsiang Chen has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. He is also the Chairman of Zun Liy Tiles Co., Ltd. Mr. Chen holds a degree from National Taipei Institute of Technology.
Mr. Hsio-Te Tsai has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. He is also the President of Yuan Sheng Venture Capital Co., Ltd., Chung Lung Ceramics Co., Ltd. and Yuan Fu Investment Co., Ltd. Before joining the Company, he served as the Executive Vice President of China Glaze Co., Ltd.
Mr. Chih-Jen Chen has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001 and the Company’s President since July 1997. He is also a Director of Gigastorge Corporation USA, Kuo Chau Investment Industrial Co., Ltd., Maxmax Group Corporation, Lead Data Inc., Taimide Tech. Inc., You Chih Technology Co., Ltd. and Jiaher Transportation Co., Ltd. Before joining the Company, he served as the manager of the discs development program of the Material Research Laboratories of the Industrial Technology Research Institute. Mr. Chen holds a degree in material science and engineering from National Tsing Hua University.
Mr. Chwei-Jing Yeh has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. He is also the Chairman of Chung-Yuan Investments Ltd., Chung Yung Venture Capital Fund Ltd. and Rifull Venture Capital, and a Director of Ritek Corporation, China Rich Holdings Limited, Hua Jing Venture Capital Corp., Han Rong Venture Capital Investments Co., Ko Fu Development Venture Capital, Hua-Chin Venture Capital Co., Ltd., Prodisc Technology Inc., China Television Co., Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd., Giantplus Technology Co., Ltd., Ritek Display Technology Inc., Prorit Corp., Solid State System Co., Ltd., Platinum Studio, Kinik
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Precision Grinding Co. and StarTech Fund (Cayman). Before joining the Company, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Ritek Corporation. Mr. Yeh holds a master’s degree from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Ms. Wei-Fen Yang has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. She is also the Chairman of Yuanrong Investment and Development Co. Ltd. and a Director of Ritek Corporation, Chung Yung Venture Capital Fund Ltd., Glory Years Investments Ltd., Ko Fu Development Venture Capital, EChem HighTech Co., Ltd., RiTDATA Technology Inc., Prorit Corp., Rilite Corporation and Ritek Display Technology Inc. Before joining the Company, she served as the Vice Chief Executive Officer of Ritek Corporation. Ms. Yang holds a bachelor’s degree from Feng Chia University.
Mr. Jing-Pu Lu has served as the Company’s Director since June 2003 and Head of Administration Division since May 2001. He is also the Director of ID Interactive Ltd. Before joining the Company, he served as the Vice President of Investment Department of Ritek Corporation. Mr. Lu holds a master’s degree in business administration from Birmingham University.
Mr. Ming-Shih Lee has served as the Company’s Director since May 2001. He is also a Director of Toyota Petrol Station Co., Ltd.. Mr. Lee holds a degree in civil engineering from Ming Chi Institute of Technology.
Mr. Tien-Tai Shao has served as the Company’s Supervisor since May 2001. He is also the Chairman of Hsiou Mao Co., Ltd. and Tsi Bo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.. Mr. Shao holds a degree from Kinka University.
Mr. Kuo-Hsing Tseng has served as the Company’s Supervisor since May 2001. He is also the Chairman of Excellenca Venture Capital Investment Co., Ltd. and Taiwan Nano Electro-Optical Technology Co., Ltd., a Director of Chungyung Venture Capital and Investment International Inc., Rifull Venture Capital Co., Ltd., Prodisc Technology Inc., KF Development Venture Capital, Prodisc Technology Co., Ltd., AVE Network Co., Fu Tai Construction Co., Ltd., G-Tech Optoelectronics Corporation and Ritek Display Technology Inc. and a Supervisor of Hua Chi Venture Capital Co., Ltd. He also serves as the Vice President of Ritek Corporation. Before joining the Company, he served as the Vice President of the Investment Department of Ritek Corporation. Mr. Tseng holds a degree in accounting from National Cheng Kung University.
Ms. Yu-Chiu Tsai has served as the Company’s Supervisor since May 2001. He also serves as the Executive Vice President of Ritek Corporation. Before joining the Company, she served as the Chief Auditor of Ritek Corporation. Ms. Tsai holds a bachelor’s degree from Tamkang University.
Mr. Sheng-Ru Yang has served as the Company’s Executive Vice President since May 1997. He is also a Director of Gigastorage Corporation USA. Before joining the Company, he served as the manager of the Technology Department of China Glaze Co., Ltd. Mr. Yang holds a doctoral degree in material science and engineering from National Ching Hua University.
Ms. Shu-Hua Huang has served as the Company’s Vice President of the Sales Division since September 2001. She is also a Supervisor of Maxmax Group Corporation. Before joining the Company, she served as the assistant manager of the Marketing Department of Ritek Corporation. Ms. Huang holds a degree in German from Chinese Cultural University.
Mr. Chi-Jie Wu has served as the Company’s head of the Manufacturing Division since August 2002. Before joining the Company, he served as the engineer of the Electronic Packaging Technology Division of the Electronics and Service Organization of the Industrial Technology Research Institute. Mr. Wu holds a master’s degree in material science and engineering from National Cheng Kung University.
The business address of each of the Company’s Directors, Supervisors and Executive Officers is the Company’s registered office.
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MARKET PRICE OF THE SHARES
The Shares of the Company have been listed on the TSE since April 2000.
The following table sets out the high and low closing prices of the Company’s Shares on the TSE, adjusted for the effects of rights issues and stock dividends, and the high and low closing values of the TSE Index, for the periods indicated:
| 2000 . . . . . . . . Second Quarter (from April) Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 2001 . . . . . . . . First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 2002 . . . . . . . . First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 2003 . . . . . . . . First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter (through August 28) |
Price Share of the |
per Company Low (NT$) 50.5 24.1 9.7 9.0 17.7 9.0 13.0 15.3 11.5 8.9 8.1 7.8 5.9 14.2 |
TSE Index | TSE Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High (NT$) 117.0 54.5 22.6 34.9 32.1 27.4 19.5 20.3 22.9 12.6 11.9 10.2 18.8 18.0 |
High 10,186.17 8,585.52 6,353.67 6,104.24 5,608.50 4,886.86 5,551.24 6,242.64 6,462.30 5,416.50 4,823.67 5,141.57 5,088.54 5,686.85 |
Low | ||
| 8,120.89 6,185.14 4,614.63 4,894.79 4,768.55 3,493.78 3,446.26 5,488.33 5,071.76 4,185.95 3,850.04 4,240.60 4,044.73 5,017,78 |
Source: Bloomberg.
On August 28, 2003, the reported closing price of the Company’s Shares was NT$15.2 per Share and the TSE Index closed at 5,523.12.
There is no public market outside Taiwan for the Company’s Shares. The TSE has experienced fluctuations in the prices of listed securities and there are currently limits on the range of daily price movements.
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DIVIDENDS
All dividend payments are subject to a legally required minimum reserve. Dividends may be distributed either in cash, common stock or a combination of cash and common stock. The ratio between any cash dividend and stock dividend is proposed by the Board of Directors and determined by the shareholders at a shareholders’ meeting. Under the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, the Company may, after paying all income taxes in accordance with ROC law, recovering any past losses and deducting the Legal Reserve and special reserve, reserve the remaining portion of earnings or allocate the remaining portion of earnings (subject to proposal by the Board of Directors and approval by shareholders) as follows:
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(i) at least 5% as bonuses to employees;
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(ii) at least 2% as remuneration to directors and supervisors; and
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(iii) the remaining balance, if any, to shareholders as dividends (of which no less than 5% may be distributed in the form of cash).
Dividends are paid annually to shareholders usually within four months, in respect of both cash dividends and stock dividends, of shareholder approval being received. The dividends paid by the Company in respect of each of 2000, 2001 and 2002 are set out in the following table:
| Year 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Aggregate Number of Shares Issued(1) 42,000,000 22,909,000 — |
Cash Dividends Per Share (NT$) — — — |
Stock Dividends Per Share(2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (NT$) 3.0 1.0 — |
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(1) Aggregate number of Shares outstanding on the record date applicable to the dividend payment.
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(2) The Company expresses stock dividends as an NT dollar amount per Share. A holder of Shares receives as a stock dividend the number of Shares equal to the NT dollar amount per share of dividends declared multiplied by the number of Shares owned by the holder and divided by the par value of NT$10 per share. Fractional Shares are not issued but are paid in cash.
The dividend in respect of each previous financial year is usually declared in May or June each year, to be paid in July or August of such year. The dividend is recommended at the meeting of the Board of Directors scheduled to be held in either February or March of each year.
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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
The holders of 2% or more of the Company’s Shares as of April 29, 2003, as such holders appear on the register of shares of the Company, are as follows:
| Name Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kuo Chia-Fu Investment Co., Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CMC Magnetics Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Number of Shares Held 30,802,200 10,308,533 8,846,200 |
Percentage of Share Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 12.22% 4.09 3.51 |
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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Company from time to time has engaged in a variety of transactions with the Company’s affiliates. Its policy on transactions with affiliates is that these transactions will be conducted on terms substantially as favorable to the Company as the Company could obtain at the time in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a person other than an affiliate. Any material related party transactions, depending on the nature and size of the transaction, must be approved in writing by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company.
Ritek Corporation
The representative of Ritek Corporation, Mr. Chao-Feng Chang, is also the Company’s Chairman. The Company purchased from Ritek Corporation finished optical storage media products and raw material for such products in the amount of NT$337.3 million, NT$88.8 million (US$2.6 million) and NT$22.5 million (US$0.6 million), which accounted for 19.5%, 4.6% and 5.0% of the Company’s total cost of goods sold, in 2001, 2002 and the three months ended March 31, 2003, respectively.
Ritek Corporation purchased the Company’s optical storage media products for resale in the amount of NT$372.6 million, NT$21.9 million (US$0.6 million) and NT$16.7 million (US$0.5 million) in 2001, 2002 and the three months ended March 31, 2003, respectively.
Lead Data Inc.
One of the directors of Lead Data Inc. was appointed by the Company. Lead Data Inc. purchased the Company’s optical storage media products in the amount of NT$13.3 million, NT$16.7 million (US$0.5 million) and NT$47.6 million (US$1.4 million) in 2001, 2002 and the three months ended March 31, 2003, respectively.
Maxmax Group Corporation
We held 78.14% of the outstanding shares of Maxmax Group Corporation as of March 31, 2003. The Company sold optical storage media products to Maxmax Group Corporation in the amount of NT$22.2 million (US$0.6 million) and NT$31.1 million (US$0.9 million) in 2002 and the three months ended March 31, 2003, respectively.
Barnwell Enterprise Ltd.
Barnwell Enterprise Ltd. is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company sold optical storage media products to Barnwell Enterprise Ltd. in the amount of NT$26.6 million (US$0.8 million) in 2002.
Custer Inc.
Custer Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company sold optical storage media products to Custer Inc. in the amount of NT$80.6 million (US$2.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Gigastorage Corporation USA
Gigastorage Corporation USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and serves as the Company’s sales agent in the United States market. The Company sold its optical storage media products to its customers in the United States through Gigastorage Corporation USA. Gigastorage Corporation USA is the Company’s consolidated subsidiary and sales to such subsidiary are consolidated into the Company’s sales for the years of 2000, 2001 and 2002. Sales to Gigastorage Corporation USA, on an unconsolidated basis, amounted to NT$11.0 million (US$0.3 million) in the three months ended March 31, 2003.
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Prorit Corp.
Both of the Chairman of the Company and of Prorit Corp. were appointed by Ritek Corporation. The Company purchased from Prorit Corp. jewel cases for the Company’s optical storage media products in the amount of NT$14.9 million (US$0.4 million), which accounted for 3.3% of the total cost of goods sold of the Company, in the three months ended March 31, 2003.
Ritek Display Technology Inc.
Both of the Chairman of the Company and of Ritek Display Technology Inc. were appointed by Ritek Corporation. The Company purchased from Ritek Display Technology Inc. certain raw materials for optical storage media products in the amount of NT$50.5 million, which accounted for 2.9% of the total cost of goods sold of the Company, in 2001.
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CHANGES IN SHARE CAPITAL
The following table shows the changes in the issued share capital of the Company since March 1997:
| Record Date March 1997 . . . . July 1997 . . . . . . June 1998. . . . . . January 1999 . . . April 1999 . . . . . June 1999. . . . . . April 2000 . . . . . June 2000. . . . . . September 2001 . |
Number of Shares Issued 10,127,000 43,329,000 26,728,000 35,000,000 11,611,800 13,204,200 49,097,800 40,000,000 22,909,780 |
Type of Issue Share capital established Issuance of shares for cash Issuance of shares for cash Issuance of shares for cash Capitalization of retained earnings and employee stock bonus Issuance of shares for cash Capitalization of capital reserves and retained earnings and employee stock bonus Issuance of shares for cash Capitalization of capital reserves |
Number of Shares Outstanding After Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,127,000 53,456,000 80,184,000 115,184,000 126,795,800 140,000,000 189,097,800 229,097,800 252,007,580 |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE BONDS
The following is a description of the terms and conditions (subject to amendment and except for the sentences in italics) of the Bonds (the ‘‘Conditions’’), which includes summaries of, and is subject to, the more detailed provisions of the Indenture referred to below. Holders of the Bonds should read the Indenture in its entirety as it defines their rights and obligations as holders of the Bonds.
The issue of US$20,000,000 Zero Coupon Credit Enhanced Convertible Bonds Due 2008 (the ‘‘Bonds’’) of Gigastorage Corporation (the ‘‘Company’’) was authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors adopted on April 28, 2003. The Bonds will be issued pursuant to an indenture (the ‘‘Indenture’’) dated September 5, 2003 between the Company and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the ‘‘Trustee’’, which term shall include any successor trustee duly appointed under the Indenture) for the holders of the Bonds. The Company has entered into a paying and conversion agency agreement (the ‘‘Agency Agreement’’) dated September 5, 2003 with The Bank of New York, as the Trustee and the registrar and principal paying, conversion and transfer agent appointed thereunder. The Company may appoint further or other paying agents, conversion agents and transfer agents with the consent of the Trustee. The registrar, principal paying and conversion agent, paying agents, conversion agents, transfer agents and replacement agent for the time being are referred to below as the ‘‘Registrar’’, the ‘‘Principal Agent’’, the ‘‘Paying Agents’’ (which expression shall include the Principal Agent), the ‘‘Conversion Agents’’ (which expression shall include the Principal Agent), the ‘‘Transfer Agents’’ (which expression shall include the Registrar) and the ‘‘Replacement Agent’’, respectively, and they are collectively referred to below as the ‘‘Agents.’’ Copies of the Indenture and the Agency Agreement are available for inspection by holders of the Bonds during normal business hours at the principal office of the Trustee located on the date hereof at 101 Barclay Street, 21st Floor West, New York, N.Y. 10286 and at the specified offices of each of the Agents. The holders of the Bonds are entitled to the benefit of the Indenture and are bound by, and are deemed to have notice of, all of the provisions of the Indenture and the Agency Agreement.
The Company will also enter into a guarantee agreement (the ‘‘Guarantee Agreement’’) with Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd. (the ‘‘Letter of Credit Bank’’), providing for the issuance of an irrevocable standby letter of credit (the ‘‘Letter of Credit’’). The Letter of Credit will be issued on or prior to the Closing Date in favor of the Trustee for the benefit of holders of the Bonds with an initial face value of 100% of the principal amount of the Bonds at the time of issue and will be available for drawings according to the provisions of the Letter of Credit. The Letter of Credit does not support any other obligations of the Company under the Bonds, including the obligations described under ‘‘— Conversion’’ below, the obligations to make payments of ROC withholding tax, the obligation of the Company to make payments of any amount in excess of the principal amount of the Bonds upon the exercise of the Holders’ Put Right (as defined herein) or the obligation to pay default interest on the Bonds. See ‘‘Description of the Letter of Credit.’’
1. Status
The Bonds constitute direct, unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Company and rank pari passu without any preference or priority among themselves and, subject to the provisions of Condition 3, shall at all times rank at least equally with all other present and future direct, unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Company, except as may be required by mandatory provisions of law.
2. Form, Denomination and Title
(A) Form and Denomination
The Bonds shall be issued in registered form, without coupons, and shall be offered, sold and transferred in principal amounts of US$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof. The Bonds shall initially be represented by a global certificate (the ‘‘Global Certificate’’), and only under the limited circumstances described in the Global Certificate shall definitive bond certificates (each a ‘‘Definitive Certificate’’) be issued to holders of the Bonds in respect of their individual holdings. Each Definitive Certificate, if issued, shall be serially numbered and shall have an identifying number which shall be recorded on the relevant Certificate and in the register of holders of the Bonds, which the Company will procure to be kept by the Registrar.
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The Bonds will be represented by the Global Certificate deposited with, and registered in the name of a nominee of, The Bank of New York, as common depositary for Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg.
(B) Title
The Bonds shall be registered instruments, and title to the Bonds shall pass by transfer and registration of title in the register of holders of the Bonds. The holder of any Bond shall, except as otherwise required by law, be treated as its absolute owner for all purposes (whether or not it is overdue and regardless of any notice of ownership, trust or any interest in it or any writing on, or the theft or loss of, the Definitive Certificate issued in respect of it) and no person shall be liable for so treating the holder. In these Conditions, ‘‘holder of the Bonds’’ and ‘‘holder’’ in relation to a Bond mean the person in whose name a Bond is registered in the register of holders of the Bonds.
3. Certain Covenants
(A) Negative Pledge
So long as any of the Bonds remains outstanding (as defined in the Indenture), the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Principal Subsidiaries (as defined below) to, create or permit to be outstanding any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien or other form of encumbrance or security interest (‘‘Security’’) upon the whole or any part of the property, assets or revenues, present or future, of the Company or the Principal Subsidiary, as the case may be, to secure for the benefit of the holders of any International Investment Securities (as defined below) any payment of any sum due in respect of or under any guarantee of or any indemnity or other like obligation relating to any such International Investment Securities, unless, in any such case, at the same time or prior thereto, either (1) the same Security is granted to the holders of the Bonds or (2) there is outstanding any guarantee, indemnity or other like obligation or such other security that is not materially less beneficial to the holders of the Bonds or as shall be approved by holders of the Bonds holding not less than 50% of the principal amount of the outstanding Bonds.
For the purposes of these Conditions:
‘‘International Investment Securities’’ means bonds, debentures, notes, or other similar investment securities of the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries (as defined below) evidencing indebtedness with a maturity of not less than one year that (a) either (i) are by their terms payable, or confer a right to receive payment, in any currency other than NT dollars or (ii) are denominated or payable in NT dollars and more than 50% of the aggregate principal amount thereof is initially distributed outside the Republic of China (the ‘‘ROC’’) by the Company or with the authorization of the Company; and (b) are for the time being, or are capable of being, quoted, listed, ordinarily dealt in or traded on any stock exchange, quotation system or over-the-counter or other similar securities market outside the ROC.
‘‘Principal Subsidiary’’ means any corporation or other business entity more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock of which is for the time being owned directly or indirectly by the Company and either (a) the net sales or net operating revenues of which, as shown by the accounts (consolidated in the case of an entity which itself has subsidiaries) of such entity upon which the most recent audited consolidated accounts of the Company have been based, are at least 10% of the consolidated net sales or net operating revenues, as the case may be, of the Company as shown by such audited consolidated accounts; or (b) the gross assets of which, as shown by the aforementioned accounts, are at least 10% of the consolidated gross assets of the Company, as shown by such audited consolidated accounts.
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(B) Mergers and Disposals
The Company shall not merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into any other corporation or entity (if the Company is not the continuing entity) or sell or transfer all, or substantially all, of the Company’s assets, whether as a single transaction or a number of transactions, related or not, to any corporation, entity or person or to one or more members of any group under the common control of any corporation, entity or person unless:
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(i) the Company has notified the holders of the Bonds of such event in accordance with Condition 14;
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(ii) the Company and such corporation, entity or person have executed an indenture supplemental to the Indenture, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, and the supplemental indenture includes the following: (a) an express assumption by such corporation, entity or person of the obligations of the Company under the Bonds, the Indenture and the Agency Agreement, including the covenants contained in this Condition 3 relating to subsequent mergers, amalgamations, consolidations, sales or transfers; (b) provisions for the convertibility of each Bond then outstanding into the class and amount of shares and other securities, cash and other property receivable upon such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, sale or transfer by a holder of the number of Shares into which such Bonds would have been convertible immediately prior to such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, sale or transfer (assuming for such purpose that the Bonds were convertible at the time of such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, sale or transfer) at the Conversion Price (as defined in Condition 5(A)(iii)) as adjusted from time to time pursuant to the Indenture; and (c) provisions for adjustments to the Conversion Price that shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for in Condition 5; and
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(iii) immediately after giving effect to any such merger, no Event of Default (as defined in Condition 9) shall have occurred or be continuing or would result therefrom.
4. Transfers of Bonds; Issue of Certificates
(A) Transfers
A Bond may be transferred as follows: (i) in the case of a Bond represented by a Definitive Certificate, by depositing such certificate at the specified office of any Transfer Agent, with the form of transfer on the back of such certificate duly completed and signed, or (ii) in the case of a Bond represented by the Global Certificate, by delivery at such office of a form of transfer, duly completed and executed, and any other evidence that such Transfer Agent may reasonably require. In the case of a transfer of only part of a holding in respect of which a Definitive Certificate is issued, a new Definitive Certificate shall be issued to the transferee in respect of the part transferred and a further new Definitive Certificate in respect of the balance of the holding not transferred shall be issued to the transferor.
All transfers of the Bonds and entries on the register of holders of the Bonds shall be made subject to the detailed provisions concerning transfer of the Bonds set forth in the Agency Agreement. The provisions may be changed by the Company with the prior written approval of the Trustee and the Registrar. A copy of the current provisions shall be mailed, at the Company’s expense, by the Registrar to any holder of the Bonds upon written request.
The forms of transfer are available at the specified offices of any Transfer Agent during normal business hours. Transfers of interests in the Bonds evidenced by the Global Certificate shall be effected in accordance with the rules of Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg.
(B) Delivery of New Definitive Certificates
Each new Definitive Certificate to be issued upon transfer of the Bonds shall, within three Business Days (as defined below) of receipt by the Transfer Agent of the form of transfer, be mailed by uninsured mail at the risk of the holder entitled to the Bonds to the address specified in the form of transfer.
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Where some but not all the Bonds in respect of which a Definitive Certificate is issued are to be transferred, converted or redeemed, a new Definitive Certificate in respect of the Bonds not so transferred, converted or redeemed shall, within three Business Days of deposit or surrender of the original Definitive Certificate with or to the relevant Agent, be mailed by uninsured mail at the risk of the holder of the Bonds not so transferred, converted or redeemed to the address of such holder appearing on the register of holders of the Bonds.
For the purposes of this Condition 4:
‘‘Business Day’’ means a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks are open for business in the city in which the specified office of the Agent with whom a Definitive Certificate is deposited in connection with a transfer is located.
(C) Formalities Free of Charge
Registration of transfer of the Bonds shall be effected without charge by or on behalf of the Company or any of the Agents, subject to payment (and the giving of such indemnity as the Company or any of the Agents may require) in respect of any tax or other governmental charges which may be imposed in relation to it and the transfer shall not be effected unless and until the required payment described herein is made.
(D) Restricted Transfer Period
No holder of the Bonds may require the transfer of a Bond to be registered (i) during the period of 15 days ending on September 5, 2008, (ii) following selection of such Bond to be redeemed pursuant to Condition 7(B), (iii) following exercise by such holder of its option to require the Company to redeem such Bond pursuant to Condition 7(D) or (iv) following exercise by such holder of its option to convert such Bond pursuant to Condition 5(A) or Condition 5(E).
(E) Interest
The Bonds bear no interest, provided that any amount in respect of the Bonds that is not paid when due shall bear default interest at the rate specified in Condition 6(E).
5. Conversion
The Company will agree that, within five Trading Days (as defined below) from each Conversion Date (as defined in Condition 5(B)(i)), the Company will issue and deliver the Shares to the converting holder or its designee, subject to this Condition 5 and the provisions of the Indenture and the Agency Agreement relating to the conversion.
The Indenture provides that the term ‘‘Shares’’ means, when used to refer to the class or classes of the Company’s capital stock into which the Bonds are convertible and when used in certain other instances, only the Company’s common shares, NT$10 par value per share, but that when used elsewhere, including in Condition 5(C), such term also includes shares of any other class or classes of the Company’s capital stock authorized after the date of the Indenture that have no preference in respect of dividends or of amounts payable in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation or winding-up.
The Letter of Credit does not cover the obligations of the Company pursuant to the holders’ Conversion Right (as defined below) or any other obligations of the Company contained in this Condition 5.
(A) Conversion Right
(i) Conversion Period. Each holder of the Bonds has the right hereunder to convert any Bond into Shares subject to the terms set forth herein (the ‘‘Conversion Right’’). Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of this Condition 5, the Conversion Right attaching to any Bond may be exercised, at the option of the holder of the Bonds and to the extent provided herein, at any time (a) on or after October 6, 2003 and prior to the close of business (at the place where such Bond is deposited for conversion) on August 6, 2008 (or if such day shall not be a Business Day (as defined below), on the immediately preceding Business Day) (but in no event thereafter) or (b) if such Bond
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shall have been called for redemption prior to September 5, 2008 (or if such day shall not be a Business Day, on the immediately preceding Business Day), then up to the close of business (at the place aforesaid) on the seventh day prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof (or if such day shall not be a Business Day, on the immediately preceding Business Day or (c) if an event of default occurs, the Conversion Right attaching to a Bond shall continue to be exercisable in accordance with Condition 5(A)(iv) (the ‘‘Conversion Period’’); provided, however, that the Conversion Right during any Closed Period (as defined below) shall be suspended and the Conversion Period shall not include any such Closed Period.
For the purposes of these Conditions:
‘‘Closed Period’’ means (i) the 60-day period prior to the date of any of the Company’s annual general shareholders’ meetings; (ii) the 30-day period prior to the date of any of the Company’s extraordinary shareholders’ meetings; (iii) the period from the date following the third Trading Day (as defined below) prior to the date of notification to the Taiwan Stock Exchange (the ‘‘TSE’’) by the Company of the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to the receipt of dividends, subscription of new shares or other benefits and bonuses to such record date, and (iv) such other periods during which the Company may be required to close its stock transfer books or the conversion of the Bonds is not allowed under ROC laws and regulations applicable from time to time. The Company shall procure that holders of the Bonds are given timely (and if practicable timely prior) notice in accordance with Condition 14 of the commencement of any Closed Period.
‘‘Trading Day’’ means a day when the TSE is open for business.
For the purposes of this Condition 5 (except for Condition 5(E)):
‘‘Business Day’’ means a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which commercial banks are open for business in London and the city in which the specified office of the Conversion Agent with whom a Conversion Notice is deposited in connection with the conversion is located.
Under current ROC law, regulation and policy, PRC persons are not permitted to hold or convert the Bonds or to register as the Company’s shareholders. Under current ROC law, ‘‘PRC person’’ means an individual holding a passport issued by the PRC; a resident of any area of China under the effective control or jurisdiction of the PRC (but not including a special administrative region of the PRC such as Hong Kong or Macau, if so excluded by applicable laws of the ROC); any agency or instrumentality of the PRC; and any corporation, partnership or other entity organized under the laws of any such area or controlled or beneficially owned by any such person, resident, agency or instrumentality.
Under current ROC law, a non-ROC converting holder of the Bonds, when exercising its conversion right to convert the Bonds into Shares, is required to obtain investment approval either as a qualified foreign institutional investor (‘‘QFII’’) or general foreign investor (‘‘GFI’’) and to appoint a local agent in the ROC with such qualifications as are set by the ROC Securities and Futures Commission. Such local agent shall open a securities trading account with a local brokerage firm and a New Taiwan dollar bank account, act as custodian for the securities, pay ROC withholding taxes, make confirmation and settlement, remit funds, exercise shareholders’ rights and perform such other duties as may be designated by such converting holder of the Bonds on behalf of and as agent for such person. Without first obtaining the approval of the TSE on opening such accounts, the converting holder of the Bonds would not be able to hold or to sell or otherwise transfer the Shares on the TSE or otherwise. See ‘‘Appendix A — Foreign Investment and Exchange Controls in the ROC’’ and ‘‘Description of the Shares’’.
(ii) Number of Shares Issuable on Conversion. The number of Shares issuable upon conversion of any Bond shall be determined by dividing the principal amount of the Bond, translated into New Taiwan dollars at a fixed exchange rate of NT$34.21 = US$1.00 (the ‘‘Fixed Exchange Rate’’), by the Conversion Price (as defined in Condition 5(A)(iii)) in effect on the Conversion Date (as defined in Condition 5(B)(i)). If more than one Bond shall be deposited for conversion at any one time by the same holder of the Bonds, the number of Shares to be issued upon conversion thereof shall be calculated on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds so deposited. Fractions of Shares shall not be issued on conversion, and cash adjustments shall not be
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made in respect thereof by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a consolidation or reclassification of Shares by operation of law or otherwise, the Company shall upon conversion of the Bonds pay in US dollars a sum equal to such portion of the principal amount of the Bonds deposited for conversion as corresponds to any fraction of a Share not issued as aforesaid if such sum exceeds US$10. For the purpose of calculating the amount of such payment, the Company will use the Fixed Exchange Rate.
(iii) Initial Conversion Price. The price at which Shares shall be issued upon conversion (the ‘‘Conversion Price’’) shall initially be NT$15.8 per Share, but shall be subject to adjustment in the manner provided in Conditions 5(C), 5(D) and 5(E).
(iv) Revival on Default. Notwithstanding the provisions of Condition 5(A)(i), if an Event of Default (as defined in Condition 9) occurs, the Conversion Right attaching to a Bond shall continue to be exercisable up to and including the close of business (at the place where the relevant Conversion Notice (as defined in Condition 5(B)(i)) is deposited for conversion) on the date upon which (a) the full amount of the monies payable in respect of such Bond has been duly received by the Trustee or the Principal Agent and (b) notice of such receipt has been duly given to the holders of the Bonds.
(B) Conversion Procedures
(i) Exercise Procedures; Conversion Notice; Deposit Date; Conversion Date. To exercise the Conversion Right attaching to any Bond, a holder of the Bonds must deposit the following at its own expense between 9: 00 a.m. and 3: 00 p.m. on any Business Day during the Conversion Period at the specified office of a Conversion Agent outside the ROC at which the Bond is presented for conversion:
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(a) a notice of conversion (a ‘‘Conversion Notice’’) in duplicate, duly completed and signed, in the then current form obtainable from the specified office of any Conversion Agent, together with the relevant Definitive Certificate, if issued, in respect of the relevant Bonds;
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(b) any certificates and other documents as may be required under the law of the ROC or the jurisdiction in which such Conversion Agent shall be located; and
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(c) any amount to be paid by the holder of the Bonds as required by (ii) below.
Any Conversion Notice or Definitive Certificate, if issued, deposited with a Conversion Agent outside the hours specified above or on a day that is not a Business Day shall for all purposes be deemed to have been deposited with that Conversion Agent on the next Business Day. Any Conversion Notice or Definitive Certificate, if issued, deposited with a Conversion Agent during a Closed Period shall for all purposes be deemed to have been deposited with that Conversion Agent on the first Business Day after the end of such Closed Period. The Conversion Notice shall contain, among other things, (a) the identification of the status of the converting holder of the Bonds as QFII or GFI; (b) an appointment of a local agent; (c) an irrevocable instruction to convert the Bonds into Shares; and (d) any other information required by ROC laws and regulations. Once deposited, the Conversion Notice may not be withdrawn without the Company’s consent in writing. The price at which such Bond shall be converted shall be the Conversion Price in effect on the Conversion Date.
For the purposes of these Conditions:
‘‘Deposit Date’’ means the date on which any Definitive Certificate, if issued, in respect of a Bond and the duly signed and completed Conversion Notice, in duplicate, relating thereto are deposited with a Conversion Agent and the payments, if any, required to be paid by the holder of the Bond are made.
‘‘Conversion Date’’ means the first date following the Deposit Date which is a Trading Day not within a Closed Period.
(ii) Taxes and Expenses. As conditions precedent to the exercise of the Conversion Right attaching to any Bond, together with the delivery of the Conversion Notice, the holder of the Bond must pay to the relevant Conversion Agent all stamp, issue, registration and similar taxes and duties, if
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any, arising on conversion in the country in which the Bond is deposited for conversion or payable in any jurisdiction consequent upon the issue or delivery of Shares or any other property or cash upon conversion to or to the order of the converting holder of the Bond or any other person. Except as aforesaid, the Company will pay the expenses arising in the ROC on the issue of Shares upon conversion of the Bond and all charges of the Conversion Agents in connection therewith as provided in the Agency Agreement.
(iii) Holder of Record. With effect from the opening of business in the ROC on the Conversion Date, the Company will deem the converting holder of a Bond as indicated in the Conversion Notice to have become the holder of record of the number of Shares to be issued upon such conversion, disregarding any retroactive adjustment of the Conversion Price referred to below prior to the time such retroactive adjustment shall have become effective. At such time, subject to Condition 5(B)(iv), the rights of such converting holder of the Bonds with respect to the Bonds deposited for conversion shall cease, except with respect to rights arising under Condition 5(B)(v).
(iv) Delivery of Shares. On the Conversion Date, the Company shall register the converting holder of the Bonds or its designee in the Company’s register of shareholders as the owner of the number of Shares to be issued pursuant to Condition 5(B)(iii) upon conversion of such Bonds. Subject to any applicable limitations then imposed by ROC laws and regulations, in accordance with the request made in the relevant Conversion Notice, the Company shall deliver as soon as practicable, and in any event within five Trading Days from the Conversion Date, for the benefit of the converting holder of the Bonds, the following:
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(a) the relevant Shares, either through book-entry transfer to an account registered in the name of the converting holder or its designee at Taiwan Securities Central Depositary Co., Ltd. or its successor, or, to the extent permitted by law and at the election of the Company, through the delivery to the local agent appointed by the converting holder of the Bonds, one or more certificates for such Shares registered in the name of the converting holder or its designee;
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(b) any other property or cash (including, without limitation, cash payable pursuant to Condition 5(A)(ii)) required to be delivered upon conversion to the local agent appointed by the converting holder; and
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(c) such documents as may be required by law to effect the delivery of the relevant Shares, other property and cash to the local agent appointed by the converting holder.
(v) Retroactive Adjustment of Conversion Price. If (a) the Conversion Date in relation to any Bond shall be on or after a date with effect from which an adjustment to the Conversion Price takes retroactive effect pursuant to any of the provisions referred to in Condition 5(C) and the Indenture and (b) the relevant Conversion Date falls on a date when the relevant adjustment has not been reflected in the Conversion Price, the Company will, within 20 days after the date of such adjustment of the Conversion Price, issue and deliver to the local agent appointed by the converting holder of the Bond such number of Shares as is equal to the excess of (1) the number of Shares that would have been required to be issued on conversion of such Bond if the relevant retroactive adjustment had been made as of the said Conversion Date over (2) the number of Shares previously issued pursuant to such conversion; and in such event and in respect of such number of Shares, references in Conditions 5(B)(iii) and 5(B)(iv) to the Conversion Date shall be deemed to refer to the date upon which such retroactive adjustment becomes effective, disregarding the fact that it becomes effective retroactively. Fractions of Shares shall not be issued and no cash adjustment shall be made in respect thereof.
(vi) Dividend and Other Entitlement. The converting holder of a Bond shall be entitled to the Company’s annual dividend distributions if the Conversion Date falls prior to the third Trading Day before the Company’s notification to the TSE of the record date (and the relevant closure of the shareholders’ register) for determining the identity of shareholders who are entitled to such dividend distributions.
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(vii) Conversion Agents. The Company reserves the right, subject to the provisions of the Agency Agreement, at any time, to vary or terminate the appointment of any Conversion Agent and to appoint other Conversion Agents. Notice of any such termination or appointment and of any changes in the specified offices of the Conversion Agents shall be given promptly by the Company to the holders of the Bonds in accordance with Condition 14.
(C) Adjustments to Conversion Price
The Conversion Price shall be subject to adjustment in the manner set forth in the Indenture upon the occurrence of certain events set out in the Indenture, including:
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(i) the making of a free distribution of Shares, including distribution from retained earnings or capital reserve;
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(ii) subdivisions, consolidations or reclassifications of Shares;
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(iii) the declaration of a dividend in Shares;
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(iv) the issue of (a) securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares at less than the then Current Market Price (as defined below) or (b) options, rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Shares at less than the then Current Market Price or to subscribe for or purchase securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares at less than the then Current Market Price;
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(v) a Capital Distribution (as defined below) or other distribution to the holders of Shares of (a) evidences of the Company’s indebtedness, (b) the Company’s capital stock (other than Shares), (c) assets (other than regular annual and interim dividends in cash not constituting a Capital Distribution) or (d) options, rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase shares or securities (other than those mentioned in (iv) above);
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(vi) the issue of Shares (other than (a) Shares issued on conversion of the Bonds; (b) Shares issued to shareholders of any company that merges with the Company upon such merger in proportion to their shareholdings in such company immediately prior to such merger; and (c) Shares issued in any of the circumstances described above), including Shares issued in any employee dividend or employee profit-sharing arrangements, at less than the then Current Market Price; and
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(vii) any other event or circumstance that would have in the determination of the Company an effect analogous to any of the events in (i) to (vi) above.
No adjustment shall be made where such adjustment would be less than NT$1.00; but any adjustment that otherwise would be required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in determining any subsequent adjustment. Any adjustment shall be notified promptly by the Company to the holders of the Bonds in accordance with Condition 14.
As a result of any adjustment required by this Condition 5(C), the Conversion Price may be reduced to an amount below the par value of the Shares to the extent permitted by ROC law; provided that any Shares issued upon the conversion of a Bond at such reduced Conversion Price will be legally issued, fully-paid and non-assessable. The Company will covenant in the Indenture not to take any action that would reduce the Conversion Price to an amount below the par value of the Shares unless the Bonds could be converted at such reduced Conversion Price into legally issued, fully-paid and non-assessable Shares.
The Trustee shall not be obliged to monitor whether any event has occurred that might fall within (i) to (vii) above and shall assume that none has occurred until it has actual knowledge by way of express notice in writing from the Company to the contrary.
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For the purposes of these Conditions:
‘‘Capital Distribution’’ means any cash dividend, distribution of cash or distribution of assets in specie made by the Company for any fiscal year unless (and to the extent that): (a) it does not exceed (when taken together with all dividends or distributions by the Company of cash or assets previously made or paid in respect of all periods ending after December 31, 2002) 5% of market capitalization of the Company at the time of announcement of such dividend or distribution; (b) it does not exceed (when taken together with all other dividends or distributions by the Company of cash or assets charged or provided for in its accounts for that period) the aggregate amount of dividends (excluding stock dividends) and distributions on such class of capital charged or provided for in its accounts for the immediately preceding fiscal year; or (c) it comprises a purchase or redemption of capital stock of the Company; provided, in the case of a purchase of Shares by the Company, that the average price (before expenses) in any one day in respect of such purchases does not exceed by more than 5% of the Current Market Price either (i) on that day, or (ii) where an announcement has been made of the intention to purchase Shares at some future date at a specified price, on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of such announcement. In computing such amounts, the value of any dividends and distributions and adjustments as are in the opinion of the Company’s auditors appropriate to the circumstances shall be taken into account.
‘‘Closing Price’’ for any Trading Day means the last reported transaction price or, if no transaction takes place on such day, the last available reported transaction price of the Shares on the TSE in effect on the most recent Trading Day preceding such day on which a transaction has taken place or, if the Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on the TSE, the average of the closing bid and offered prices of Shares for such day as furnished by a leading independent securities firm licensed to trade on the TSE selected by the Company for the purpose.
‘‘Current Market Price’’ on any day means (a) the average of the Closing Prices for the 30 consecutive Trading Days commencing 45 Trading Days before such day and (b) when used with respect to any issuance or distribution, the average of the Closing Prices for the 30 consecutive Trading Days commencing not more than 45 Trading Days (with the commencement date selected by the Company with the consent of the Trustee) before the first date on which the Shares, without the right to receive such issuance or distribution, trade in a regular way on the TSE, other applicable securities exchange or any applicable securities market; provided, however, if no Closing Price is available for one or more Trading Days, such day or days shall be disregarded in any relevant calculation and shall be deemed not to have existed when ascertaining any period of consecutive Trading Days.
(D) Conversion Price Reset
If the Reset Reference Price (as defined below) for a Reset Date (as defined below), converted into US dollars at the Prevailing Rate (as defined below) for the 20 consecutive Trading Days immediately before the Reset Date, is less than the Conversion Price, converted into US dollars at the Fixed Exchange Rate, the Conversion Price shall be adjusted on the 60th day prior to each anniversary of the Closing Date (each, a ‘‘Reset Date’’) in accordance with the following formula:
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Any adjustment to the Conversion Price pursuant to this Condition 5(D) shall be subject to the following conditions:
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(i) the adjusted Conversion Price shall be rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest NT$0.01;
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(ii) any adjustments shall be limited so that the Conversion Price adjusted in accordance with this Condition 5(D) shall not be less than 80% of the initial Conversion Price (or if the initial Conversion Price has been adjusted to reflect any adjustments required under Condition 5(C) above that may have occurred prior to the relevant Reset Date, of such adjusted Conversion Price);
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(iii) the provisions of Condition 5(C) shall apply in a corresponding manner to this Condition 5(D) to ensure that appropriate adjustments shall be made to any Closing Price to reflect any adjustments made to the Conversion Price in accordance with Condition 5(C); and
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(iv) for the avoidance of doubt, (x) any adjustments to the Conversion Price made pursuant to this Condition 5(D) shall only be downward adjustments and (y) an adjustment may be made in respect of a subsequent Reset Date notwithstanding that an adjustment may have been made in respect of an earlier Reset Date.
For the purposes of these Conditions:
‘‘Prevailing Rate’’ for any period means the average of the last available buying rate for the purchase of US dollars against the sale of NT dollars quoted by Taipei Forex Inc. (or a replacement agency selected by the Company and approved by the Trustee) on each Trading Day (as defined in Condition 5(a)(i)) over such period; provided, however, if no buying rate is available for one or more Trading Days, such day or days shall be disregarded in any relevant calculation and shall be deemed not to have existed when ascertaining any period of consecutive Trading Days. Prevailing Rate is expressed as the number of NT dollars per US dollar.
‘‘Reset Reference Price’’, in relation to a Reset Date, means the average of the Closing Prices for the 20 consecutive Trading Days immediately before the Reset Date; provided, however, if no Closing Price is available for one or more Trading Days, such day or days shall be disregarded in any relevant calculation and shall be deemed not to have existed when ascertaining any period of consecutive Trading Days.
Any such adjustment shall become effective as of the Reset Date and shall be notified by the Company to the holders of the Bonds as soon as practicable in accordance with Condition 14. The Trustee shall not be obliged to monitor whether any event has occured that might fall under this Condition 5(D) and shall assume that none has occured until it has actual knowledge by way of express notice in writing from the Company to the contrary.
(E) Special Conversion Price Reset
The Company may, by giving the holders of the Bonds notice (which notice shall be irrevocable and published in accordance with Condition 14 and shall indicate the adjusted Conversion Price referred to below) as soon as practicable after each Special Reset Date (as defined below), offer the holders of the Bonds the option to convert their Bonds for a period of up to seven Business Days (as defined below), which period shall start on a day selected by the Company but end no later than twelve (12) Business Days prior to the applicable Holders’ Put Date (exclusive of such Holders’ Put Date), at 86.58% and 84.57%, respectively, of the applicable Special Reference Price (as defined below) on any or all of July 25, 2005 and July 25, 2006 (each a ‘‘Special Reset Date’’).
Any adjustments to the Conversion Price pursuant to this Condition 5(E) shall be subject to the following conditions:
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(i) the adjusted Conversion Price shall be rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest NT$0.01; and
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(ii) for the avoidance of doubt, (x) any adjustments shall only be temporary and the Conversion Price shall be reset to the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the Special Reset Date when the option to convert at the adjusted Conversion Price expires and (y) the option to convert at the adjusted Conversion Price may be granted in respect of a subsequent Special Reset Date notwithstanding that a similar one may have been granted in respect of an earlier Special Reset Date.
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For the purposes of these Conditions:
‘‘Special Reference Price’’ for a Special Reset Date means the lowest of the three averages of the Closing Prices for the 10, 15 and 20 consecutive Trading Days immediately before the Special Reset Date; provided, however, if no Closing Price is available for one or more Trading Days, such day or days shall be disregarded in any relevant calculation and shall be deemed not to have existed when ascertaining any period of consecutive Trading Days.
For the purposes of this Condition 5(E):
‘‘Business Day’’ means a day (other than a Saturday and Sunday) on which commercial banks are open for business in Taiwan.
6. Payments
(A) Manner of Payment
Payment in respect of a Bond shall be made (i) by wire transfer of immediately available, freely transferable funds to the registered account of the holder of the Bonds or (ii) if such holder does not have a registered account, by a US dollar check mailed to its registered address. Payments of principal, however, under a Bond represented by a Definitive Certificate shall only be made after surrender of the relevant Definitive Certificate at the specified office of an Agent.
References in these Conditions, the Indenture and the Agency Agreement to payment in respect of a Bond shall, where the context so permits, be deemed to include not only a reference to the principal but also to any premium (if any), interest (if any), Additional Amounts (as defined in Condition 8) (if any) and other amounts payable thereon.
(B) Registered Account and Address
The registered account and address of a holder of the Bonds means its account and address appearing on the register of holders of the Bonds at the close of business on the second Business Day (as defined below) before the due date for payment.
(C) Commissions and Expenses
All payments are subject in all cases to any applicable fiscal or other laws and regulations, but without prejudice to the provisions of Condition 8. No commissions or expenses shall be charged to the holders of the Bonds in respect of such payments.
(D) Date of Payment
Where payment is to be made by transfer to a registered account, payment instructions for value on the due date (or, if that date is not a Business Day (as defined below), for value on the next Business Day) shall be initiated. Where payment is to be made by check, the check shall be mailed on the due date for payment. Payment of principal in respect of a Bond represented by a Definitive Certificate, however, shall not be made earlier than the Business Day on which the relevant certificate is surrendered at the specified office of an Agent.
For the purposes of this Condition 6 (other than Condition 6(F)) and Condition 7, ‘‘Business Day’’ means a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which commercial banks are open for business in The City of New York, in London, in Taiwan and, in the case of the surrender of a Definitive Certificate, in the place where the Definitive Certificate is surrendered.
(E) Default Interest and Payment Delay
If the Company fails to pay any sum in respect of the Bonds when the same becomes due and payable under these Conditions, interest shall accrue on the overdue sum at the rate of 5% per annum from the due date and ending on the date that the Trustee determines to be the date on and after which payment is to be made to the holders of the Bonds in respect thereof (both dates inclusive) as stated in
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a notice given to the holders of the Bonds in accordance with Condition 14. Such default interest shall accrue on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed and a 360-day year consisting of 12 months of 30 days each.
The Letter of Credit dose not support the Company’s obligation to pay default interest. See ‘‘Description of the Letter of Credit’’.
Holders of the Bonds shall not be entitled to any interest or other payment for any delay after the due date in receiving the amount due caused by the fact that (i) the due date is not a Business Day, (ii) the holder of the Bonds is late in surrendering its Definitive Certificate (if required to do so) or (iii) a check mailed in accordance with this Condition 6 arrives after the due date for payment.
(F) The Letter of Credit
Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd. (the ‘‘Letter of Credit Bank’’) has committed to issue the Letter of Credit to the Trustee for the benefit of the holders of the Bonds under the Guarantee Agreement dated on or prior to September 5, 2003. The Letter of Credit is intended to provide a source of funds for payment of the principal of the Bonds upon the Company’s failure to pay such principal amounts at maturity or upon the Bonds being declared due and payable on the occurrence of an Event of Default pursuant to the Conditions of the Bonds.
The Letter of Credit does not support any other obligations of the Company under the Bonds, including the obligations described under ‘‘— Conversion’’ above, the obligations to make payments of ROC withholding tax, the obligation of the Company to make payments for any amount in excess of the principal amount of the Bonds upon the exercise of the Holders’ Put Right (as defined herein) or the obligation to pay default interest on the Bonds. See ‘‘Description of the Letter of Credit.’’
The amount under the Letter of Credit is drawable by the Trustee on behalf of the holders of the Bonds, upon the presentation of, inter alia, a certificate from the Trustee to the effect that (a) the Company has failed to pay the principal amount of the Bonds (i) within three days after an acceleration of the Bonds pursuant to an Event of Default described in the Condition 9 of the Bonds (other than any of the events specified in clauses (vi), (vii) and (viii) in Condition 9 of the Bonds) has occurred, or (ii) within seven days after the maturity date of the Bonds or (b) the Bonds become immediately due and payable at their principal amount upon the occurance of any of the events specified in clauses (vi), (vii) and (viii) in Condition 9 of the Bonds, as applicable. Each drawing on the Letter of Credit will be payable in immediately available funds to an account of the Trustee in The City of New York on the second Business Day by no later than 10: 00 a.m., New York time, following presentation in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit.
‘‘Business Day’’ for this Condition 6(F) shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or a day on which banking institutions in Taipei, The City of New York or London are authorized or required to close.
7. Redemption, Repurchase and Cancellation
(A) Redemption at Maturity
Unless previously redeemed, repurchased and cancelled, or converted as herein provided, the Company will redeem the Bonds at their principal amount in US dollars on September 5, 2008 (‘‘Maturity Date’’) or if such day shall not be a Business Day, on the immediately preceding Business Day. The Bonds may be redeemed prior to that date only as provided in Condition 7(B), (C) and (D) below, but without prejudice to Condition 9.
(B) Redemption at the Option of the Company
On or at any time after March 5, 2004 and prior to September 5, 2008, the Company may, having given not less than 30 or more than 60 days’ notice to the holders of the Bonds (which notice shall be irrevocable and given in accordance with Condition 7(G) and Condition 14), redeem the Bonds in whole, or from time to time in part (being US$1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof), at their principal amount; provided, however, that no such redemption may be made unless
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the Closing Price (as defined in Condition 5(C)) of the Shares, translated into US dollars at the Prevailing Rate (as defined in Condition 5(D)) on the same day, for each of the 20 Trading Days with in a period of 30 consecutive Trading Days, is at least 125% of the Conversion Price then in effect, translated into US dollars at the Fixed Exchange Rate. If an event giving rise to a change in the Conversion Price occurs during any such 30 consecutive Trading Day period, appropriate adjustments for the relevant days shall be made for the purpose of calculating the Closing Price for such days.
At any time, the Company may, having given not less than 30 or more than 60 days’ notice to the holders (which notice shall be irrevocable and given in accordance with Condition 7(G) and Condition 14), redeem the Bonds in whole, but not in part, at their principal amount if at least 90% in principal amount of the Bonds has already been converted, redeemed or repurchased and cancelled.
(C) Redemption for Taxation Reasons
At any time but not if notice of redemption under Condition 7(B) has already been given to the holders of the Bonds, the Company may, having given not less than 30 or more than 60 days’ notice to the holders of the Bonds (which notice shall be irrevocable and given to holders of the Bonds in accordance with Condition 7(G) and Condition 14), redeem the Bonds in whole, but not in part, at their principal amount, provided that the Company satisfies the Trustee immediately prior to the giving of such notice that:
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(i) the Company has or shall become obliged to pay Additional Amounts (as defined in Condition 8) as a result of any change in, or amendment to, the laws or regulations of the ROC or any political subdivision or any authority thereof or therein having power to tax, or any change in the general application or official interpretation of such laws or regulations, that would require it to gross up for payments of principal or to gross up for payments of interest or premium (if any) at a rate exceeding 20%; and
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(ii) such obligation cannot be avoided by the Company taking reasonable measures available to it.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such notice of redemption shall be given earlier than 90 days prior to the earliest date on which the Company would be obliged to pay such Additional Amounts.
Prior to the publication of any notice of redemption pursuant to this Condition 7(C), the Company will deliver to the Trustee (a) a certificate signed by two of the Company’s authorized officers stating that the obligation to pay Additional Amounts (1) exists, (2) cannot be avoided by the Company taking reasonable measures available to it and (3) will require payment of Additional Amounts within 90 days of the proposed notice of redemption, and (b) an opinion addressed to the Trustee by an independent law firm of recognized standing admitted to practice in the ROC or written advice of a qualified tax expert to the effect that the Company has or will become obligated to pay Additional Amounts, and the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such certificate and opinion or advice as sufficient and conclusive evidence of the fulfillment of the conditions precedent referred to in Condition 7(C), in which event it shall be conclusive and binding on the holders of the Bonds. The Bonds in respect of which a notice of redemption has been given under Condition 7(B) or 7(D) shall not be affected by any notice given subsequently under this Condition 7(C).
(D) Redemption at the Option of the Holders
Each holder of the Bonds shall have the right (‘‘Holders’ Put Right’’), at such holder’s option, to require the Company to redeem Bonds held by such holders in whole, or in part only (being US$1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof), on September 5, 2005 at 105% of the principal amount and on September 5, 2006 at 107.5% of the principal amount (each of September 5, 2005 and September 5, 2006, a ‘‘Holders’ Put Date’’). The Company will provide sufficient information to the Trustee in sufficient time in accordance with the Indenture to permit the Trustee, within not less than 30 or more than 60 days prior to each Holders’ Put Date, to give notice to the holders (which notice shall be given in accordance with Condition 7(G) and Condition 14), informing them of their Holders’ Put Right.
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The amount by which the redemption price payable upon exercise of the Holders’ Put Right exceeds 100% of the principal amount of the Bonds is not covered by the Letter of Credit. See ‘‘Description of the Letter of Credit’’.
(E) Repurchase and Cancellation
The Company may at any time and from time to time repurchase the Bonds in the open market or otherwise at any price. The Company may surrender any Bonds so repurchased to the Principal Paying Agent for cancellation or may hold or resell such Bonds subject to applicable laws.
(F) Cancellation
All Bonds that are redeemed, repurchased or converted and surrendered to any Agent shall forthwith be cancelled. In the case of Bonds represented by Definitive Certificates, certificates in respect of all Bonds cancelled shall be forwarded to or to the order of the Principal Agent. Cancelled Bonds may not be reissued or resold.
- (G) Redemption Procedures
In the event that the Company shall be required to deliver a notice to the holders of the Bonds under this Condition 7, the Company will provide sufficient information to the Trustee in sufficient time to permit the Trustee to give notice to each holder of the Bonds in accordance with Condition 14, which notice shall state, as applicable:
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(A) the Holders’ Put Date;
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(B) the date by which the Put Notice (as defined below) must be given by the holder;
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(C) the redemption price of a Bond at the Holders’ Put Date and the method by which such redemption price will be paid;
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(D) the names and addresses of all Paying Agents and Conversion Agents;
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(E) the Conversion Price then in effect;
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(F) the procedures that holders must follow and the requirements that holders must satisfy in order to exercise their Holders’ Put Right and Conversion Right; and
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(G) that a Put Notice, once validly given, may not be withdrawn.
To exercise its Holders’ Put Right, a holder must deliver a written irrevocable notice of the exercise of such right (a ‘‘Put Notice’’) in the form obtainable from any of the Agents, to any Paying Agent on any Business Day that is not fewer than ten (10) Business Days prior to the Holders’ Put Date. Payment of the redemption price upon exercise of the Holders’ Put Right attaching to any Bond represented by a Definitive Certificate for which a Put Notice has been delivered is conditioned upon the delivery of such Definitive Certificate (together with any necessary endorsements) to any Paying Agent on any Business Day together with the delivery of such Put Notice and shall be made promptly following the later of the Holders’ Put Date and the time of delivery of such Definitive Certificate. If the Paying Agent holds on a Holders’ Put Date money sufficient to pay the redemption price for a Bond for which a Put Notice has been delivered, then, whether or not Definitive Certificates representing such Bond have been delivered to the Paying Agent, on and after such Holders’ Put Date (i) such Bond shall cease to be outstanding; (ii) the interest, if any, on such Bond shall cease to accrue; (iii) such Bond shall be deemed paid; and (iv) all other rights of the holder shall terminate, other than the right to receive the redemption price.
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(H) Partial Redemption
In the case of a redemption of less than all of the Bonds then outstanding pursuant to Condition 7(B), the Bonds to be redeemed will be selected individually by lot by the Principal Agent, in such place as the Trustee shall approve and in such manner as the Trustee shall deem to be appropriate and fair, not more than 70 days or less than 20 days prior to the date fixed for redemption.
8. Taxation
All payments of principal, interest, if any, premium, if any, and any other amounts by the Company shall be made free and clear of and without any deduction or withholding for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by or on behalf of the government of the ROC or any authority thereof or therein having power to tax. In respect of any such deduction or withholding from any such payment, the Company will pay such additional amounts (‘‘Additional Amounts’’) as will result in the receipt by the holders of the Bonds of the amounts that would have been receivable in the absence of any such deduction or withholding, except that no Additional Amounts shall be payable in respect of any Bond:
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(i) to, or on behalf of, a holder who is subject to such taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges in respect of such Bond by reason of such holder being connected with the ROC otherwise than merely by holding such Bond or by the receipt of principal, interest, if any, or premium, if any, in respect of the Bond; or
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(ii) if the Definitive Certificate, if issued, in respect of such Bond is presented for payment more than 30 days after the Relevant Date (as defined below) except to the extent that the holder would have been entitled to such additional amount on surrendering the relevant certificate for payment on the last day of such 30-day period.
For the purposes of this Condition 8:
‘‘Relevant date’’ in relation to any Bonds means (a) the due date for payment in respect thereof, or (b) if the full amount of the monies payable on such due date has not been received by the Trustee or the Principal Agent on or prior to such due date, the date on which notice is duly given to the holders of the Bonds that such monies have been so received.
References in these Conditions to principal, interest, if any, premium, if any, and any other amounts shall be deemed also to refer to any Additional Amounts that may be payable in respect thereof under this Condition 8.
The Letter of Credit does not support the obligations of the Company to pay Additional Amounts or to make payments to the ROC government of any ROC withholding or other tax, duty, assessment or charge.
9. Events of Default
The Trustee at its discretion may, and if so requested in writing by the holders of the Bonds of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding shall, give notice in writing to the Company that the Bonds are immediately due and payable, if any of the following events (each, an ‘‘Event of Default’’) shall have occurred and be continuing; provided, however, that if any of the events specified in clauses (vi), (vii) and (viii) shall have occurred, the Bonds shall forthwith become immediately due and payable at their principal amount with the overdue interest payable, if any, in accordance with Condition 6(E), without regard to the giving of any such notice:
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(i) the Company fails to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, any of the Bonds within seven days after the same becomes due and payable or fails to pay any other amount due on the Bonds within 15 days after the same shall become due and payable; or
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(ii) the Company fails to deliver Shares as and when such Shares are required to be delivered upon the conversion of the Bonds, which failure is not remedied within five Trading Days; or
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-
(iii) the Company defaults in performance or observance of or compliance with any of the Company’s other obligations on the Bonds or under the Indenture, which default is incapable of remedy or, if in the opinion of the Trustee such default is capable of remedy, such default is not remedied within 30 days after written notice of such default shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee; or
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(iv) (a) any other present or future indebtedness of the Company or any of the Company’s Principal Subsidiaries (as defined in Condition 3(A)) for or in respect of monies borrowed becomes due and payable prior to its stated maturity by reason of an event of default (howsoever described), or any such indebtedness is not paid when due or, as the case may be, within any applicable grace period originally provided for or (b) the Company or any of the Company’s Principal Subsidiaries fails to pay when due any amount payable by the Company or such Principal Subsidiary under any present or future guarantee or indemnity or arrangement or obligation having a like or similar effect (howsoever described) for any monies borrowed by any person; provided that the aggregate amount of the relevant indebtedness or amounts payable in respect of which one or more events mentioned above in this paragraph (iv) have occurred and is continuing equals or exceeds US$5,000,000 or its equivalent in any other currency (determined as provided below); or
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(v) any person entitled to the benefit thereof shall institute legal proceedings to enforce any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien or other encumbrance upon the whole or any material part of the assets, property or revenues of the Company or those of any of its Principal Subsidiaries, unless the Company or such Principal Subsidiary, as the case may be, are contesting such proceedings in good faith by appropriate legal proceedings and have established reserves adequate in the Company’s judgment with respect thereto; or
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(vi) a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction shall have been entered (a) adjudging the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries bankrupt or insolvent, or (b) approving a petition seeking the Company’s reorganization or that of any of its Principal Subsidiaries under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization law, or (c) for the appointment of a receiver or liquidator or trustee or assignee in bankruptcy or insolvency of, or all or substantially all of the business or assets of, or for the winding-up or liquidation of the affairs of, the Company, such Principal Subsidiary or any of the Company’s other Principal Subsidiaries; or
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(vii) (a) an effective resolution shall be passed for the winding-up or liquidation of the Company or that of any of its Principal Subsidiaries, or (b) the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries shall institute proceedings to be adjudicated as a voluntary bankrupt, or shall consent to the filing of a bankruptcy proceeding against it, or shall file a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or arrangement under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization law, or shall consent to the filing of any such petition, or shall consent to the appointment of a receiver or liquidator or trustee or assignee in bankruptcy or insolvency of the Company or such Principal Subsidiary or of all or substantially all of its business or assets, or shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or (c) any corporate action shall be taken by the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries in furtherance of any of the aforesaid purposes; or
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(viii) proceedings shall have been initiated against the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or reorganization law and such proceedings shall not have been discharged or stayed within a period of 90 days; or
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(ix) it is or will become unlawful for the Company to perform or comply with one or more of its obligations under any of the Bonds, the Indenture or the Agency Agreement; or
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(x) any event occurs that under the laws of the ROC has an effect analogous to any of the events referred to in the foregoing paragraphs.
Upon any such notice being given to the Company, the Bonds shall immediately become due and payable at their principal amount with the overdue interest, if any, payable in accordance with Condition 6(E).
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For the purposes of clause (iv) above, any indebtedness that is in a currency other than US dollars shall be translated into US dollars at the spot rate for the sale of US dollars against the purchase of the relevant currency quoted by any leading bank in the relevant market selected by the Trustee on any day when the Trustee requests such a quotation for such purposes. If no direct spot rate is available, a rate shall be calculated by reference to the cross-rates through US dollars of the relevant currencies.
For the purposes of this Condition 9:
‘‘Principal Subsidiary’’ means any corporation or other business entity more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock of which is for the time being owned directly or indirectly by the Company and either (a) the net sales or net operating revenues of which, as shown by the accounts (consolidated in the case of an entity which itself has subsidiaries) of such entity upon which the most recent audited consolidated accounts of the Company have been based, are at least 10% of the consolidated net sales or net operating revenues, as the case may be, of the Company as shown by such audited consolidated accounts; or (b) the gross assets of which, as shown by the aforementioned accounts, are at lease 10% of the consolidated gross assets of the Company, as shown by such audited consolidated accounts.
10. Prescription
Claims in respect of payment of the Bonds will be prescribed unless made within six years from the relevant date of payment in respect thereof.
Under ROC law, claims in respect of the (i) payment of principal would become unenforceable after 15 years and (ii) payment of interest would become unenforceable after 5 years, each measured from the relevant date for payment in respect thereof.
11. Enforcement
At any time after the Bonds shall have become due and payable, the Trustee may, at its discretion and without further notice, take such proceedings against the Company as it may think fit to enforce payment in respect of the Bonds, including any premium and interest, and to enforce the provisions of the Indenture; provided, however, that the Trustee shall not be bound to take any such proceedings unless (a) it shall have been so requested in writing by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding and (b) it shall have been indemnified or secured to its satisfaction. No holder of the Bonds shall be entitled to proceed directly against the Company, unless (x) the Trustee, having become bound to take proceedings against the Company, fails to do so and such failure shall have continued for a period of 60 days and (y) no direction inconsistent with the Trustee taking such proceedings has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding.
12. Meetings of Bondholders, Modification and Waiver
(A) Meetings
The Indenture contains provisions for convening meetings of holders of the Bonds to consider any matter affecting their interests, including the approval of certain amendments or modifications of these Conditions or the provisions of the Indenture upon either the written consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding or the approval at a meeting of holders duly called by persons entitled to vote not less than a majority in principal amount of the Bonds then outstanding, with a quorum of two or more persons holding or representing over 50% (or 25% in the case of a meeting adjourned for lack of quorum) in principal amount of the Bonds for the time then outstanding; provided that no such modification may, without the consent of each holder of the Bonds affected thereby:
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(i) modify the Maturity Date or a redemption date of any Bonds (as fixed in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture);
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(ii) reduce the principal, redemption price of, the rate of interest, if any, on, any Bond or increase the Conversion Price (as adjusted in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture);
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-
(iii) change the place or currency of payment of principal and redemption price of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, any Bond or the method of calculating any such payment;
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(iv) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on any Bond;
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(v) alter the Company’s obligations relating to the payment of Additional Amounts as described in Condition 8;
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(vi) except to the extent permitted by Condition 12(B) below, modify, cancel or adversely affect in any material respect the Conversion Right or Holders’ Put Right;
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(vii) reduce the percentage or aggregate principal amount of outstanding Bonds the consent of whose holders is necessary for modification, amendment or waiver of compliance with provisions of the Indenture or waiver of Defaults under the Indenture; or
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(viii) modify the provisions concerning the voting and quorum required at any meeting of holders of the Bonds.
(B) Modification of Conversion Right
Notwithstanding Condition 12(A) above, the Trustee may agree to, without the consent of the holders of the Bonds, any modification to the Conversion Rights that (i) is in the Trustee’s opinion necessary or desirable to effect or facilitate conversion as contemplated in these Conditions and (ii) is not materially adverse to the interests of the holders of the Bonds. The Trustee’s agreement may be subject to any condition which the Trustee requires, including but not limited to the delivery of an opinion of a financial or legal or other expert at the Company’s expense, and shall be binding on all holders of the Bonds. Unless the Trustee agrees otherwise, any such modification shall be notified by the Company to the holders of the Bonds as soon as practicable thereafter in accordance with Condition 14.
(C) Other Modifications and Waivers
The Trustee may also agree to, without the consent of the holders of the Bonds, (i) any modification of, or the waiver or authorization of any breach or proposed breach of, the Bonds or the Indenture that is not, in the Trustee’s opinion, materially adverse to the interests of the holders of the Bonds or (ii) any modification of the Bonds or the Indenture that, in the Trustee’s opinion, is of a formal, minor or technical nature or is necessary or appropriate to correct an error, defect or ambiguity in the Indenture, these Conditions or the Bonds or to comply with mandatory provisions of law. In connection with such modification, waiver or authorization, the Trustee may require, at the sole expense of the Company, a certificate from the Company certifying, and a legal opinion advising the Trustee, that the modification, waiver or authorization complies with the requirements of the Indenture. Any such modification, waiver or authorization shall be binding on the holders of the Bonds. Unless the Trustee agrees otherwise, any such modification waiver or authorization shall be notified by the Company to the holders of the Bonds as soon as practicable thereafter in accordance with Condition 14.
(D) Exercise of Trustee’s Functions
In connection with the exercise of its functions, including but not limited to those in relation to any proposed modification, authorization or waiver, the Trustee shall have regard to the interests of the holders of the Bonds as a class and shall not have regard to the consequences of such exercise for individual holders of the Bonds (whatever their number) and, in particular but without limitation, shall not have regard to the consequences of the exercise of its trusts, powers, authorities or discretion for individual holders of the Bonds (whatever their number) resulting from their being for any purpose domiciled or resident in, or otherwise connected with, or subject to, the jurisdiction of any particular territory. The Trustee shall not be entitled to require from the Company, nor shall any holder of the Bonds be entitled to claim from the Company or the Trustee, in the case of a claim by a holder, any indemnification or payment in respect of any tax consequences of any such exercise upon individual holders of the Bonds.
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13. Replacement of Certificates
The Indenture includes provisions for the replacement of any mutilated, defaced, destroyed, stolen or lost Definitive Certificate at the specified offices of the Registrar and Paying Agents. The main provisions include the following:
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(i) replacement certificates shall only be issued upon payment by the claimant of such costs as may be incurred in connection therewith and on such terms as to evidence and indemnity to the satisfaction of the Company and the Registrar;
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(ii) mutilated or defaced certificates must be surrendered before replacements will be issued; and
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(iii) in the event any Bonds represented by a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Definitive Certificate has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in the Company’s discretion may, instead of issuing a new Definitive Certificate representing such Bonds, make payment as consideration for the cancellation of the Bonds represented thereby in accordance with these Conditions.
14. Notices
All notices to holders of the Bonds shall be validly given if made in writing in English and mailed to them at their respective addresses in the register of holders of the Bonds maintained by the Registrar.
Any such notice shall be deemed to have been given on the seventh day after being so mailed.
15. Indemnification
The Indenture contains provisions for the indemnification of the Trustee and for its relief from responsibility, including provisions relieving it from taking proceedings to enforce payment unless indemnified.
16. Agents
The Company reserves the right, subject to the provisions of the Agency Agreement, at any time to vary or terminate the appointment of Agents. Notice of any such termination or appointment, of any changes in the specified offices of the Agents, or of any change in the identity or specified office of any Conversion Agent, Paying Agent or Transfer Agent shall be given promptly by the Company to the holders of the Bonds in accordance with Condition 14.
17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
- (A) Governing Law
The Indenture, the Agency Agreement and the Bonds are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(B) Jurisdiction
The courts of the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and the federal courts of the United States sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, are to have jurisdiction to settle any disputes which may arise out of or in connection with the Bonds and accordingly any legal action or proceedings arising out of or in connection with the Bonds may be brought in such courts. The Company has in the Indenture irrevocably submitted to the jurisdiction of such courts.
- (C) Agent for Service of Process
The Company has irrevocably appointed CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10011, United States of America as its agent in the State of New York to receive service of process in any proceedings in the State of New York based on any of the Bonds.
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THE GLOBAL CERTIFICATE
Capitalized terms used in this section and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings given to them in ‘‘Description of the Bonds’’.
The Global Certificate
The Global Certificate will be deposited with, and registered in the nominee name of, a common depositary for Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg (the ‘‘Common Depositary’’). Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg will credit their respective account holders with the respective principal amounts of the individual interests represented by the Global Certificate. Such accounts will be designated initially by or on behalf of the Manager. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Global Certificate will be limited to persons who have accounts with Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg, or persons who hold interests through such account holders. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Global Certificate will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, the records maintained by Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg (with respect to interests of their respective account holders) and the records of such account holders (with respect to interests of persons with beneficial interests in the Global Certificate other than such account holders).
Payments in respect of the Global Certificate will be made to the Common Depositary or its nominee as the registered owner thereof. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Common Depositary, the Registrar, the Principal Paying Agent, the Paying Agents, any custodian, any transfer agent or any other agent will have any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of any of the records relating to, or payments made on account of, ownership interests in the Global Certificate or for any notice permitted or required to be given to persons with beneficial interests in the Global Certificate or any consent given or actions taken by such persons. The Company expects that upon receipt of any payment in respect of the Global Certificate representing any Bonds held by it or its nominee, Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg, or their nominees, will promptly credit the accounts of the participants of Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg with payments proportionate to their respective interests in the amount of the principal of the Global Certificate as shown on the records of Euroclear and Clearsteams, Luxembourg, or their nominees.
Transfers between account holders in Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg will be effected in accordance with their respective rules and operating procedures.
The laws of certain jurisdictions require that certain purchasers of the Bonds take physical delivery of such Bonds in definitive form. Accordingly, the ability of beneficial owners to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in the Global Certificate may be limited by such laws.
Conversion through participants in Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg will be effected in the ordinary way in accordance with their respective rules and operating procedures.
Although Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg have agreed to the foregoing procedures in order to facilitate transfers of interests in the Global Certificate among participants and account holders of Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg, they are under no obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures, and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Common Depositary, the Registrar, the Principal Paying Agent, the Paying Agents, any custodian, any transfer agent, any registrar or any other agent will have any responsibility for the performance by Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg, or their respective participants, indirect participants or account holders, of their respective obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations.
Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg each holds the Bonds for participating organizations and facilitates the clearance and settlement of Bond transactions between its respective participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of such participants. Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg provide to their respective participants, among other things, services for safekeeping, administration, clearance and settlement of internationally traded securities and securities lending and borrowing. Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg participants are financial institutions throughout the world, including underwriters, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. Indirect access to Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg is also available to others, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies which clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg participant, either directly or indirectly.
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Definitive Certificate
The Company will issue Definitive Certificate in registered form in exchange for the Global Certificate if:
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(i) the Common Depositary or any successor to the Common Depositary notifies the Company in writing that it is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary and a successor depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days, or
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(ii) either Euroclear or Clearstream, Luxembourg or a successor clearing system is closed for business for a continuous period of 14 days (other than by reason of holidays, statutory or otherwise) or announces an intention permanently to cease business or does in fact do so, or
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(iii) an event of default under the Bonds or the Indenture has occurred and is continuing.
Upon receipt of such notice from Euroclear, Clearstream, Luxembourg or the Registrar, as the case may be, the Company will make arrangements for the exchange of interests in the Global Certificate for Definitive Certificates representing individual Bonds and cause such Definitive Certificates to be executed and delivered to the Registrar in sufficient quantities and authenticated by the Trustee for delivery to the holders of the Bonds. Each person exchanging interests in the Global Certificate for one or more of these Definitive Certificates will be required to provide to the Trustee, through the relevant clearing system, written instructions and other information required by the Company and the Trustee to complete, execute and deliver the relevant certificates. Any Definitive Certificates delivered in exchange for the Global Certificate or beneficial interests therein will be registered in the names requested, and issued in any denominations approved, by the relevant clearing system.
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EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION
Fluctuations in the exchange rate between NT dollars and US dollars will affect the US dollar equivalent of the NT dollar price of the Shares on the TSE and, as a result, are likely to affect the market price of the Bonds.
Set forth below are the period-end spot exchange rates in effect between the NT dollar and the US dollar, expressed in NT dollars per US dollar, for the period indicated.
The following table sets forth the average, high, low and period-end Noon Buying Rates between NT Dollars and US Dollars (in NT Dollars per US Dollar) for the periods indicated. No representation is made that the NT Dollar amounts actually represent such US Dollar amounts or could have been, or could be, converted into US Dollars at the rate indicated, at any other rate or at all.
| 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August (through August 27) . . . . . . . . . . . . |
NT | Dollars/US Dollar Noon Buying Rate | Dollars/US Dollar Noon Buying Rate | Dollars/US Dollar Noon Buying Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average 33.55 32.32 31.26 33.82 34.75 34.57 34.73 34.72 34.82 34.70 34.63 34.39 31.07 |
High 35.00 33.40 33.20 35.13 34.79 34.76 34.82 34.80 34.98 34.85 34.70 34.58 34.47 |
Low 32.05 31.39 30.48 32.23 34.70 34.40 34.61 34.58 34.79 34.60 34.52 34.25 34.13 |
Period End | |
| 32.27 31.39 33.17 35.00 34.70 34.61 34.78 34.75 34.85 34.71 34.61 34.41 34.13 |
Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.10 (512), 1997–2003; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
For information relating to foreign exchange controls required in the ROC for the conversion by the holders of Bonds of dividends on Shares or proceeds from the sale of Shares from NT dollars into US dollars, see ‘‘Foreign Investment and Exchange Controls in the R.O.C.’’
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DESCRIPTION OF THE LETTER OF CREDIT
Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd. (the ‘‘Letter of Credit Bank’’) has committed to issue an irrevocable standby letter of credit (the ‘‘Letter of Credit’’) to the Trustee under the Guarantee Agreement dated on or prior to September 5, 2003, to support certain payment obligations of the Company. The Company has committed to deposit 85% of the gross proceeds of the issue of the Bonds into an account designated by the Letter of Credit Bank as collateral (the ‘‘Collateral’’) for the issuance of the Letter of Credit. The Letter of Credit will authorize the Trustee to draw on the Letter of Credit Bank, on demand, for an amount not exceeding the Stated Amount (as defined below) of the Letter of Credit in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit. The Letter of Credit will be issued on the Closing Date in favor of the Trustee for the benefit of the holders of the Bonds. Accordingly, the Trustee, as beneficiary of the Letter of Credit, will not be acting as an agent of the Company but will act on behalf of holders of the Bonds. The Letter of Credit is intended to provide a source of funds for payment of the principal of the Bonds upon the Company’s failure to pay such principal amount at maturity or upon the Bonds being declared due and payable on the occurrence of an Event of Default pursuant to the Conditions of the Bonds. The Letter of Credit does not support any other obligations of the Company under the Bonds, including the obligations described under ‘‘Description of the Bonds — Conversion’’, the obligations to make payment of ROC withholding tax, the obligation of the Company to make payments for any amount in excess of the principal amount of the Bonds upon the exercise of the Holders’ Put Right (as defined herein) or the obligation to pay default interest on the Bonds.
The stated amount of the Letter of Credit (the ‘‘Stated Amount’’) means the maximum aggregate amount payable at maturity of the Bonds, which is US$20,000,000, after any reduction as provided in the Letter of Credit. The Stated Amount at the time the Letter of Credit is issued will be equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds at the time of issue. The Stated Amount available for drawing under the Letter of Credit shall be reduced (a) by the principal amount of any Bonds that have been redeemed pursuant to the Indenture, (b) by the principal amount of any Bonds that have been converted into Shares, and (c) by the principal amount of any Bonds that have been repurchased and cancelled, in each case pursuant to the Indenture. The Collateral will be proportionally reduced and released to the Company by the Letter of Credit Bank from time to time contemporaneously with a reduction of the Stated Amount as described above.
The Letter of Credit will automatically terminate at the close of business on the earliest to occur (the ‘‘Expiry Date’’) of (i) October 6, 2008, (ii) the date the final drawing under the Letter of Credit is honored and paid by the Letter of Credit Bank, (iii) the date the Stated Amount is reduced to zero or (iv) the day on which the Letter of Credit is surrendered by the Trustee to the Letter of Credit Bank for cancellation.
The Stated Amount under the Letter of Credit is drawable by the Trustee on behalf of the holders of the Bonds, upon the presentation of, inter alia, a certificate from the Trustee to the effect that (a) the Company has failed to pay the principal amount of the Bonds (i) within three days after an acceleration of the Bonds pursuant to an Event of Default described in the Condition 9 of the Bonds (other than any of the events specified in clauses (vi), (vii) and (viii) in Condition 9 of the Bonds) has occurred, or (ii) within seven days after the maturity date of the Bonds or (b) the Bonds become immediately due and payable at their principal amount upon the occurance of any of the events specified in clauses (vi), (vii) and (viii) in Condition 9 of the Bonds, as applicable. The Trustee shall, within three Business Days, after (a) receiving the Principal Paying Agent’s notice of the Company’s failure to make such payment or (b) the date the Bonds become immediately due and payable upon the occurance of any of the events specified in clauses (vi), (vii) and (viii) in Condition 9 of the Bonds, as applicable, draw on the Letter of Credit in accordance with the Indenture and the Agency Agreement and as described in the Conditions.
The Letter of Credit is transferable any number of times, but only in the amount of the full Stated Amount, as such amount may have been reduced from time to time, and not in part, and transfer may only be made to the person or entity who has been duly appointed as successor Trustee under the Indenture. Transfer of the Letter of Credit to such transferee shall be effected only by the presentation to the Letter of Credit Bank of the Letter of Credit accompanied by the signed documents required under the Letter of Credit.
The demand for payment, accompanied by the certificate and presented in full compliance with the terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit at or before 11: 00 a.m., Taipei time, on a Business Day (as defined below), will be honored by the Letter of Credit Bank by payment to the Trustee no later than 10: 00 a.m., New York time, on the second following Business Day. If the Letter of Credit Bank receives the
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demand for payment and certificate from the Trustee in full compliance with the terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit after 11: 00 a.m., Taipei time, on a Business Day, the Letter of Credit Bank will honor such demand for payment by payment to the Trustee no later than 10: 00 a.m., New York time, on the third following Business Day. ‘‘Business Day’’ shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or a day on which banking institutions in Taipei, the City of New York or London are authorized or required to close. However, the Trustee shall not be required to make payment of moneys received pursuant to a drawing under the Letter of Credit (‘‘Amount Collected’’) until the Business Day following the day on which the Amount Collected is received by the Trustee.
The Letter of Credit shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (1993 Revision), International Chamber of Commerce Publication 500 (the ‘‘UCP’’), and, to the extent not inconsistent therewith, New York law.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article 41 of the UCP, the Letter of Credit is intended to remain in full force and effect until the Expiry Date. Any failure by Trustee or a successor trustee to draw on the Letter of Credit shall not cause the Letter of Credit to be unavailable for any future drawing, provided, that any such future drawing may not be made after the Expiry Date.
In relation to any legal action or proceedings arising out of or in connection with the Letter of Credit (‘‘Proceedings’’), the Letter of Credit Bank has irrevocably submitted to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of any U.S. Fedural or New York State court located in The City of New York and agrees that proceedings may be brought in any such court and waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law any objection to proceedings in any such court on the grounds of venue or on the grounds that the proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Letter of Credit Bank has irrevocably appointed CT Corporation System, currently located at 111 Eighth Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10011, United States of America, as its agent to receive for and on its behalf service in any Proceedings.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE LETTER OF CREDIT BANK
Set forth below is a summary of information relating to the Letter of Credit Bank which is derived from, qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, information that has been made publicly available by the Letter of Credit Bank. You are cautioned that we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein.
Overview
The Letter of Credit Bank was formally established as the Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd. in March 1947 with capital of 15 million Old Taiwan Dollars. In May 1947, the Letter of Credit Bank merged with Taiwan Trust Company, which became the Letter of Credit Bank’s newly-formed Trust Department. In January 1998, a large number of government-owned shares were sold, enabling the Letter of Credit Bank to complete its privatization.
In November 2001, the shareholders of the Letter of Credit Bank and EnTrust Securities Co. Ltd. approved the formation of Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. through a share exchange between these two companies and thereafter the Letter of Credit Bank and EnTrust Securities became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. In December 2001, Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. commenced its operations and its shares were listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
The Letter of Credit Bank conducts general banking operations, including deposit taking, extension of loans and credit, issuance of credit cards and bank cards, acting as a corporate trustee and engaging in bills finance.
The Letter of Credit Bank is headquartered in Taipei and has branches located throughout Taiwan and in major international financial centers. As of March 31, 2003, the Letter of Credit Bank’s organization consists of a headquarter, 163 domestic branches and 3 representative offices, as well as an offshore banking branch and 8 overseas business units, including 5 overseas branches and 3 overseas representative offices.
Directors and Supervisors
The Letter of Credit Bank currently has thirteen directors and five supervisors. The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the directors and supervisors of the Letter of Credit Bank as of August 21, 2002.
| Name Ming-Cheng Lin Teh-Nan Hsu Chin-Chang Chen Hsien-Hsien Hsu Kao-Chin Wang Ya-Hwei Yang Sou-Shan Wu |
Position Chairman Managing Director and President Managing Director Managing Director Director Director Director |
Experience Vice Chairman of the Letter of Credit Bank and President of Ta-Yung Shing Yeh Corp. President of Taiwan Coorperative Bank Senior Vice President and General Manager of Bank of Taiwan Director & Supervisor of Shin-Kong Life Insurance Co., Ltd. Senior Vice President and General Manager of New York Agency and Los Angeles Branch and Supervisor of the Letter of Credit Bank Director of Division of Taiwan Economy Chairman of Management Science Institute of National Chiao Tung University and Academic Advisor to the Ministry of Education |
Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master of law from Keio University, Japan Bachelor’s degree in banking from National Cheng Chi University Bachelor’s degree from National Cheng Chi University Bachelor’s degree in economics from Meiji University, Japan Bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University & master’s degree from North Dakota State University, U.S.A. Doctoral degree in economics from National Taiwan University Doctoral degree from the University of Florida, U.S.A. |
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| Name Yun Liu Shiu-Hsiung Chen Hsu-Hsueh Chang James Hui-Jan Yen Hui-Wei Yen Tommy Lin Chan-Sheng Chen Wen-Yuh Tsai Ding-Yu Chang Shu-Shai Yen Kuen-Shyan Wang |
Position Director Director Director Director Director Director Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor |
Experience Chairman of Finance Department of National Taiwan University President of Maxwell Electric Co., Ltd. Supervisor of Fu Chuan Enterprises Co., Ltd. Member of Taiwan Jewelry Industry Association & Taipei Chinese and Philippines Cultural and Economic Association Director of Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Fund Manager of Mercury Asset Management Co., Ltd. (Japan) Manager of Bank Examination Department of the Central Bank of China and President of Central Deposit Insurance Corp. Engaged in tax planning and business management Senior Vice President of the Bank of Taiwan Director of Taipei Business Bank Director of Hua Nan Commercial Bank and Analyst of Citibank, N.A. |
Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctoral degree from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, U.S.A. Master’s degree in business administration from City University of Washington, U.S.A. Graduated from Tokyo Kyalite College, Japan Bachelor’s degree from Tamkang University Doctoral degree from Hawaii Pacific University, U.S.A. J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A. Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Tamkang University Master’s degree in business administration from National Cheng Chi University Bachelor’s degree in law from National Taiwan University Bachelor’s degree from Shih Chien University Master’s degree in business administration from New York University, U.S.A. |
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Selected Financial Information of the Bank
The following tables set forth selected financial information derived from the financial statements of the Bank as of and for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
| Consolidated Income Statement Operating revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gross profit (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income (loss) before income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income tax gains (expenses) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 73,429.9 54,110.0 19,320.0 12,107.7 7,212.2 460.2 1,911.8 5,760.6 943.6 4,817.0 |
2001 (NT$ million) 69,727.2 52,286.4 17,440.7 12,140.7 5,300.1 1,342.8 2,095.3 4,547.5 573.4 3,974.1 |
2002 49,745.6 77,067.3 (27,320.8) 12,356.8 (39,677.6) 5,057.2 2,194.8 (36,815.2) (9,627.4) (27,187.8) |
2002 | |
| (US$ million) 1,431.6 2,217.8 (786.2) 355.6 (1,141.8) 145.5 63.2 (1,059.4) (277.0) (782.4) |
| Consolidated Balance Sheet Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Due from banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Due from Central Bank of China. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marketable securities, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Account receivables, net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepaid expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bills purchased and discounts and loans, net . . . . . . . . Long-term equity investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property and equipment, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Due to Central Bank of China. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Due to banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonds sold under repurchase agreements . . . . . . . . . . Accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advance collections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deposits accepted and remittances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bank bonds payable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Financing from Central Bank of China and other banks Long-term debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of December 31, | As of December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 58,057.0 51,589.7 46,957.9 136,962.5 17,094.3 2,488.9 823,783.1 7,133.8 21,521.9 13,781.9 1,179,370.0 191.5 65,816.9 28,037.0 48,876.3 828.5 938,204.6 3,299.2 4,283.6 10,408.1 1,828.9 1,101,774.7 77,595.3 |
2001 (NT$ million) 75,460.5 102,851.9 59,574.6 131,543.0 14,631.2 2,543.0 822,150.1 9,095.0 21,519.8 14,435.9 1,253,804.9 312.8 60,943.2 31,786.2 42,446.9 454.8 1,008,879.7 13,500.7 3,928.6 9,960.3 1,932.9 1,174,146.1 79,658.8 |
2002 188,419.0 73,521.2 58,906.8 110,585.4 16,340.0 2,422.7 807,047.1 13,557.9 21,472.2 22,912.0 1,315,184.1 212.0 86,678.6 25,183.9 37,931.3 432.7 1,075,342.2 25,000.0 2,820.0 9,797.1 2,091.1 1,265,488.7 49,695.4 |
2002 | |
| (US$ million) 5,422.1 2,115.7 1,695.2 3,182.3 470.2 69.7 23,224.4 390.2 617.9 659.3 |
||||
| 37,847.0 | ||||
| 6.1 2,494.3 724.7 1,091.5 12.5 30,945.1 719.4 81.1 281.9 60.2 |
||||
| 36,416.9 | ||||
| 1430.1 |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE SHARES
Set forth below is certain information relating to the capital stock of the Company, including brief summaries of certain provisions of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation (the ‘‘Articles’’), the Securities and Exchange Law of the ROC (the ‘‘Securities and Exchange Law’’) and regulations promulgated thereunder and the Company Law.
General
The Company’s authorized share capital is NT$3.88 billion consisting of 388 million Shares of common stock with a par value of NT$10 each, of which 100 million Shares have been reserved for issuance upon conversion of convertible bonds and 20 million Shares have been reserved for issuance of stock options. All Shares are in registered form and 252,007,580 Shares were issued and outstanding as of May 23, 2003. The Company does not have any equity in the form of preference shares nor are any currently authorized under the Articles. The Company has established a stock option plan in June 2003, under which the Company may grant stock options to its employees for their purchase of up to 10 million Shares. As of July 8, 2003, 6 million stock options have been granted for the purchase of 6 million Shares by the employees. Except for this stock option plan, the Company does not have any outstanding warrants, bonds or other securities exerciseable exchangeable for, or convertible into, Shares.
Dividends
Except under limited circumstances as permitted by the Company Law, an ROC company is not permitted to distribute dividends or make any other distributions to shareholders for any year in which the company does not have earnings or retained earnings (excluding reserves). In addition, before distributing a dividend or making any other distribution to shareholders, a company must recover any past losses, pay all outstanding taxes and set aside a reserve, referred to as the ‘‘Legal Reserve’’, at 10% of its earnings until such time as its Legal Reserve equals the amount of its total paid-up capital, and a special reserve (if any). Subject to compliance with these requirements, a company may pay dividends from its earnings or make other distributions from its reserves as set forth below.
Under the Company Law, following approval by the shareholders’ meeting, dividends are paid to shareholders from a company’s earnings (subject to compliance with the above requirements), in proportion to the number of shares owned by each shareholder as listed on the register of shareholders as of the relevant record date. Dividends declared out of earnings may also be distributed either in cash or in the form of common stock or a combination thereof. Stock dividends may also be distributed in connection with a capitalization of reserves. The ratio between any cash dividend and stock dividend is determined by the shareholders at a shareholders’ meeting. Notices of such persons’ entitlements to stock dividends are delivered by post, notifying them of the place and date to collect the relevant share certificates or to receive the relevant shares through a book-entry system. In respect of cash dividends, the Company will notify the shareholders and make the payments by check or wire transfer to such accounts as may be designated by the shareholders.
In addition to permitting dividends to be paid out of earnings or retained earnings, the Company Law also permits a company to make distributions to its shareholders in the form of additional shares of capital stock from recapitalization of reserves (including the Legal Reserve and certain other reserves). In the case of a company’s capital reserves, subject to the Securities and Exchange Law and applicable regulations of the Securities and Futures Commission of the ROC (the ‘‘ROC SFC’’), 100% of the capital reserves may be recapitalized through stock distributions to shareholders. In the case of a company’s Legal Reserve, however, the recapitalized portion payable out of such Legal Reserve is limited to 50% of the total accumulated Legal Reserve and such recapitalization can only be effected when the accumulated Legal Reserve exceeds 50% of the paid-in capital of the company.
The Articles provide that the Company may, after paying all income taxes in accordance with ROC law, recovering any past losses and deducting the Legal Reserve and special reserve, reserve the remaining portion of earnings or allocate the remaining portion of earnings (subject to proposal by the Board of Directors and approval by shareholders) as follows:
- (i) at least 5% as bonuses to employees;
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(ii) at least 2% as remuneration to directors and supervisors; and
-
(iii) the remaining balance, if any, to shareholders as dividends (of which no less than 5% may be distributed in the form of cash).
For information as to ROC taxes on cash and stock dividends, see the section headed ‘‘ROC Taxation’’ below.
Pre-Emptive Rights and Issue of Additional Shares
The ROC Company Law provides that between 10% and 15% of any new issue of shares of capital stock sold for cash must be offered first to the issuing company’s employees except in certain limited circumstances. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Law and the relevant securities regulations require that, if a public company (e.g., a company listed on the TSE or whose shares are traded on the GreTai Securities Market) intends to offer new shares for cash, at least 10% of such issue must be offered to the public except under certain circumstances or when exempted by the ROC SFC. Holders of common stock who are listed on the shareholders’ register as of the record date have a pre-emptive right to acquire the remaining 75 to 80% of the issue. The shares not subscribed for by the employees, shareholders and the public, at the expiration of the period for the exercise of their rights, may be freely offered by the company (subject to ROC law) to the general public by means of public offering or a private placement. The shareholders do not have pre-emptive rights to subscribe for the Bonds.
Meetings of Shareholders
The ordinary meeting of shareholders of the Company is usually held in Taipei, Taiwan, or an alternative location within the ROC as determined by the Board of Directors, within the six months following the end of the Company’s fiscal year. Notice in writing of ordinary meetings stating the place, time and purpose thereof must be dispatched to each shareholder at least 30 days prior to the date set for the meeting. Extraordinary meetings of shareholders may be convened by resolution of the Board of Directors or by shareholders under certain circumstances. Extraordinary meetings of shareholders may also be convened by a supervisor of the Company when the Board of Directors of the Company does not or cannot convene a shareholders meeting and/or such a meeting is necessary for the benefit of the Company. Notice in writing of extraordinary meetings stating the place, time and purpose thereof must be dispatched to each shareholder at least 15 days prior to the date set for the meeting.
Voting Rights
A holder of common stock has one vote for each share of common stock.
Except as otherwise provided by law, a resolution may be adopted by the holders of a simple majority of the total issued and outstanding common shares represented at a shareholders’ meeting at which a majority of the holders of the total issued and outstanding common shares are present. Notwithstanding the above, in order to approve certain major corporate actions, including any amendment to the Articles (which is required for, inter alia, any increase in authorized share capital), the dissolution or amalgamation of the Company, the transfer of all or an important part of its business or its property, the taking over of the whole of the business or property of any other company which would have a significant impact on the Company’s operations, or the distribution of any stock dividend, the Company Law provides that a resolution has to be passed at a meeting of the shareholders with a quorum of holders of at least two-thirds of all issued and outstanding common stock at which the majority present vote in favor thereof. Alternatively, in the case of a public company, such as the Company, such a resolution may be approved by the holders of at least twothirds of the common stock represented at a meeting of shareholders with a quorum of holders of at least a majority of issued and outstanding common stock.
A shareholder may be represented at a shareholders’ meeting by proxy. A valid proxy form must be delivered to the Company at least five days prior to the date fixed for the ordinary or extraordinary meeting.
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Registration of Shareholders and Record Dates
The Company currently uses Taiwan Securities Corp. as its share registrar to maintain the register of shareholders of the Company at its registered office in B1, 96, Chien-Kuo N. Rd., Section 1, Taipei, ROC. The share registrar of the Company enters transfers of common stock in the register of shareholders upon presentation of the certificates in respect of the common stock transferred accompanied by other required documents.
As mentioned above, the record date for a dividend will be determined and announced by the Company. For the purpose of determining certain rights, including rights to dividends pertaining to the common stock, the Company Law provides that the register of shareholders is closed for a period of 60 days, 30 days and five days immediately before each date of ordinary shareholders’ meeting, each extraordinary shareholders’ meeting and the relevant record date, respectively.
Annual Report
Under the ROC Company Law, 10 days before the ordinary shareholders’ meeting, the Company’s annual audited financial statements and the Supervisors’ report must be available at the principal office of the Company in Taipei for inspection by the shareholders.
Transfers of Capital Stock
Under the ROC Company Law, the transfer of common stock (in registered form) is effected by endorsement of the transferor’s and transferee’s seals or chops on the back of the relevant share certificate and delivery of such share certificate to the transferee. In order to assert shareholders’ rights against the Company, the transferee must have his name and address registered on the Company’s register of shareholders. Shareholders are required to register their respective specimen seal or chop with the Company. The settlement of trading of the common stock is normally carried out on the book-entry system maintained by Taiwan Securities Central Depositary Co., Ltd.
Acquisition by the Company of Its Own Capital Stock
Except under limited circumstances, the Company cannot acquire its own capital stock under the Company Law. However, under the Securities and Exchange Law, the Company may, by a board resolution adopted by majority consent at a meeting with two-thirds of the Company’s directors present, purchase its capital stock on the TSE or by a tender offer, in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the ROC SFC, for the following purposes: (i) to transfer shares to the Company’s employees; (ii) to convert bonds with warrants, preferred shares with warrants, convertible bonds, convertible preferred shares or certificates of warrants issued by the Company into capital stock; and (iii) if necessary, to maintain the Company’s credit and its shareholders’ interests provided that the capital stock so purchased shall be cancelled thereafter.
The Company is not allowed to purchase more than 10% of its total issued and outstanding capital stock. In addition, the Company may not spend more than the aggregate amount of the retained earnings, the premium from issuing stock and the realized portion of the capital reserve to purchase its capital stock.
The Company may not pledge or hypothecate any purchased capital stock. In addition, the Company may not exercise any shareholders’ rights attached to such capital stock. In the event that the Company purchases its capital stock on the TSE, its affiliates, directors, supervisors, managers and their respective spouses and minor children and/or nominees are prohibited from selling any of the Company’s capital stocks during the period in which the Company purchases its capital stock.
Liquidation Rights
Pursuant to the ROC Company Law, in the event of the liquidation of the Company, the assets remaining after payment of all debts, liquidation expenses, taxes and distribution to holders of preference shares, if any, will be distributed pro rata to the shareholders.
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Notices
All notices to shareholders of the Company are delivered by post or published in newspapers with general circulation in the ROC or through a website designated by the ROC SFC (for shareholders holding less than 1,000 shares) as relevant ROC regulations may require.
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TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
Because of the following restrictions, investors should consult legal counsel prior to making any offer, resale, pledge or other transfer of the Bonds or the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds.
The Bonds may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in the ROC. The Bonds and the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act. The Bonds and the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds may not be offered or sold to any person in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. In addition, no transfer of any interest in the Bonds may be made to any US person outside the United States or any person in the United States for a period of 40 days after the later of the commencement of this offering and the latest closing date of this offering. Terms used in this section are defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act.
Except in certain limited circumstances, interests in the Bonds may only be held through interests in the Global Certificate. Such interests in the Global Certificate will be shown on, and transfers thereof will be effected only through, records maintained by Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg and their respective direct and indirect participants. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds’’.
Each purchaser of the Bonds, by accepting delivery of this Offering Circular, will be deemed to have represented, agreed and acknowledged that:
-
(1) The Bonds and the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or with any state of the United States and are subject to significant restrictions on transfer;
-
(2) Each owner purchasing prior to the expiration of 40 days after the later of the commencement of the offering and the latest closing date for the offering (‘‘Distribution Compliance Period’’) is purchasing the Bonds in an offshore transaction meeting the requirements of Rule 903 or 904 of Regulation S;
-
(3) The Bonds will not be sold, pledged or transferred to, or for the account or benefit of, any US person outside the United States or any person in the United States during the Distribution Compliance Period;
-
(4) Such owner will not offer, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer any interest in the Bonds or Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds except as permitted by the applicable legend set forth in paragraph (5) below; and
-
(5) The Bonds will bear legends to the following effect, which restrictions the Company will observe unless the Company determine otherwise in compliance with applicable law:
THE BONDS EVIDENCED HEREBY AND THE COMMON SHARES OF GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION (‘‘GIGASTORAGE’’) ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THE BONDS EVIDENCED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE ‘‘SECURITIES ACT’’), AND PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF 40 DAYS AFTER THE LATER OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE OFFERING OF THE BONDS AND THE LATEST CLOSING DATE FOR THE OFFERING (THE ‘‘DISTRIBUTION COMPLIANCE PERIOD’’), SUCH BONDS MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED TO ANY US PERSON OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES OR ANY PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES. EACH HOLDER AND BENEFICIAL OWNER, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE OF THE BONDS EVIDENCED HEREBY, REPRESENTS THAT IT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES TO THE FOREGOING AND FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS.
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THIS LEGEND WILL BE REMOVED AFTER THE END OF THE DISTRIBUTION COMPLIANCE PERIOD, AFTER WHICH THE BONDS EVIDENCED HEREBY, AND THE COMMON SHARES OF GIGASTORAGE ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THE BONDS SHALL NO LONGER BE SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIONS PROVIDED IN THIS LEGEND, PROVIDED THAT AT SUCH TIME AND THEREAFTER THE OFFER OR SALE OF THE BONDS EVIDENCED HEREBY AND THE COMMON SHARES OF GIGASTORAGE ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THE BONDS WOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED UNDER ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OR OF THE STATES OR TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
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ROC TAXATION
Prospective investors should consult their own advisers concerning the tax consequences of an investment in the Bonds or Shares.
The following is a summary of the principal ROC tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the Bonds or Shares to a Non-Resident Individual or Non-Resident Entity that holds the Bonds or Shares (each a ‘‘Non-ROC Holder’’) under the ROC law currently in effect. As used in the preceding sentence, a ‘‘Non-Resident Individual’’ is a foreign national individual who owns the Bonds or Shares and is not physically present in the ROC for 183 days or more during any calendar year, and a ‘‘Non-Resident Entity’’ is a corporation or a non-corporate body that owns the Bonds or Shares and is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the ROC and has no fixed place of business or other permanent establishment in the ROC. Prospective purchasers of the Bonds should consult their own tax advisers concerning the tax consequences of owning the Bonds or Shares in the ROC and any other relevant taxing jurisdiction to which they are subject.
Premium and Interests on the Bonds
Premium (if any) and interests (if any) on the Bonds paid to Non-ROC Holders are subject to ROC income tax collected by way of withholding at the time of payment. The current rate of withholding for Non-ROC Holders is 20%. The Company has agreed to gross up such withholding tax.
Dividends on the Shares
Dividends (whether in cash or shares) declared by the Company out of retained earnings and paid out to Non-ROC Holders of Shares are subject to ROC income tax collected by way of withholding at the time of distribution. The current rate of withholding for Non-ROC Holders is 20% of the amount of the distribution (in the case of cash dividends) or the par value of the shares (in the case of stock dividends). The aforementioned 20% withholding tax may be reduced by an amount which is calculated by multiplying 10% of the amount of dividends distributed by a fraction, the numerator of which is the retained earnings on which the 10% retained earnings tax has been imposed, and the denominator is the accumulated retained earnings as of the distribution date.
Distribution of Shares declared by the Company out of capital reserve is currently not subject to ROC withholding tax.
Capital Gains
Under current ROC law, gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of securities is exempt from ROC income tax. This exemption will apply to a sale or other disposition of the Bonds or Shares. On January 4, 1996, the ROC Legislative Yuan passed a bill for the amendment to the ROC Income Tax Law that would have eliminated the exemption from the ROC income tax for gains realized on the sale of ROC securities and imposed a capital gains tax. On January 12, 1996, this amendment was repealed by the Legislative Yuan. The reintroduction of a capital gains tax would require the Legislative Yuan to engage in the full legislative process for the enactment of tax legislation.
ROC law currently provides no specific provisions regarding the ROC income tax consequences of a conversion of the Bonds into Shares. Without further clarification from the ROC tax authorities, it is impossible to conclude definitively that gain on the conversion of the Bonds into Shares will not be deemed as taxable gain, additional interest income (subject to the 20% withholding tax) or otherwise subject to other ROC taxes. Transfers of the Bonds by Non-ROC Holders are regarded as transactions outside the ROC and thus any gains derived therefrom are not subject to ROC income tax.
Subscription Rights
Distributions of statutory subscription rights for the Company’s Shares in compliance with the ROC Company Law are not subject to ROC tax. Proceeds derived from sales of statutory subscription rights evidenced by securities are currently exempted from income tax but are subject to securities transaction tax, currently at the rate of 0.3% of the gross amount received. Proceeds derived from sales of statutory subscription rights that are not evidenced by securities are subject to capital gains tax at the rate of (i) 25%
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of the gains realized for a Non-Resident Entity, and (ii) 35% of the gains realized for a Non-Resident Individual. Subject to compliance with ROC law, the Company has the sole discretion to determine whether statutory subscription rights are evidenced by securities or not.
Securities Transaction Tax
The ROC government imposes a securities transaction tax that will apply to sales of Shares. The transaction tax, which is payable by the seller, is generally levied on sales of shares at the rate of 0.3% of the sales proceeds. No securities transaction tax will apply to transfers of the Bonds.
There is no ROC transfer, stamp, issue or registration tax imposed on the issuance of Shares upon conversion of the Bonds. However, securities transaction tax, gift tax and/or income tax may be imposed in relation to the converting Bondholder’s designation of another person to be the holder of the Shares upon conversion of the Bonds.
Estate Taxation and Gift Tax
ROC estate tax is payable on any property within the ROC of a deceased Non-Resident Individual, and ROC gift tax is payable on any property within the ROC donated by a Non-Resident Individual. Estate tax is currently imposed at rates ranging from 2% of the first NT$600,000 to 50% of amounts in excess of NT$100,000,000. Gift tax is imposed at rates ranging from 4% of the first NT$600,000 donated to 50% of amounts donated in excess of NT$45,000,000. Under ROC estate and gift tax laws, the Bonds and Shares will be deemed to be located in the ROC without regard to the location of the owner.
Tax Treaty
At present, the ROC has income tax treaties with Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Gambia, Swaziland, Malaysia, Vietnam, Macedonia, South Africa and The Netherlands. It is unclear whether a Non-ROC Holder will be considered to own the Bonds or Shares for the purposes of such treaties. Accordingly, a holder of the Bonds or Shares who is otherwise entitled to the benefit of a treaty should consult its own tax advisers concerning eligibility for benefits under the treaty with respect to the Bonds or Shares. The ROC government has announced a plan to suspend or terminate the tax treaty with South Africa in reaction to South Africa’s decision to discontinue diplomatic recognition of the ROC.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Manager has, pursuant to a Purchase Agreement dated August 28, 2003 agreed with the Company to subscribe and pay for the Bonds in the principal amounts therein specified at the issue price of 100% of their principal amount less a combined management and underwriting commission, and a selling commission aggregating (before allowing for agreed reimbursement of the Company’s expenses) 1.0% of their principal amount. The Purchase Agreement provides that the Company will indemnify the Manager against certain liabilities. The Purchase Agreement provides that the obligations of the Manager are subject to certain conditions precedent, and entitles the Manager to terminate it in certain circumstances prior to payment being made to the Company.
The Manager, or its affiliates, intends to purchase Bonds for their own account and enter into transactions relating to the Bonds, including asset swaps, repackagings and other transactions. Such transactions would be carried out as bilateral trades with selected counter-parties and separately from any offering, sale or resale of the Bonds to which this Offering Circular relates (notwithstanding that such selected counter-parties may also be purchasers of the Bonds). These transactions may involve a substantial portion of the Bonds. Furthermore, the Manager may, to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, applicable laws and regulations, make a market with respect to the Bonds but is not obligated to do so, and any market-making with respect to the Bonds may be discontinued at any time without notice.
Each of the Company and Ritek Corporation has agreed that, to the extent applicable, without the prior written consent of the Manager between the date hereof and the date 90 days after the Closing Date, it will not, and will cause any person acting on its behalf not to, (a) issue, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any interest in (1) any Shares or securities of the same class as the Bonds or Shares or (2) any securities (other than preferred stock) convertible into, exchangeable for or which carry rights to subscribe or purchase the Bonds, the Shares or securities of the same class as the Bonds or the Shares or (3) any other instruments representing interests in the Bonds, the Shares or securities of the same class as the Bonds or the Shares; or (b) announce or otherwise make public an intention to do nay of the foregoing, except for: (i) the sale of the Bonds under the Purchase Agreement; (ii) transactions relating to the Bonds, the Shares or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the offering of the Bonds; (iii) Shares issued pursuant to stock option plan, including the stock option plan established in June 2003; (iv) announcement and/or distributions of dividends or employee dividends in the form of Shares; or (v) the issuance of Shares upon conversion of the Bonds.
The Manager is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EnTrust Securities Co., Ltd. Both EnTrust Securities Co., Ltd. and Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd., acting as the Letter of Credit Bank, are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. Each of the Manager, EnTrust Securities Co., Ltd., the Letter of Credit Bank and/or its respective affiliates have provided and may in the future provide banking, advisory and other financial services to the Company and some of its affiliates in the ordinary course. In particular, the Company will enter into the Guarantee Agreement with the Letter of Credit Bank with respect to the issuance of the Letter of Credit to support certain of its payment obligations of the Bonds. See ‘‘Description of the Bonds’’ and ‘‘Description of the Letter of Credit.’’
General
No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction that would permit a public offering of the Bonds or the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds, or the possession, circulation or distribution of this Offering Circular or any other material relating to the Company, the Bonds or the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds, in any jurisdiction where action for the purpose is required. Accordingly, neither the Bonds nor any Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds may be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, and neither this Offering Circular nor any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the Bonds or the Shares issuable upon conversion of the Bonds may be distributed or published, in or from any country or jurisdiction, except in compliance with any applicable rules and regulations of any such country or jurisdiction.
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United States
The Bonds and the Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Terms used in this paragraph have the meanings given to them by Regulation S.
The Manager has agreed that, except as permitted by the Purchase Agreement, it will not offer or sell the Bonds or Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds (i) as part of their distribution at any time or (ii) otherwise until 40 days after the later of the commencement of the offering and the latest closing date for the offering, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons, and it will have sent to each dealer to which it sells the Bonds or Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds during the Distribution Compliance Period a confirmation or other notice setting forth the restrictions on offers and sales of the Bonds or Shares, as the case may be, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons. Terms used in this paragraph have the meanings given to them by Regulation S.
The Bonds are being offered and sold outside the United States to persons that are non-US persons in reliance on Regulation S.
In addition, until 40 days after the commencement of the offering of the Bonds, an offer or sale of the Bonds or Shares to be issued upon conversion of the Bonds within the United States by a dealer that is not participating in the offering may violate the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
United Kingdom
The Manager has represented and agreed that:
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(1) it has not offered or sold and, prior to the expiry of a period of six months from the issue date of the Bonds will not offer or sell, any Bonds to persons in the United Kingdom except to persons whose ordinary activities involve them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes of their businesses or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Public Offer of Securities Regulations 1995;
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(2) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the ‘‘FSMA’’)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of any Bonds in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the Company; and
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(3) it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Bonds in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
The ROC
The Bonds may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in the ROC, as part of the distribution of the Bonds.
Hong Kong
The Manager has represented and agreed that (i) it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell in Hong Kong, by means of any document, any Bonds other than to persons whose ordinary business it is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent, or in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong. No advertisement, invitation of document relating to the Bonds, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, has been or will be issued, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Bonds which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to ‘‘professional investors’’ within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made thereunder.
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Japan
The Manager has represented and agreed that the Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Securities and Exchange Law of Japan (the ‘‘Securities and Exchange Law’’) and that the Bonds which it subscribes will be subscribed by it as principal. Each Manager has also represented and agreed that, in connection with the initial offering of the Bonds, it will not directly or indirectly offer or sell any Bonds in Japan, or to, or for the benefit of any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities and Exchange Law and other applicable laws and regulations of Japan.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Authorizations
The Company has obtained all necessary consents, approvals and authorizations in connection with the issue of the Bonds. The issue of the Bonds was authorized by resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company passed on April 28, 2003.
Material Change
Except as disclosed in this Offering Circular, there has been no significant change in the financial or trading position since December 31, 2002, the date of the latest audited consolidated financial statements, nor any material adverse change in the financial position or prospects since December 31, 2002 of the Company, except as may be otherwise disclosed or referred to herein.
Litigation
Save as disclosed herein, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is involved in any litigation or arbitration proceedings which may have, or have had during the 12 months preceding the date of this Offering Circular, an material adverse effect on the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries, nor, so far as any of them is aware, are any such proceedings pending or threatened except as may be otherwise disclosed or referred to herein.
Auditors
The audited financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche, independent accountants, as indicated in their report with respect to those financial statements, included in this Offering Circular. Diwan, Ernst & Young was appointed as the accountants of the Company in 2003 and therefore the unaudited interim financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2002 has been reviewed by Deloitte & Touche, and the unaudited interim financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2003 has been reviewed by Diwan, Ernst & Young. Both of these interim financial information are made in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information in accordance with ROC Statement on Auditing Standards No. 36, ‘‘Standards for Review of Financial Statements.’’ However, their separate review reports included in this Offering Circular states that they did not audit and do not express an opinion on that interim financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their reports on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the reviewed procedures applied.
Clearing Systems
The Bonds have been accepted for clearance through the facilities of Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg. The ISIN Number for the Bonds is XS0174387273 and the Common Code is 017438727.
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SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ROC GAAP AND US GAAP
Financial statements prepared in accordance with ‘‘Rules Governing Preparation of Financial Statements of Securities Issuers’’ and generally accepted accounting principles in the Republic of China (collectively referred herein as ‘‘ROC GAAP’’) differ in certain respects from US GAAP. The following is a summary of the principal differences between ROC GAAP and ROC SFC requirements, as applicable to the Company, and US GAAP. The summary below should not be considered to be exhaustive. Additionally, it may exclude certain differences that may affect the disclosure, presentation or classification of transactions or events in the Company’s financial statements. Further, this summary does not take into account numerous projects currently being undertaken by standard setting bodies in the United States and ROC which could have an impact on the comparison between ROC GAAP and US GAAP, which are applicable to the Company. Finally, no attempt has been made to identify all future differences between ROC GAAP and US GAAP that may affect the financial statements as a result of transactions or events that may occur in the future.
| ROC GAAP 1. Presentation of non-consolidated financial statements Under ROC GAAP, non-consolidated financial statements of a company are presented as the primary financial statements and consolidated financial statements as supplemental financial statements. 2. Employee stock bonuses It is a statutory requirement that bonuses paid to employees and remuneration paid to directors and supervisors out of retained earnings are not regarded as expenses, but instead are reported as a distribution from retained earnings in the year the shareholders approve the distribution of earnings. Under certain circumstances, employee bonuses may be paid in the form of newly issued stocks, in which case the stock issuance is recorded at par value and is reported as a distribution of retained earnings. The stock bonus to employees is given retroactive effect in the computation of earnings per share. 3. Stock dividends Under ROC GAAP, the issuance of stock dividends is recorded based on the par value of the shares, multiplied by the number of shares issued. |
US GAAP |
|---|---|
| Under U.S. GAAP, parent-company-only non-consolidated financial statements are not allowed to be presented as the primary financial statements for any period. Under US GAAP, employee bonuses and remuneration issued to directors and supervisors are charged to income as compensation expenses in the year when related services are provided, irrespective of whether the bonuses are paid in the form of cash or stock. For bonuses paid in stock, the shares are valued using the fair value or the intrinsic value method. Under US GAAP, a stock bonus to employees is given only prospective effect in the computation of earnings per share. Under US GAAP, when the ratio of distribution is less than 25% of shares of the same class outstanding, stock dividends are generally recorded based on the fair value method, with the par value recorded in the capital stock accounts and the excess of fair value over the par value being recorded as additional paid-in capital. Distribution in excess of 25% is generally considered as a stock split. |
- Employee share purchase In connection with a number of new shares issued to Under US GAAP, such issues would be recorded as capital shareholders, the company also issues shares to employees at contribution for the cash amount received from the employees. the same issue price, which usually represents a discount to In addition, compensation expense would be recorded, for the the quoted market price. Under ROC GAAP, such issues are difference between the share issue price and the fair market recorded as capital contribution for the cash amount received value, during the period when such issues were made. from the employees.
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ROC GAAP
US GAAP
5. Treasury stock/earnings per share
Under the ROC Company Law, a company’s subsidiaries are permitted to purchase the parent company’s shares, hold the shares for trading purposes and recognize the related investment income or loss.
When preparing the consolidated financial statements, the shares of the parent company held by its subsidiaries are treated as treasury stock. However, these shares are still treated as outstanding shares when computing earnings per share as the gain or loss generated from the treasury stock transactions is included in the consolidated net income.
Under US GAAP, the purchases and sales of a company’s shares by its subsidiaries are treated as treasury stock transactions of the company. Accordingly, no gain or loss on the disposal of the treasury stock is recognized as investment income or loss by the company and the proceeds from the sales are allocated between capital stock and capital reserve. Any shares of the company held by its subsidiaries at year-end are reported as treasury stock and are deducted in the calculation of earnings per share.
Commencing from January 1, 2002, the company’s shares owned by its subsidiaries are treated as treasury stock and similar accounting treatments as US GAAP are adopted to account for such transactions.
6. Consolidation
Under ROC GAAP, a company is required to include in its annual consolidated financial statements only those subsidiaries which are directly or indirectly over 50% owned. For subsidiaries (i) with total assets and operating revenues which are less than 10% of the Company’s non-consolidated total assets and operating revenues, respectively, or (ii) which are in a negative equity position, the company has the option of whether or not to consolidate such subsidiaries. Irrespective of the above test, if the combined revenues and total assets of all such non-consolidated subsidiaries exceeds 30% of the company’s non-consolidated total assets or operating revenues, then each individual subsidiary with total assets or operating revenues greater than 3% of the company’s respective non-consolidated amounts shall be consolidated. In addition, under the Company Law in the Republic of China, the company is required to include in its consolidated financial statements the financial statements of its less-thanmajority owned investee companies if the company has the ability to control the human resources, finance or operations of the investee companies.
Under ROC GAAP, a company is not required to prepare interim financial statements on a consolidated basis. Instead, the company is only required to recognize investment income/ loss in majority-owned subsidiaries under the equity method. Under ROC GAAP, a company is not required to recognize in its three months and nine months interim financial statements investment income/loss on investee companies in which the company has, directly or indirectly, 20% to 50% ownership interest. Investment income/loss in these investee companies is required only to be recognized in the semi-annual and annual financial statements.
ROC GAAP provides that when a company’s interest in a subsidiary changes from a majority interest to a minority interest, the investment in the subsidiary should be accounted for under the equity basis in the consolidated financial statements in the current year. In addition, ROC GAAP construes such change to be a change in the reporting entity which requires that in order to maintain consistency in the application of accounting standards, the prior year(s)’ comparative consolidated financial statements should be retroactively restated.
Under US GAAP, the parent company’s consolidated financial statements generally include the financial statements of majority-owned subsidiaries, unless (i) control is considered temporary or (ii) control does not rest with the majority owner.
US GAAP requires that the accounting principles and practices used by an enterprise in the preparation of its interim statements be based on those used in its latest annual financial statements unless a change of accounting practice or policy has been adopted in the current year. Thus, if the enterprise’s latest annual financial statements were prepared on a consolidated basis, accordingly the interim financial statements shall also be prepared on a consolidated basis, except as discussed above.
Under US GAAP, for purposes of application of the consistency standard, a change in the reporting entity is not deemed to result from the creation, cessation, purchase, or disposition of a subsidiary or other business. Accordingly, when a company’s interest in a specific subsidiary or investee affiliate changes during the year, that change is generally accounted for prospectively and retroactive restatement is not required.
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ROC GAAP
US GAAP
7. Equity investments of at least 20%
Under ROC GAAP, equity investments where the company has voting rights of at least 20% are generally required to be accounted for under the equity method; however, when the company has not received the audited financial statements of the equity-method investee company in time to recognize its equity in the investee company’s income (loss), the company may delay the recognition of its equity in the investee company’s income (loss) until the subsequent year, unless the company meets the following criteria, in which case no delay in recognition is possible: (i) the beginning balance of the company’s long-term investment balance exceeds NT$50 million and 5% of the investor company’s paid-in-capital; (ii) direct ownership of the investee company exceeds 30%, or direct ownership plus indirect ownership through directors, supervisors, and management exceeds 50%; and (iii) the investor company is one of the top three shareholders of the investee company or the investee company’s chairperson or general manager was appointed by the investor company. In addition, delay in recognition is not possible when the company has a direct or indirect control over the management of the personnel, financial or business operation of the investee company.
When the accounting treatment for a long-term equity investment is changed from the cost method to the equity method, the difference between the cost of investment and the Company’s share of the investee company’s equity at the time of the change is deferred and amortized over 5 years.
Under US GAAP, the equity method of accounting is generally required for investments with an ownership percentage of at least 20% but less than 50%, unless (i) the investment is considered temporary or (ii) the investor does not possess the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee. There are no provisions which allow the investor company to delay recognition of its equity in the investee company’s income (loss).
Under US GAAP, when the accounting treatment for a longterm equity investment is changed from cost method to equity method, retroactive restatement is required. If the Company is unable to relate the difference between the carrying amount of the investment and the Company’s share of the investee company’s equity to specific accounts of the investee, the difference should be considered to be goodwill and tested for impairment at least annually.
8. Equity investments of less than 20% or debt investments/short-term investment
Long-term investments of less than 20% of a company’s shares are accounted for at the lower of cost or market value for listed investee companies and at cost for unlisted investee companies and if the company has no ability to exercise significant influence in the management of the investee company. Valuation allowance under this lower of cost or market value method is shown under stockholders’ equity. When it becomes evidently clear that there has been a permanent impairment in investments value and the chance of recovery is minimal, loss is recognized in current year earnings.
Under ROC GAAP, investments in foreign investee companies, denominated in foreign currencies, accounted for at cost method, are converted to New Taiwan dollars using the exchange rate prevailing at the balance sheet date and the resulting exchange loss but not gain is recorded in stockholders’ equity under the cumulative translation adjustment account.
Short-term investments are stated at the lower of cost or market value. In the subsequent period, recoveries of market value are recognized as other income to the extent of the original cost of the investments.
Equity investments of less than 20% that have readily determinable fair value and debt investments are classified in three categories and accounted for as follows:
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(a) Debt and equity securities classified as trading securities are marked to market at the end of the accounting period with unrealized gains or losses taken to current earnings.
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(b) Debt securities classified as held to maturity are reported at amortized cost, with any premium or discount amortized over the period of the investment.
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(c) Debt and equity securities classified as available for sale are marked to market at the end of the accounting period with unrealized gains or losses taken to a separate component of shareholders’ equity, unless there is a permanent decline in the value of such investment in which case it is recorded against income.
Investments that have no readily determinable fair value are accounted for at historical cost subject to impairment test.
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ROC GAAP
US GAAP
- Accounting for changes in ownership interest in investee companies
Under ROC GAAP, when an investee company issues additional shares and the investor’s ownership interest changes as a result, any resulting difference between the investor’s investment balance and its proportionate share of the investee company’s net equity is adjusted to its investment account with an offsetting entry to the investor’s capital reserve or retained earnings if the related capital reserve balance is insufficient. Upon subsequent disposition of the investment, amounts previously recorded to capital reserve or retained earnings relating to the respective investment will be reversed and recorded as part of the gain or loss on disposal.
Under US GAAP, when an investee company issues additional shares at an amount over/under the carrying value of the shares held by the investor and the investor’s ownership interest decreases as a result of not fully subscribing to the issue, the resulting difference between the investor’s investment balance and its proportionate share of the investee company’s net equity is adjusted to its investment account with an offsetting entry either to (i) gain or loss to record the deemed disposition of shares or (ii) to paid-in capital. If an adjustment has been made to paid-in capital to recognize investee capital transactions, US GAAP would not permit the adjustment of such amounts on the subsequent disposition of all or a part of the investments.
10. Impairment of long-lived assets or long-lived assets to be disposed
No specific standards address impairment of long-lived assets; US SFAS No. 121, ‘‘Accounting for the Impairment of Longnormally such assets would be carried at cost less accumulated Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed Of’’, depreciation. However, when events or changes in requires that long-lived assets held and used by an entity be circumstance indicate that a significant impairment occurs, an reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in impairment loss should be recorded in the current period. circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In assessing the recoverability, the Assets purchased for use in the business but not subsequently entity estimates the future cash flows, undiscounted and used for that purpose are generally recorded as idle assets and without interest charges, expected to result from the use of the reclassified from fixed assets to other assets, in which case asset and its eventual disposal. If the sum of such expected there is a requirement to assess the net realizable value such future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset, that idle assets are not recorded at an amount in excess of net an impairment loss is recognized. realizable value.
US SFAS No. 121 also requires that long-lived assets to be disposed of be reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less the cost to sell.
- Prepayment of fixed assets Under ROC GAAP, prepayment of fixed assets is presented as part of fixed assets.
Under US GAAP, prepayment of fixed assets should be presented as other assets.
- Depreciation of fixed assets
Depreciation is generally provided for using the guideline service lives as prescribed by the ROC Tax Authorities plus one additional year as salvage value.
Depreciation is provided over the asset’s estimated economic useful life. Salvage value, if any, is based on the estimated net realizable value of the asset at the end of its estimated economic useful life.
13. Convertible preferred stock and debt securities
When convertible bonds are issued, ROC GAAP does not recognize or account for any beneficial conversion feature embedded in the securities.
Under US GAAP, such beneficial conversion feature should be recognized and measured by allocating a portion of the proceeds equal to the intrinsic value of that feature to additional paid-in capital. That amount should be calculated at the commitment date as the difference between the conversion price and the fair value of the common stock, multiplied by the number of shares into which the security is convertible.
87
ROC GAAP
US GAAP
14. Accounting for derivative instruments
There are no definitive accounting standards under ROC GAAP addressing the accounting of derivative financial instruments such as options, futures, and swaps. In general practice, hedge accounting is applied when two criteria are met:
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(1) The derivative is not intended to be used as a speculative instrument, and
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(2) The derivative is not transacted in a frequent manner.
Furthermore, there are no accounting standards similar to that of SFAS No. 133, as amended, and therefore, the derivatives are not necessarily recorded on the balance sheet at fair value.
Effective all fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2000, companies are required to adopt SFAS No. 133, ‘‘Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, ‘‘as amended by SFAS No. 138’’, ‘‘Accounting for Certain Derivative Instruments and Certain Hedging Activities-an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133.’’
SFAS No. 133, as amended, establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. All derivatives, whether designated in hedging relationships or not, will be required to be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. If the derivative is designated in a fair-value hedge, the changes in the fair value of the derivative and the hedged item will be recognized in earnings. If the derivative is designated in a cash-flow hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivative will be recorded in other comprehensive income and will be recognized in the income statement when the hedged item affects earnings.
SFAS No. 133 also defines new requirements for designation and documentation of hedging relationships as well as ongoing effectiveness assessments in order to use hedge accounting. For a derivative that does not qualify as a hedge, changes in fair value will be recognized in earnings.
Prior to the application of SFAS No. 133, as amended, SFAS No. 52 addresses the accounting for foreign currency transactions, including derivatives. In order to qualify for hedge accounting, the derivative must be, along with other requirements, designated as, and effective as, a hedge.
15. Compensated absences
ROC GAAP has no specific accounting practice regarding compensated absences.
Compensated absences must be accrued based on the liability for employees’ rights to receive compensation for future absences when certain conditions are met.
16. Cost of sales
Under ROC GAAP, provisions for normal inventory scrap and obsolescence are recorded as non-operating expenses.
Under ROC GAAP, the unrealized gross profit generated from downstream intercompany transactions is eliminated and presented as a reconciling item of gross profit in the statement of income. A corresponding liability is recorded for the amount of the unrealized gross profit in the balance sheet.
Under US GAAP, provisions for normal inventory scrap and obsolescence are generally charged to cost of sales.
Under US GAAP, the unrealized gross profit generated from downstream transactions is generally charged against cost of sales and credited to the investment account.
17. Deferred charges
Costs of neon signs and steel frames for advertising purposes can also be capitalized as deferred charges and then amortized over useful lives under the straight-line method.
Costs of advertising should be expensed either as incurred or the first time the advertising takes place, except for certain direct-response advertising.
18. Segment information
ROC GAAP requires disclosure of segment information in the Under US GAAP, public business enterprise is required to footnotes information to the financial statements according to present segment information based on operating segments. industry and geographic information, which need not Several operating segments may, provided aggregation criteria necessarily be the same as the management’s internal report to are met, be aggregated to reportable segments for which the company decision-makers. required information is disclosed. Disclosure is based on the management’s approach for reporting segment information to company chief operating decision makers that are used internally for evaluating segment performance and deciding resources allocation to segments.
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ROC GAAP
US GAAP
19. Statement of cash flows
Under ROC GAAP, cash flows are generally reported at their net amount for the period. In addition, disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities are required.
Under US GAAP, cash flows are generally reported at their gross amounts, rather than netting inflows against outflows for related items (such as netting payments on long-term debt against proceeds from issuance of new long-term debt instruments). In addition, separate disclosure is required of all investing and financing activities that do not result in cash flows, such as conversion of debt instruments to equity and lease financing activities.
20. Pension
ROC Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 18, ‘‘Accounting for Pension’’, is similar in general terms, to IAS 19 and provides accounting regulations regarding an employer’s accounting for employee retirement plans. The Company has adopted ROC SFAS No. 18 effective December 31, 1995 but, as allowed, recognized pension costs based on actuarial calculations only in 1996. Prior to 1996, pension expense was calculated as a fixed percentage of total annual salaries and wages of employees. The transition net assets or obligations, determined at the time of the adoption of ROC SFAS No. 18, is amortized over the average service period of employees.
Under US GAAP, the annual pension provision is recognized as a charge to results of the operations over the employees’ service period in accordance with SFAS No. 87. US SFAS No. 87 focuses on the plan’s benefit formula as the basis for determining the benefit earned, and therefore the cost incurred, for each year. The benefit earned is actuarially determined, and includes components for service cost, time value of money, return on plan assets and gains or losses from changes in previous assumptions. In certain cases, a minimum liability is recognized through a direct charge to shareholders’ equity.
There are specific rules in the ROC in respect of the use of the project Unit Credit Method, the use of the rate of specific type of instruments as the discount rate, and the criteria in determining expected return on plan assets.
21. Revenue recognition
Under ROC GAAP, revenue is recognized when realized or realizable.
According to ROC SFAS 32 issued in June 2002 in relation to revenue recognition, similar criteria for revenue recognition are adopted. This Statement is effective for financial statements issued for the fiscal year ending after December 31, 2003 and early adoption is encouraged.
Under US GAAP, revenue recognition is usually prescriptive and revenue is generally recognized when it is realized or realizable and earned when all of the following criteria are met: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (iii) the seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collectibility is reasonably assured.
22. 10% additional income tax on undistributed earnings
Under the current tax regulations, the current year’s earnings, on a tax basis, not distributed in the following year are subject to 10% additional income tax. This 10% additional income tax is recognized as a tax expense in the following year when the amount is determined. In addition, the effect of the 10% tax on temporary differences is not recognized.
Under US GAAP, this 10% additional income tax is recognized in the period during which the related income is generated and the impact of the 10% tax is measured for both current and deferred tax.
23. Disclosure of new accounting pronouncements
Under ROC GAAP, disclosure of recently issued accounting standards but not yet effective as of the balance sheet date is not required.
US GAAP requires disclosure of the impact that recently issued accounting standards will have on the financial statements of the company when adopted in the future.
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ROC GAAP
US GAAP
- Comprehensive income
Under ROC GAAP, there is no standard for accounting and reporting of comprehensive income.
US GAAP requires that comprehensive income be displayed with the same prominence as other financial statements. Comprehensive income is composed of two subsets — ‘‘net income’’ and ‘‘other comprehensive income’’. Comprehensive income includes charges or credits to equity that are not the result of transactions with owners (e.g., cumulative translation adjustments, minimum pension liabilities, unrealized gains or losses on available-for-sale securities and the effective portion of the change in the fair value of cash flow and net investment hedges).
25. Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use
There are no specific accounting guidelines related to costs of computer software developed or obtained for internal use.
US GAAP has detailed rules regarding the accounting treatment for internal-use software costs. AICPA Statement of Position 98-1 specifies the requirements for the capitalization of internal-use computer software costs.
26. Interim Reporting
In accordance with ROC SFAS No. 23, ‘‘Presentation and Disclosure of Interim Financial Information,’’ as amended in 1999, income tax provision in interim quarterly financial statements is subject to ROC SFAS No. 22, ‘‘Accounting for Income Tax’’. Deferred tax consequences related to temporary differences are recognized in the company’s interim nonconsolidated financial statements.
Under US GAAP, income tax provision in interim quarterly financial statements are provided based on an estimated effective tax rate expected to be applicable to the full fiscal year. Such estimated effective tax rate takes into consideration all anticipated tax attributes for the full fiscal year.
Under ROC GAAP, a company is not required to prepare interim financial statements on a consolidated basis. Instead, the company is only required to recognize investment income/ loss in majority-owned subsidiaries.
27. Deferred Income Taxes
Under ROC Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (‘‘SFAS’’) No. 22, ‘‘Accounting for Income Tax,’’ the liability method is applied. Current tax liabilities are recognized for estimated taxes payable for the current period. All temporary differences between the carrying values of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases are recognized as deferred income tax liabilities or assets. A valuation allowance is provided on deferred income tax assets to the extent that it is not ‘‘more likely than not’’ such deferred income tax assets will be realized. A change in tax rate or law requires an adjustment to such deferred income tax assets and liabilities in the period of enactment, and is reported in current operations.
The requirements under US Statement of Financial Accounting Standards SFAS No. 109, ‘‘Accounting for Income Taxes,’’ are similar to ROC SFAS No. 22, except for the application of the ‘‘more likely than not’’ criteria on the recognition of a deferred income tax asset valuation allowance, which may result in a difference between US and ROC GAAP due to different tax rules and regulations.
90
ROC GAAP
US GAAP
28. Capital Surplus
According to the Company Law and the Law of Business Accounting, the following items are treated as capital surplus before November 12, 2001:
Under US GAAP, item (a) and (c) of the preceding column are reported as additional paid-in capital. Item (b), gain on sale of fixed assets is reported as non-operating income. Item (d) and (e) of the preceding column are not permitted.
-
(a) any premium on issuance of capital stock;
-
(b) any after tax gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment;
-
(c) any donated surplus;
-
(d) any revaluation increment of property, plant and equipment; and
-
(e) the value of assets of a company acquired in a merger in excess of assumed liabilities and the consideration paid for shares of such company in connection with the acquisition.
The Capital Surplus in the Company Law was removed on November 12, 2001, and the items of Capital Surplus in the Law of Business Accounting are revised in December 26, 2001 that only premiums on issuance of capital stock and premiums on issuance of treasury stock could be treated by a company as capital surplus.
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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
| Audited Consolidated Financial Statements | |
|---|---|
| Independent Auditors’ Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-2 |
| Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-3 | |
| Consolidated Statements of Income for the Years ended | |
| December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-4 |
| Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity | |
| for the Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-5 |
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years ended | |
| December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-6 |
| Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-7 |
| Unaudited Unconsolidated Financial Statements | |
| Independent Accountant’s Review Report by Deloitte & Touche | |
| for The Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-34 |
| Independent Auditors’ Review Report by Diwan, Ernst & Young | |
| for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-35 |
| Unconsolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2002 and 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-36 | |
| Unconsolidated Statements of Operations for the Three Months Ended | |
| March 31, 2002 and 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-38 |
| Unconsolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended | |
| March 31, 2002 and 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-39 |
| Notes to Unconsolidated Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-41 |
F-1
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION and subsidiaries (collectively, the ‘‘Company’’) as of December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and the related consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. The consolidated financial statements included those of Gigastorage Corporation USA which were audited by other auditors. Accordingly, our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts of Gigastorage Corporation USA, is based solely on the report of the other auditors. Total assets of Gigastorage Corporation USA amounted to NT$81,587 thousand that accounted for 1.49% of the consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2002; net operating revenue amounted to NT$43,891 thousand that accounted for 2.47% of the consolidated net operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2002. Also, as described in Note 7, the accompanying 2002 financial statements included investments in Taimide Technology Inc. and Abon-Senses Technology Inc., equity method investees, that amounted to $77,219 thousand and equity in loss of such investees that amounted to $24,235 thousand. Such investments and equity in loss were based on financial statements of such investees as of and for the year ended December 31, 2002 that were audited by other auditors whose reports were furnished to us. Our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for such investees, is based solely on the reports of such other auditors.
We conducted our audits in accordance with ‘‘Guidelines for Certified Public Accountants’ Auditing of and Reporting on Financial Statements’’ and auditing standards generally accepted in the Republic of China. Those guidelines and standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the Republic of China.
As described in Note 2, the consolidated financial statements of GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION and subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2002 expressed in U.S. Dollars were translated from the New Taiwan Dollars using the exchange rate of NT$34.75 to US$1.00 at December 31, 2002, solely for the convenience of readers.
Deloitte & Touche
Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China February 21, 2003
The above auditors’ report and the following financial statements are English translations of the Chinese auditors’ report and financial statements prepared for and used in the Republic of China. The accompanying financial statements were prepared using accounting principles, procedures and reporting practices generally accepted in the Republic of China and are not intended to present the financial position and results of operations and cash flows in accordance with accounting principles and practices generally accepted in countries and jurisdictions other than those in the Republic of China. The standards, procedures and practices utilized to audit such financial statements are those generally accepted and applied in the Republic of China.
F-2
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands)
| ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents (Notes 2, 3 and 17) . . . . . . . . . . . . Short-term investments — net (Notes 2, 4 and 17). . . . . . . . . . Notes receivable (Notes 2 and 17). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes receivable — Related Parties (Notes 2, 17 and 18) . . . . . Accounts receivable — net (Notes 2, 5 and 17). . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts receivable — Related Parties (Notes 2, 5, 17 and 18). Inventory-net (Notes 2 and 6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other current assets (Notes 2 and 15). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restricted Current Assets (Note 19). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS (Notes 2, 7 and 17). . . . . . . . . . . PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (Notes 2, 8 and 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OTHER ASSETS (Notes 2, 15 and 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Short-term loans (Notes 9 and 17). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes payable (Notes 17 and 18). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts payable (Notes 17 and 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accrued expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current portion of long-term loans (Notes 10 and 17) . . . . . . . Other current liabilities (Notes 2 and 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total current liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LONG-TERM LOANS (Notes 10, 17 and 19). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY: Common stock (Note 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paid-in capital in excess of par-common stock (Note 13) . . . . . Retained earnings (Note 14) Legal reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accumulated deficits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cumulative translation adjustment (Notes 2 and 7) . . . . . . . . . Unrealized loss on market value decline of long-term equity investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $ 748,293 49,817 775 — 877,504 80,362 259,053 42,321 227,760 2,285,885 269,717 3,697,173 263,817 $6,516,592 $ 214,966 8,035 51,124 119,342 236,244 64,875 694,586 895,949 1,590,535 2,290,978 2,750,879 63,443 (179,243) — — 4,926,057 $6,516,592 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 358,730 517,384 47,635 12,538 372,373 152,396 392,001 74,123 47,037 1,974,217 381,062 3,339,583 317,065 $6,011,927 $ — 139,725 126,000 208,850 333,870 95,928 904,373 822,079 1,726,452 2,520,076 2,405,981 — (592,963) (13,850) (33,769) 4,285,475 $6,011,927 |
2002 $ 103,075 554,059 100,927 40,352 478,941 103,655 305,659 84,528 11,124 1,782,320 405,504 3,015,156 288,494 $5,491,474 $ 358,106 154,770 71,990 280,625 340,583 38,964 1,245,038 591,496 1,836,534 2,520,076 2,405,981 — (1,203,742) (11,646) (55,729) 3,654,940 $5,491,474 |
2002 US Dollars $ 2,966 15,944 2,904 1,161 13,783 2,983 8,796 2,433 320 51,290 11,669 86,767 8,302 $158,028 $10,305 4,454 2,072 8,075 9,801 1,121 35,828 17,022 52,850 72,520 69,237 — (34,640) (335) (1,604) 105,178 $158,028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-3
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Earnings Per Share)
| NET OPERATING REVENUES (Note 18). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COST OF GOODS SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GROSS PROFIT(LOSS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPERATING EXPENSES (Note 18) Selling expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPERATING LOSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NON-OPERATING INCOME: Interest income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foreign exchange gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gains on disposal of short-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reversals of market value decline on short-term investments. . . Gains on inventory value recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NON-OPERATING EXPENSES Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment loss (Note 7). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Losses on inventory valuation loss and obsolescence . . . . . . . . Other losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INCOME TAX BENEFIT (Notes 2 and 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NET LOSS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BASIC EARNING A PER SHARE (in New Taiwan dollars): NET LOSS PER SHARE BEFORE INCOME TAX (Note 16). . NET LOSS PER SHARE BEFORE INCOME TAX (Note 16). . |
2000 $1,476,504 (1,234,694) 241,810 (130,438) (170,283) (64,629) (365,350) (123,540) 16,829 70,308 — — — 17,559 104,696 (66,598) (65,162) (52,429) (4,282) (188,471) (207,315) 19,600 $ (187,715) $ (1.01) $ (0.91) |
2001 NT Dollars $1,671,973 (1,731,758) (59,785) (342,777) (174,201) (45,238) (562,216) (622,001) 14,480 50,058 1,066 42,893 37,000 11,877 157,374 (65,203) (31,288) — (31,845) (128,336) (592,963) — $ (592,963) $ (2.35) $ (2.35) |
2002 $1,778,074 (1,918,789) (140,715) (173,924) (134,673) (43,818) (352,415) (493,130) 2,738 — 19,408 — — 17,090 39,236 (66,443) (45,955) (13,081) (19,989) (145,468) (599,362) — $ (599,362) $ (2.38) $ (2.38) |
2002 US Dollars $51,168 (55,217) (4,049) (5,005) (3,876) (1,261) (10,142) (14,191) 79 — — — 1,050 1,129 (1,912) (1,323) (376) (575) (4,186) (17,248) — $(17,248) $ (0.07) $ (0.07) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-4
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands of NT Dollars)
| BALANCE, JANUARY 1, 2000 Distribution of 1999 earnings: Appropriation for legal reserve. . . . . . . . . . . . Bonuses to employees, directors and supervisors Stock dividends. . . . . . . . Stock bonus to employees Stock dividends from capital surplus . . . . . . Issue common stock (2000.8) Net loss for 2000 . . . . . . . . BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capital surplus transferred to make up for deficit . . . . . Capital surplus transferred to capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrealized loss on market value decline of long-term equity investment . . . . . . Cumulative translation adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . Net loss for 2001 . . . . . . . . BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjustment accumulated profits and losses on long- term equity investment. . . Unrealized loss on market value decline of long-term equity investment . . . . . . Cumulative translation adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . Net loss for 2002 . . . . . . . . BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Common Stock $1,400,000 364,000 70,978 56,000 400,000 2,290,978 229,098 2,520,076 $2,520,076 |
Paid-in capital in excess of par- common stock $1,006,879 (56,000) 1,800,000 2,750,879 (115,800) (229,098) 2,405,981 $2,405,981 |
Retained | Earnings Accumulated deficits $ 502,608 (50,134) (9,024) (364,000) (70,978) (187,715) (179,243) 179,243 (592,963) (592,963) (11,417) (599,362) $(1,203,742) |
Cumulative Translation Adjustment $ — — (13,850) (13,850) 2,204 $(11,646) |
Unrealized loss on market value decline of long-term equity investment $ — — (33,769) (33,769) (21,960) $(55,729) |
Total $2,922,796 — (9,024) — — — 2,200,000 (187,715) 4,926,057 — — (33,769) (13,850) (592,963) 4,285,475 (11,417) (21,960) 2,204 (599,362) $3,654,940 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Reserve $13,309 50,134 63,443 (63,443) — $ — |
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-5
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands)
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and amortization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Gain) losses on short-term investment valuation . . . . . . . . . Investment loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bad debt expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Losses on inventory valuation loss and obsolescence . . . . . . Changes in assets and liabilities provided (used) cash: Notes and accounts receivable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred tax asset — current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred tax asset — noncurrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes and accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accrued expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Short-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net cash provided by operating activities . . . . . . . . . . . . CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Increase in long-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acquisition of property, plant and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restricted current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proceeds from disposal of long-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . Increase in deferred assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net cash (used) operating in investing activities . . . . . . . . . CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Cash received for capital increase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Increase(decrease) in short-term loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Increase(decrease) in long-term loans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration and bonus to employees paid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net cash provided (used) by financing activities . . . . . . . Influence of exchange rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NET INCREASE(DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF YEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE END OF YEAR. . . SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Income taxes paid during the year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interest paid during the year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES NOT AFFECTING CASH FLOWS: Current portion of long-term loans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $(187,715) 419,185 42,893 22,269 46,308 52,429 (607,585) (153,933) 2,353 27,353 (47,633) (42,403) 18,240 (92,710) (49,305) (362,539) (550,254) (263,800) (1,093,164) 424,516 — (100,682) (3,664) (1,036,794) 2,200,000 (353,999) 456,018 (9,024) 2,292,995 (2,563) 703,384 44,909 $748,293 $ 44,631 $ 66,075 $ 236,244 |
2001 NT Dollars $(592,963) 449,383 (42,893) 31,289 276,654 (14,472) 41,825 (118,476) (1,691) — — 206,566 89,508 (541,284) 27,614 404,023 (188,940) (57,180) (96,926) 207,237 — (53,396) 4,702 4,437 — (214,966) 23,756 — (191,210) (13,850) (389,563) 748,293 $358,730 $ — $66,284 $333,870 |
2002 $(599,362) 475,750 5,658 45,955 62,165 6,747 (198,485) 79,595 28,609 — — (38,965) 71,775 (42,818) (51,972) 444,014 (155,348) (133,084) (109,315) 54,411 28,440 (76,149) (1,051) (236,748) — 358,106 (223,869) — 134,237 2,204 (255,655) 358,730 $103,075 $ — $ 65,787 $340,583 |
2002 US Dollars $(17,248) 13,691 163 1,322 1,789 194 (5,712) 2,291 823 — — (1,121) 2,065 (1,232) (1,496) 12,777 (4,471) (3,830) (3,146) 1,566 818 (2,191) (30) (6,813) — 10,305 (6,442) — 3,863 64 (7,357) 10,323 $ 2,966 $ — $ 1,893 $ 9,801 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-6
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
1. ORGANIZATION
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION (‘‘GIGASTORAGE’’) was established on March 26, 1997 in accordance with the Company Law and related regulations of the Republic of China and started operations on December 1, 1997. GIGASTORAGE is mainly engaged in research, manufacturing, and sale of readonly, write-able, and erasable optical disks; consulting services on the related technology; import and export of production equipment, spare parts, raw materials, semi-finished goods, and finished goods; bidding and agency services for foreign and local products; and manufacturing of information storage and handling equipment.
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION USA (‘‘GIGA USA’’) was established in October 1999. At December 31, 2002, GIGASTORAGE owned 100.00% of GIGA USA. The major business activities include sale of read-only, write-able, and erasable optical disks.
The above companies are hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘‘Company.’’
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
(1) Basis of Presentation of Consolidated Financial Statements
The consolidated financial statements include the following:
| 2002 Financial Statements GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION GIGA USA |
2001 Financial Statements GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION GIGA USA |
2000 Financial Statements |
|---|---|---|
| GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION GIGA USA |
(2) Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash includes unrestricted cash and bank deposits. Cash equivalents are short-term investments that are readily convertible to certain amount of cash and maturing within three months from date of acquisition and not subject to changes in interest rates.
(3) Short-term Investments
Short-term investments are recorded at acquisition cost. Stock dividends received are not recorded as income but noted as addition to the number of shares owned. Cost of shares and funds sold is determined on the weighted average method. Cost of short-term notes on settlement at maturity or at the time of sale before maturity is determined on the specific identification method. At balance sheet date, short-term investments are stated at the lower of cost or market with loss on decline in value or recovery recognized in the current income. Cost and market value are compared on aggregate basis. Market value of closed-end funds, shares of stock, overseas convertible bonds and overseas depository receipts traded on the stock exchange and OTC market is based on the average quoted price of the last month of the accounting period. Market value of open-end funds is based on the net assets value at the balance sheet date.
(4) Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Allowance for doubtful accounts is provided based on the estimated uncollectible portion of the accounts receivable at balance sheet date.
F-7
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
(5) Inventories
The Company follows perpetual inventory system. Inventories are recorded at cost at the date of purchase. Cost is determined on the weighted average method. At balance sheet date, obsolete and defective inventories are stated at net realizable value and good inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost and market are compared on aggregate basis with replacement cost as market value.
(6) Long-term Investments
Investments in listed shares of stock in which the Company’s ownership interest is less than 20% are stated at the lower of cost or market. Unrealized loss on decline in value of investment is reported as a deduction in stockholders’ equity. Investments in unlisted shares of stock are carried at cost. If there is evidence that the investment value has declined below cost and recovery is remote, loss is recognized in the current period and the reduced amount becomes the new cost. Cost of shares sold or transferred is determined on the weighted average basis.
Investments in common shares of stock in which the Company’s equity interest is 20% or more are accounted for by the equity method. Under equity-method, the difference between the investment cost and the share in the investor’s net assets based on the percentage of ownership is amortized over ten years and charged to investment income or loss. For equity-method invested with stockholders’ equity that becomes debit balance, if the Company guaranteed the obligations of or is committed financially for such invested, or recovery is expected in the near future, recognition of equity in loss or gain of such invested is continued. When the investment account balance becomes negative, such negative investment amount is charged against receivable from such invested. If the receivable is not sufficient, the remaining negative investment amount is reported under the liabilities section in the balance sheet.
Unrealized gain or loss on transactions with equity-method invested is eliminated.
If the equity-method invested issues new shares and the Company does not subscribe according to its original ownership percentage, the effect of change in ownership percentage on the Company’s investment is accounted for as an adjustment of capital surplus and long-term investment. If the capital surplus is not sufficient for the adjustment, the remaining amount is adjusted to retained earnings.
(7) Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are recorded at acquisition cost. Significant renewals and improvements are capitalized; ordinary repairs and maintenance are charged to current period expense. Interest incurred on borrowings for the purchase or construction of an asset is capitalized as part of cost of the asset until the asset is ready for its intended use. Upon retirement or disposal of an asset, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts. Gain or loss on sale of an asset is reported under non-operating income or loss.
Depreciation is calculated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful life prescribed by the Executive Yuan in ‘‘Table of Estimated Useful Life of Fixed Assets’’ with one year for salvage value. Depreciable asset that continues to be used after the lapse of its original estimated useful life is assigned a new estimated useful life and salvage value and depreciated over such new estimated life under the same depreciation method.
F-8
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
(8) Deferred Assets
Deferred charges consist mainly of costs of molds and supplies. Molds are amortized over three to five years and supplies are depleted on a straight-line method over twelve months.
(9) Retirement Fund
GIGASTORAGE accounts for its retirement fund in accordance with the applicable accounting standards and related regulations. Net periodic pension cost and related asset and liability are recognized based on actuarial results.
GIGA USA have not yet established retirement plan.
(10) Foreign Currency Transactions and Translation of Foreign Currency Financial Statements
Foreign currency transactions other than forward foreign currency exchange contracts are recorded at the rates ruling on the dates of the transactions. At the date of settlement of foreign currency denominated asset and liability, gain or loss arising from the difference in exchange rates used at the date of the transaction and at the date of settlement are recognized in the current period income or loss. At balance sheet date, receivables and payables in foreign currency are restated at the rates on that date and the resulting gain or loss is recognized in the current period.
Financial statements of foreign equity-method invested are translated as follows: all assets and liabilities are translated at the balance sheet date exchange rate; stockholders’ equity accounts are translated at historical rates; profit and loss accounts are translated at the average exchange rate. Adjustments arising from the translation of foreign currency financial statements are reported as cumulative translation adjustments in the stockholders’ equity section of the balance sheet.
(11) Non-Derivative Financial Instruments
The recognition and subsequent valuation of non-derivative financial assets and liabilities and the recognition and measurement of resulting income or expense are in accordance with the above accounting policies and generally accepted accounting principles.
(12) Income Tax
The Company follows inter-period and intra-period tax allocation method. The tax effects of taxable temporary differences are reported as deferred tax liability. The tax effects of deductible temporary differences, loss carry forwards, and income tax credits are reported as deferred tax assets, evaluated for realizability and provided with allowance as necessary. Income tax credits follows current period recognition method.
The Company’s tax-adjusted earnings for a year that were not distributed in the following year during the stockholders’ meeting are subject to an additional 10% income tax to be recognized in the year the stockholders’ meeting was held. Adjustments of prior years’ income tax are recognized in the year the adjustment is known.
(13) Convenience Translation into U.S. Dollars
The Company maintains its accounting records and prepares its financial statements in New Taiwan dollars. The United States dollar amounts disclosed in the 2002 financial statements are presented solely for the convenience of readers and were translated from New Taiwan dollars using
F-9
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
the closing exchange rates of NT$34.75 to US$1.00 at December 31, 2002. Such translation amounts should not be construed as representations that the New Taiwan dollar amounts represent , or have been or could be converted into United States dollars at that or any other rate.
3. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Cash and cash equivalents are as follows:
| Account Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Savings accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Time deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $ 18 10,142 100,049 638,084 $748,293 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 235 3,268 355,227 — $358,730 |
2002 $ 104 2,127 100,844 — $103,075 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ 3 61 2,902 — |
||||
| $2,966 |
4. SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS — NET
Short-term investments — net are as follows:
| Beneficiary certificate: Sheng-Hua 1699 Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Xin-Quang (TAIWAN) Ji-Li Bond Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ri-Sheng Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bao-Lai De-Li Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Qun-Yi An-Xin Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Union Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jin Ya-Tai Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shares of stock: United Microelectronics Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INFO Incorporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CMC Magnetics Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yuanta Core Pacific Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deltamac(Taiwan) CO., LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fu Sheng Industrial CO., LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lite-On Technology Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foreign and domestic convertible bonds: Wintek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CMC Magnetics Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Behavior Tech Computer Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . United Microelectronics Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ya-Hsin Industrial CO., LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for value decline loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2002 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares (’000) 6,696 5,115 2,844 4,205 9,119 8,299 4,170 324 30 777 53 19 30 12 |
Cost NT Dollars $ 78,000 80,000 36,500 60,000 100,000 95,000 50,000 10,652 657 12,504 1,058 264 1,331 555 10,116 6,986 6,977 6,943 2,174 559,717 (5,658) $554,059 |
Cost | |
| US Dollars $ 2,245 2,302 1,050 1,727 2,878 2,734 1,439 307 19 360 30 8 38 16 291 201 201 199 62 |
|||
| 16,107 (163) |
|||
| $15,944 |
F-10
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
| Beneficiary certificate: Tong-Yi Qiang-Bang Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Forever Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phoenix Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apollo B.B. Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NITC Taiwan Bond Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KIRIN Bond Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shares of stock: Ralec Electronic Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for value decline loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 Shares Cost (’000) NT Dollars 89 $ 1,179 — — — — — — — — — — 50 4,850 787 86,681 92,710 (42,893) $49,817 |
2001 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares (’000) 89 — — — — — 50 787 |
Shares (’000) — 756 8,013 4,827 228 24,813 — — |
Cost | |
| NT Dollars $ — 10,000 110,000 50,000 97,384 250,000 — — |
|||
| 517,384 — |
|||
| $517,384 |
Please see Note 21 for marketable securities and related disclosures as of December 31, 2002.
Please see Note 21 for purchases or sales of a single marketable securities that accumulated to NT$100 million and more.
5. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE — NET
Accounts receivable — net are as follows:
| Account Accounts receivable — non-related parties . . . . . . . . . Allowance for doubtful accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts receivable — related parties . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for doubtful accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for investment loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $923,622 (46,118) 877,504 83,762 (3,400) — 80,362 $957,866 |
2001 NT Dollars $619,551 (247,178) 372,373 174,009 (19,000) (2,613) 152,396 $524,769 |
2002 $717,354 (238,413) 478,941 106,278 (2,623) — 103,655 $582,596 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $20,643 (6,860) |
||||
| 13,783 | ||||
| 3,058 (75) — |
||||
| 2,983 | ||||
| $16,766 |
Please see Note 7 for allowance for investment loss pertain to the recognized equity in losses of Maxmax Group Corporation, equity-method invested.
F-11
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
6. INVENTORIES — NET
Inventories — net are as follows:
| Account Raw materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Work in process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finished goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for value decline loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $ 34,724 6,303 56,082 215,953 313,062 (54,009) $259,053 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 47,669 — 168,100 215,769 431,538 (39,537) $392,001 |
2002 $ 78,602 — 131,740 141,601 351,943 (46,284) $305,659 |
2002 US Dollars $ 2,262 — 3,791 4,075 10,128 (1,332) $ 8,796 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7. LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS
Long-term investments are as follows:
| Account Non-traded Stock Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abon-Senses Technology Incorporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-Ritek International Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Land Transaction Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Informax Optical Technology Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prosperity Venture Capital Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catalyst Logic CO., LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ID Interactive LTD.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Custer Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traded Stock Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for valuation losses in long-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2002 | US Dollars $ 3,032 691 1,919 303 — 1,583 604 1,727 285 14 293 — 10,451 1,543 1,278 (1,603) 1,218 $11,669 |
|---|---|---|
| NT Dollars % Owned $105,350 99.99 24,025 78.14 66,691 20.00 10,528 43.33 — 10.91 55,000 18.15 21,000 2.91 60,000 1.34 9,900 1.34 484 0.05 10,184 16.92 — 100.00 363,162 53,635 0.06 44,436 0.74 (55,729) 42,342 $405,504 |
F-12
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
| Account Non-traded Stock Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-Ritek International Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . New Land Transaction Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Informax Optical Technology Corporation . . . . . . . . . Ritekom Phonotics Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traded Stock Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traded corporate bonds Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowance for valuation losses in long-term investments Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 NT Dollars % Owned $ 96,133 99.99 9,178 49.00 92,606 20.00 16,800 12.00 55,000 18.15 — — — — 269,717 — — — — — $269,717 |
2001 |
|---|---|---|
| NT Dollars % Owned $108,326 99.99 — 49.00 88,454 20.00 16,800 10.91 55,000 18.15 21,000 3.75 27,180 1.20 316,760 53,635 — 35,436 — 9,000 — (33,769) 64,302 $381,062 |
The equity in earnings (loss) , including amortization of investment premium and original investment cost of the above equity-method investees are as follows:
| Account Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abon-Senses Technology Incorporation . . . . . . . . . . . E-Ritek International Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Account Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2002 | 2002 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Gain (Loss) NT Dollars US Dollars $ (2,975) $ (85) (1,945) (56) (21,763) (626) (2,472) (71) (16,800) (484) $(45,955) $(1,322) 2000 2001 Equity Gain (Loss) NT Dollars $ (3,867) $ 12,193 (19,008) (11,790) 606 (4,152) $(22,269) $ (3,749) |
Original Cost | ||
| NT Dollars US Dollars $ 99,999 $(2,878) 67,930 (1,955) 92,000 (2,647) 13,000 (374) 16,800 (483) $289,729 $(8,337) 2002 2002 Original Cost |
US Dollars $(2,878) (1,955) (2,647) (374) (483) |
||
| $(8,337) | |||
| 2002 | |||
| NT Dollars $ 99,999 $ 99,999 27,930 27,930 92,000 92,000 $219,929 $219,929 |
|||
| $219,929 |
-
Investment loss from the above equity-method investees for the respective years were based on audited financial statements for the same period. Equity in losses Taimide Tech. Inc. and AbonSenses Technology Incorporation were based on financial statements audited by other auditors.
-
On April 29, 2002, Maxmax Group Corporation increased its capital by issuing new shares for cash in the amount of $40,000. The new shares were fully subscribed by the Company making its ownership 78.14%. The net asset value of Maxmax Group Corporation changed and because the
F-13
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
Company did not have capital surplus from investment transactions, the effect of such change in the net asset value of the investee was recorded as a direct adjustment of accumulated deficit and investment.
-
Investees in which the Company’s ownership interest exceed 50%, except for Quo-Chao Investment Corporation and Maxmax Group Corporation which are consolidated, but individually with total assets and total operating revenues separately amount to less than 10% of the Company’s or in aggregate with total assets and total operating revenues separately amount to less than 30% of the Company’s are not consolidated.
-
The Company intends to hold the equity investments in Ritek Corporation and Lead Data Inc. on a long-term basis. Accordingly, on July 1, 2001, the Company’s short-term investments in such investees have been reclassified into long-term investments. The market value at the date of transfer was recorded as the new cost. Therefore, the Company recognized a realized loss on decline in value of investment of $27,539. In addition, at December 31, 2002, the investments were stated at the lower of cost or market with an allowance provided for decline in value.
-
The above cost method investee E-Ritek International Group Corporation has suspended its operations in the last two years. Accordingly, the Company provided its investment in such investee with an allowance for decline in value of $16,800.
-
In 2002, GIGASTORAGE planned to transfer all of its investment in Offshore Incorporations (Samoa) Limited to Custer Inc. (SAMOA) for 1,000,000 shares. As of December 31, 2002, the transfer has been registered but the investment was not yet remitted and no investment gain or loss was recognized.
-
Please see Note 21 for marketable securities at December 31, 2002.
-
Please see Note 21 for information on the investees.
8. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
The original cost, accumulated depreciation and book value of property, plant and equipment are as follows:
| Account Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Machinery and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepayments for equipment and construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2002 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost $ 6,204 15,197 98,704 5,371 1,229 $126,705 |
Accumulated Depreciation (US Dollars) $ — 2,713 34,820 2,405 — $39,938 |
Net Book Value |
|
| $ 6,204 12,484 63,884 2,966 1,229 |
|||
| $86,767 |
F-14
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
| Account Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Machinery and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepayments for equipment and construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2002 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost $ 215,598 528,114 3,429,977 186,640 42,682 $4,403,011 |
Accumulated Depreciation (NT Dollars) $ — 94,278 1,210,005 83,572 — $1,387,855 |
Net Book Value |
|
| $ 215,598 433,836 2,219,972 103,068 42,682 |
|||
| $3,015,156 |
| Account Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Machinery and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepayments for equipment and construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 2001 Net Book Value |
2001 |
|---|---|---|
| (NT Dollars) $ 215,598 $ 215,598 484,732 455,158 2,732,252 2,477,695 153,883 136,404 110,708 54,728 $3,697,173 $3,339,583 |
||
| $3,339,583 |
-
Property, plant and equipment were insured for $3,777,935, $3,372,992 and $3,076,674 at December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively.
-
Property, plant and equipment were capitalized interest amounted to $12,620, $4,187 and $232 at December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively.
-
Please refer to Note 19 for pledged assets.
9. SHORT-TERM LOANS
Short-term loans are as follows:
| Account Short-term loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interest rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $214,966 1.24–8.13% |
2001 NT Dollars $— — |
2002 $358,106 2.175–2.80% |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $10,305 |
||||
F-15
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
10. LONG-TERM LOANS
Long-term loans are as follows:
| Bank Chiao Tung Bank — Secured loan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chiao Tung Bank — Secured loan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MOEA Industrial Bureau — Product Development Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . China Industry Development Bank — Secured loan . . . . . Land Bank — Secured loan . . . Land Bank — Secured loan . . . Chiao Tung Bank — Secured loan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Portion due within one year . . . Long-term loans . . . . . . . . . . . |
Interest rates Per annum 5.865% 5.865% Interest free 5.865% 3.00% 5.675% 5.865% |
Payment Term 1998.5–2005.5 1999.1–2006.1 1999.6–2003.4 1999.6–2004.4 1999.11–2004.11 2000.6–2012.6 2000.9–2006.9 |
December 31, | December 31, | 2002 US Dollars $ 4,078 37 39 5,313 4,565 5,755 7,036 26,823 (9,801) $17,022 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 $ 255,042 2,088 10,925 400,000 324,138 90,000 50,000 1,132,193 (236,244) $ 895,949 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 198,366 1,683 6,829 307,693 241,378 90,000 310,000 1,155,949 (333,870) $ 822,079 |
2002 $141,690 1,287 1,366 184,617 158,619 200,000 244,500 932,079 (340,583) $591,496 |
Please see Note 19 for assets pledged as collateral for long-term loans.
11. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT FUND
GIGASTORAGE established a retirement plan covering regular employees. According to the plan, employee retirement benefit is calculated according to the number of years of employment and average salary at the time of retirement. The Company on a monthly basis provides for employee retirement fund an amount equivalent to 2% of monthly salary expense. The fund is deposited with the Central Trust Bureau in the name of the Company’s Employee Retirement Fund Administration Committee. As of December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, the fund balance amounted to NT$6,087, $9,902 and $12,456, respectively.
GIGASTORAGE’s retirement fund information is as follows:
Net pension cost includes the following:
| Account Service cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interest cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expected return on plan assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amortization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $4,288 295 (225) 58 $4,416 |
2001 NT Dollars $4,263 492 (459) 11 $4,307 |
2002 $4,263 585 (541) 11 $4,318 |
2002 US Dollars $123 17 (16) — $124 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
F-16
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
Reconciliation of the plan’s funded status with the accrued pension liability is as follows:
| Account Benefit obligation: Vested benefit obligation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-vested benefit obligation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accumulated benefit obligation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Effect of future salary increase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Projected benefit obligation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fair value of the plan assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funded status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrecognized past service cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrecognized pension loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accrued pension liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vested benefit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $ — 2,835 2,835 5,717 8,552 (6,368) 2,184 (228) (723) $1,233 $ — |
2001 NT Dollars $ — 4,514 4,514 7,803 12,317 (9,902) 2,415 (216) 127 $2,326 $ — |
2002 $ — 7,132 7,132 7,149 14,281 (12,709) 1,572 (205) 2,724 $4,091 $ — |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ — 206 |
||||
| 206 206 |
||||
| 412 (366) |
||||
| 46 (6) 78 |
||||
| $118 | ||||
| $ — |
Assumptions in the calculation of pension cost and retirement benefit obligation:
| Discount rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rate of future salary increase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expected rate of return on plan assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funding and payment status of the fund: Funding for the year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 5.75% 5.50% 5.75% $3,441 |
2001 4.75% 5.00% 4.75% $3,214 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.75% 3.50% 3.75% $2,554 |
12. CAPITAL STOCK
The company has authorized common stock of 350,000,000, 338,000,000 and 338,000,000 shares and has issued 229,097,800, 252,007,600 and 252,007,600 shares at December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively, at NT$10 par value each share. The shares are all common stock. The capital sources are as follows:
| Original cash subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capital increase in cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Employee bonus transferred to capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Earnings transferred to capital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capital surplus transferred to capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Amount |
|---|---|
| NT Dollars $ 101,270 1,582,612 106,912 444,184 285,098 |
|
| $2,520,076 |
13. PAID-IN CAPITAL IN EXCESS OF PAR-COMMON STOCK
According to the Company Law, Paid-in capital in excess of par-common stock can be used only to make up for deficit and to increase capital. Paid-in capital in excess of par-common stock can be used to make up for deficit only if earnings is not sufficient to make up for the deficit.
F-17
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
14. APPROPRIATION OF EARNINGS AND DIVIDEND POLICY
In accordance with the Company Law and the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, annual earnings after tax shall first be used to make up for deficit and then appropriate 10% for legal reserve, but the appropriation for legal reserve will be made only until its amount reaches the capital amount. Subject to the approval by the stockholders in their meeting, the remaining amount may be retained in whole or in part or declared for dividend or distributed according to the following:
-
(1) Stockholders’ bonus as proposed by the Board of Directors according to the dividend policy and approved by the stockholders.
-
(2) Directors’ and supervisors’ remuneration — 2%.
-
(3) Employee bonus — not less than 5%.
Dividend Policy:
The Company, in consideration of the whole environment, business growth, long-term financial plan, continuity of operations, and stable operations, adopted the residual earnings dividend policy. Based on the projected capital, the Company will estimate the annual capital requirement and retain the earnings by transferring to capital. Thereafter, not less than 5% of the remaining amount may be distributed as cash dividend.
Disposition of the Company’s 2002 loss was not yet passed by the Board of Directors as of the date of the auditors’ report. For information on the resolutions passed by the Board of Directors and approved by the stockholders, refer to the Market Observation Post System of the Taiwan Stock Exchange. (http://mops.tse.com.tw)
15. INCOME TAX
Income tax returns are filed individually by each entity. Loss incurred by a domestic company can be carried forward and used as deduction from taxable income within the next five years.
- Provision for income tax was calculated as follows:
| Account Income before income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Permanent differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Temporary differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taxable income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tax rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Effect of change in deferred tax asset and liability Adjustment of prior years’ income tax . . . . . . . Current income tax expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax expense and others. . . . . . Provision for income tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $(207,315) 62,452 59,996 (84,867) 25% — (20,279) 679 — — $ (19,600) |
2001 NT Dollars $(592,963) (28,410) 357,320 (264,053) 25% — (504) 504 — — $ — |
2002 $(599,362) (13,135) 276,020 (336,477) 25% — — — — — $ — |
2002 US Dollars $(17,248) (378) 7,943 (9,683) 25% — — — — — $ — |
|---|---|---|---|---|
F-18
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
- At December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002, deferred income tax assets (liability) are as follows:
| Deferred income tax asset — current . . . . . . . . Less: Allowance for deferred income tax asset — current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax asset — noncurrent . . . . . Less: Allowance for deferred income tax asset — noncurrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax liability — current . . . . . . Net deferred income tax asset . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $ 38,004 — 390,000 (216,000) (13,522) $198,482 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 56,986 (40,000) 517,000 (320,000) (15,000) $198,986 |
2002 $162,000 (121,000) 483,000 (325,014) — $198,986 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $4,662 (3,482) 13,899 (9,353) — |
||||
| $5,726 |
- At December 31, 2002, the Company’s creditable tax from investments and losses are as follows:
| Expiry Year 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Creditable Tax from Investment NT Dollars $ 84,825 127,555 69,147 6,269 — $287,796 |
Creditable Tax from Losses |
|---|---|---|
| NT Dollars $ — — 20,764 65,792 84,119 |
||
| $170,675 |
Income tax credit from investment are as follows:
| Regulation Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 8 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 6 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 8 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 6 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 8 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 6 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 8 . . Promotion and Upgrading of Industries Article 6 . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Item Equipment R&D Equipment R&D Equipment R&D Equipment R&D |
Creditable Amount $ 35,061 49,764 117,255 10,300 63,990 5,157 3,203 3,066 $287,796 |
Unused Creditable Amount $ 35,061 49,764 117,255 10,300 63,990 5,157 3,203 3,066 $287,796 |
Expiry Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 |
-
In accordance with the regulations on promotion and upgrading of industries, the Company applied for and was approved by the North District of the National Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Finance to be exempted from income tax for five years. Beginning in 2000 through the next consecutive five years, the Company will calculate the tax-exempt income based on the ratio of tax-exempt machinery and equipment.
-
GIGASTORAGE’s calendar year profit-seeking enterprise income tax returns up to 1999 have been examined and approved by the tax authority.
F-19
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
- GIGASTORAGE’s Two-Tax-In-One information is as follows:
| Income tax deductible by stockholders . . . . . . . Rate of income tax deduction to earnings distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unappropriated earnings data: 1997 and before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998 and after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $43,229 2000 —% 2000 $ — (179,243) $(179,243) |
2001 NT Dollars $43,485 2001 —% 2001 NT Dollars $ — (592,963) $(592,963) |
2002 $45,272 2002 —% 2002 $ — (1,203,742) $(1,203,742) |
2002 US Dollars $1,303 2002 US Dollars $ — (34,640) $(34,640) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
16. LOSSES PER SHARE
Losses per share shown in the consolidated statements of income was calculated by dividing the net loss after tax of $187,715, $592,963 and $599,362 for the years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 by the moving weighted average number of shares outstanding during those years of 205,207,000, 252,007,600 and 252,007,600, respectively.
17. DISCLOSURES OF DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
The methods and assumptions used in determining the fair value of financial instruments are as follows:
-
Short-term financial instruments use the book value as the fair value. Because of their short-term nature, the book value is a reasonable basis of fair value. This method is used for cash and cash equivalents, receivables, notes payable and short-term borrowings. The book value and fair value of these accounts are the same.
-
Marketable securities with available market price use the market price for determining the fair value. If market price is not available, the fair value is based on financial or other information. The fair value of short-term investments equals their carrying value after deducting allowance for loss on decline in value.
-
Long-term equity investments with available market price use the market price for determining their fair value. If market price is not available, the fair value is based on financial or other information. The fair value of long-term equity investments equals their book value.
-
Long-term loans use the discounted value of expected future cash flows as the fair value. The discount rate is based on the rate of loan with similar terms (maturity) that the Company can obtain. The book value of long-term loans approximates the fair value.
F-20
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
18. SIGNIFICANT RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
(1) Names and Relationships of Related Parties
Name Relationship
| Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . | Equity-method investee |
|---|---|
| Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Equity-method investee |
| Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Legal representative is the Company’s Chairman |
| U-Tech Media Corporation . . . . . . . . . . | Same Chairman |
| Ritdisplay Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Related party in substance |
| Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Related party in substance |
| Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Related party in substance |
| Ju-Ji Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Related party in substance |
| ID Interactive LTD.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Related party in substance |
| Barnwell Enterprise LTD.. . . . . . . . . . . | 100% owned by CUSTER INC., a subsidiary of the Company |
(2) Significant Related Party Transactions
- a. Sales and Receivables
| Sales Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barnwell Enterprise LTD.. . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $76,769 — — — — $76,769 |
2001 NT Dollars $ — 372,601 13,319 — 87,545 $473,465 |
2002 $ 22,194 21,884 16,747 26,616 17,030 $104,471 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ 639 630 482 766 490 |
||||
| $3,007 |
-
Sales prices are negotiated; without fixed mark-up rate.
-
Sales in 2002 that reached $100 million and more: none.
| Notes Receivable Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $— — — $— |
2001 NT Dollars $ — 12,506 32 $12,538 |
2002 $22,644 17,708 — $40,352 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ 651 510 — |
||||
| $1,161 |
F-21
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
The above notes receivable from Ritek Corporation are receipts from sales on behalf of the Company.
| Accounts Receivable Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barnwell Enterprise LTD.. . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $83,762 — — — — $83,762 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 83,529 87,274 — — 3,206 $174,009 |
2002 $ 32,563 23,213 15,993 26,821 7,688 $106,278 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ 937 668 460 772 221 |
||||
| $3,058 |
-
Accounts receivable from Maxmax Group Corporation are due within 180 days from end of month. But to support its operations, the due date is extended and not on the above terms.
-
Accounts receivable from Ritek Corporation are due within 90 days from end of month and receivables from non-related parties are due within 30 to 90 days.
-
Accounts receivable from Lead Data Inc. are due within 70 to 100 days and receivables from non-related parties are due within 30 to 90 days.
-
Please see to Note 21 for receivables from related parties that amounted to $100 million and more.
-
b. Purchases and Payables
| Purchases Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritdisplay Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes Payables Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritdisplay Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $39,071 — 6,612 $45,683 2000 $— — — $— |
2001 NT Dollars $337,305 50,548 6,799 $394,652 2001 NT Dollars $10,948 50,548 178 $61,674 |
2002 $88,802 — 7,173 $95,975 2002 $20,362 — 3,599 $23,961 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $2,556 — 206 |
||||
| $2,762 | ||||
| 2002 | ||||
| US Dollars $586 — 104 |
||||
| $690 |
F-22
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
The above notes receivable from Ritek Corporation are receipts from sales on behalf of the Company.
| Accounts Payables Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $— — $— |
2001 NT Dollars $3,860 — $3,860 |
2002 $3,047 431 $3,478 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ 88 12 |
||||
| $100 |
19. PLEDGED ASSETS
Pledged assets are as follows:
| Account Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Machines and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Savings deposit — reserve for payment . . . . . . . . . . . Time deposit — restricted asset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 $ 215,598 225,429 1,989,956 — 231,593 $2,662,576 |
2001 NT Dollars $ 215,598 220,953 1,728,960 41,177 24,359 $2,231,047 |
2002 $ 215,598 216,479 1,432,289 — 11,124 $1,875,490 |
2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollars $ 6,204 6,230 41,217 — 320 |
||||
| $53,971 |
20. SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
-
On October 12, 1999, GIGASTORAGE signed with Royal Philip Electronics a 10-year CD-WO/ MD Disc Agreement in which the Company will pay Royal Philip Electronics on a quarterly basis a royalty of 3% of net sales (net of sales returns, allowances and unrealized sales to related parties) of authorized products’ (CD-R) or Japanese Yen 10 per disk, whichever is higher provided that the terms will be comparable to the terms of other companies in the industry. However, the above mentioned agreement was terminated in April 2001. As of December 31, 2002, GIGASTORAGE has not yet signed a new agreement and still researching the terms of other existing agreements in the industry.
-
Royal Philip Electronics alleged that its patent right over write-able optical disk was violated and asks for compensation from GIGASTORAGE in the amount of Japanese Yen 7,900 and legal interest. At present, the case is under litigation in the Hsinchu District Court. According to the opinion of GIGASTORAGE’s legal counsel: ‘‘Because this case involves a question on the effectiveness of patent rights contract and the Fair Trade Committee of the Executive Yuan already ruled that the write-able optical disk patent right contract has violated the law and penalized Royal Philip Electronics’’ he believes that GIGASTORAGE’s ‘‘position that the patent contract is not valid has more than 50% chances of getting favorable result.’’ The claim by Royal Philip Electronics for infringement damages against the Company for $1,550 and interest is still being tried by the Hsinchu District Court.
-
Royal Philip Electronics filed with the International Trade Commission of the United States of America a case against GIGASTORAGE. The case is presently being tried by the Commission. If the result will be in favor of Royal Philip Electronics, GIGASTORAGE will not be able to sell CD-R and CD-RW products in America. However the case does not involve any payment of money. GIGASTORAGE has already hired a lawyer to handle the case.
F-23
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
-
On December 31, 2001, the Company and TAIYO CO., LTD signed a one-year CD-WO Disc Patent License Agreement. Under the agreement, GIGASTORAGE will pay a royalty based on the net sales of the specified products.
-
On October 22, 2001, GIGASTORAGE and Sony Corporation signed a five-year CD-R Disc Patents License Agreement. Under the agreement, GIGASTORAGE will pay a royalty based on the number of units sold of the specified products.
-
On February 27, 2003, GIGASTORAGE and Sony Corporation signed a CD-RW Disc Patent License Agreement with a contract period of five years retroactive from October 1, 2002. Under the agreement, GIGASTORAGE will pay a royalty based on the number of units sold of the specified products.
21. OTHER MATTERS
- Information Related to Significant Transactions
| No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Item Loans to other party Guarantees for other party Year-end balances of marketable securities Accumulated purchases or sales of a single security that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Acquisitions of fixed assets that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Disposals of fixed assets that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Purchases and sales to related party that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Due from related party that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Derivative financial instrument transactions Name, location, etc. of investees |
Remark |
|---|---|---|
| None None Appendix 1 Appendix 2 None None None None None Appendix 3 |
- Information Related to Investees
| No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
Item Loans to other party Guarantees for other party Year-end balances of marketable securities Accumulated purchases or sales of a single security that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Acquisitions of fixed assets that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Disposals of fixed assets that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Purchases and sales to related party that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Due from related party that amount to NT$100 million or 20% of capital or more Derivative financial instrument transactions |
Remark |
|---|---|---|
| None None Appendix 4 None None None None None None |
F-24
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
22. SEGMENT INFORMATION
(1) Export Sales
| 2002 Revenues from beside parent company and consolidated company Revenues from parent company and consolidated company Subtotal Department Revenues Operating Expense Non-operating Revenues Non-operating Expense Income before Tax Identify Assets Long-Term investment Total Asset 2001 Revenues from beside parent company and consolidated company Revenues from parent company and consolidated company Subtotal Department Revenues Operating Expense Non-opeating Revenues Non-operating Expense Income before Tax Identify Assets Long-Term Investment Total Asset |
Taiwan $1,734,183 21,190 $1,734,183 $ (106,948) $5,083,067 Taiwan $1,412,945 204,218 $1,617,163 $ (685) $5,573,447 |
Over Sea $43,891 — $43,891 $(33,767) $81,587 Over Sea $259,028 — $259,028 $ (59,100) $257,723 |
Adjustment $ — (21,190) $(21,190) $ — $(78,684) Adjustment $ — (204,218) $(204,218) $ — $(200,305) |
Consolidation $1,778,074 — $1,778,074 $ (140,715) (352,415) 39,236 (145,468) $ (599,362) $5,085,970 405,504 $5,491,474 Consolidation $1,671,973 — $1,617,973 $ (59,785) (562,216) 157,374 (128,336) $ (592,963) $5,630,865 381,062 $6,011,927 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
F-25
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
| 2000 Revenues from beside parent company and consolidated company Revenues from parent company and consolidated company Subtotal Department Revenues Operating Expense Non-operating Revenues Non-operating Expenses Income before Tax Identify Assets Long-Term investment Total Asset Americas Asia Europe Major Customer Customer A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customer B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customer C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Taiwan $1,118,263 358,241 $1,476,504 $ 280,766 $6,182,117 2000 $688,861 98,040 477,408 2000 $ — 76,769 |
Over Sea $358,241 — $358,241 $(38,956) $313,366 2001 NT Dollars $595,421 219,717 32,299 2001 NT Dollars $372,601 265,467 204,218 |
Adjustment $ — (358,241) $(358,241) $ — $(248,508) 2002 $414,999 308,924 147,890 2002 $21,884 13,822 21,190 |
Consolidation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,476,504 — |
|||||||
| $1,476,504 | |||||||
| $ 241,810 (365,350) 104,696 (188,471) |
|||||||
| $ (207,315) | |||||||
| $6,246,875 269,717 |
|||||||
| $6,516,592 | |||||||
| 2002 US Dollars $11,942 8,890 4,256 2002 US Dollars $630 398 610 |
(2) Major Customer
23. ELIMINATION ENTRIES FOR RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
According to ‘‘Guidelines for the Preparation of Report on Consolidated Operations of Related Businesses, and Consolidated Financial Statements and Report Thereon,’’ the related party transactions that were eliminated are as follows:
| Account Accounts receivable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . Capital stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inappropriated earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . Cumulative translation adjustments . . . . Operating revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Realized gain on Inter-Affiliate . . . . . . . Unrealized gain on Inter-Affiliate . . . . . Investment loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2000 Debit Credit NT Dollars $ $248,608 58,983 297,660 58,983 46,315 1,716 358,241 379,731 21,490 93,651 |
2001 Debit Credit NT Dollars $ $196,305 4,000 441,478 4,000 46,315 95,367 13,850 204,218 200,728 3,490 182,271 |
2002 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debit Credit NT Dollars $ $ 76,684 2,000 133,966 2,000 323,995 277,638 11,646 21,190 23,190 4,000 2,000 91,993 |
Credit |
F-26
| (NT Dollars and Number of Shares are in Thousands) | December 31, 2002 | General Ledger Account Shares Book Value % Owned Market Value Note |
Short-term investment 6,696 $ 78,000 — $ 78,000 |
Short-term investment 5,115 80,000 — 80,000 |
Short-term investment 2,844 36,500 — 36,500 |
Short-term investment 4,205 60,000 — 60,000 |
Short-term investment 9,119 100,000 — 100,000 |
Short-term investment 8,299 95,000 — 95,000 |
Short-term investment 4,170 50,000 — 50,000 |
Short-term investment 324 10,652 — 7,722 |
Short-term investment 30 657 — 256 |
Short-term investment 777 12,504 —- 11,266 |
Short-term investment 53 1,058 — 917 |
Short-term investment 19 264 — 250 |
Short-term investment 30 1,331 — 1,300 |
Short-term investment 12 555 — 498 |
Short-term investment — 10,116 — 10,222 |
Short-term investment — 6,986 — 6,957 |
Short-term investment — 6,977 — 6,795 |
Short-term investment — 6,943 — 6,560 |
Short-term investment — 2,174 — 1,821 |
559,717 554,059 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APPENDIX 1 — 1 YEAR-END BALANCES OF MARKETABLE SECURITIES | Holding Company Name and Type of Security Relationship of Issuer and Holding Co. |
Beneficiary certificate: | Gigastorage Corp. . . Sheng-Hua 1699 Bond Fund NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Xin-Quang (TAIWAN) Ji-Li Bond Fund NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Ri-Sheng Bond Fund NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Bao-Lai De-Li Fund NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Qun-Yi An-Xin Fund NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Union Bond Fund NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Jin Ya-Tai Bond Fund NONE |
Shares of stock: | Gigastorage Corp. . . United Microelectronics Corporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . INFO Incorporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . CMC Magnetics Corporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Yuanta Core Pacific Securities NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Deltamac(Taiwan) CO., LTD. NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Fu Sheng Industrial CO., LTD. NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Lite-On Technology Corp. NONE |
Foreign and domestic convertible | bonds: | Gigastorage Corp. . . Wintek Corporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . CMC Magnetics Corporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Behavior Tech Computer Corporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . United Microelectronics Corporation NONE |
Gigastorage Corp. . . Ya-Hsin Industrial CO., LTD. NONE |
Total . . . . . . . . . . . |
F-27
| Note | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Value | $ — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19,235 | 23,107 | ||||
| December 31, 2002 | Book Value % Owned |
$105,350 99.99 |
24,025 78.14 |
— 100.00 |
66,691 20.00 |
10,528 43.33 |
— 10.91 |
55,000 18.15 |
21,000 2.91 |
60,000 1.34 |
9,900 1.34 |
484 0.05 |
10,184 16.92 |
53,635 0.06 |
44,436 0.74 |
461,233 | ||
| Shares | 10,688 | 2,344 | 1,000 | 9,200 | 1,300 | 600 | 1,375 | 1,500 | 5,000 | 1,100 | 23 | 783 | 1,198 | 2,769 | ||||
| General Ledger Account | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | Long-term investment | ||||
| Name and Type of Security Relationship of Issuer and Holding Co. |
Non-traded Stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation Equity-method investee |
Maxmax Group Corporation Equity-method investee |
Custer Inc. Equity-method investee |
Taimide Tech. Inc. Cost-method investee |
Abon-Senses Technology Incorporation Cost-method investee |
E-Ritek International Group Corporation Cost-method investee |
New Land Transaction Corporation Cost-method investee |
Informax Optical Technology Corporation Cost-method investee | Prorit Corporation Cost-method investee |
Prosperity Venture Capital Corporation Cost-method investee |
Catalyst Logic CO., LTD. Cost-method investee |
ID Interactive LTD. Cost-method investee |
Traded Stock | Ritek Corporation Legal representative is the Company’s Chairman |
Lead Data Inc. Related party in substance |
||
| Holding Company | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Gigastorage Corp. . . | Total . . . . . . . . . . . |
F-28
| GIGASTORAGECORPORATION ANDSUBSIDIARIES | NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) | Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 | (Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise) | APPENDIX 2 — 1 ACCUMULATED PURCHASES OR SALES OF A SINGLE SECURITY THAT AMOUNT TO NT$100 MILLION OR 20% OF CAPITAL | STOCK OR MORE | (NT Dollars and Number of Shares are in Thousands) | January 1, 2002 Acquisition Disposal December31,2002 |
Name and General |
Buyer or Seller Type of Security Ledger Account Counterparty Relationship Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Price Cost Gain Shares Amount |
Gigastorage Corp. . . . Forever bond fund/ Short-term investment — — 756 10,000 26,814 360,000 27,570 370,571 370,000 571 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Phoenix/beneficiary Short-term investment — — 8,013 110,000 33,210 460,000 41,223 571,283 570,000 1,283 — — |
certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . NAM Short Term Fixed Short-term investment — — 228 97,384 550 202,234 778 300,511 299,618 893 — — |
Income Fund/beneficiary | certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Entrust Kirin bond fund/ Short-term investment — — 24,813 250,000 106,642 1,080,000 131,455 1,333,557 1,330,000 3,557 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Cathay Capital Income Short-term investment — — — — 9,814 100,100 9,814 100,289 100,100 189 — — |
Growth Bond Fund/ | beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Sheng-Hua 1699 Bond Short-term investment — — — — 85,341 986,000 78,645 909,188 908,000 1,188 6,696 78,000 |
Fund/beneficiary | certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Polaris De-Bao Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 14,619 150,000 14,619 150,058 150,000 58 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Prudential Bond Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 20,857 300,000 20,857 300,182 300,000 182 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Long-River/beneficiary Short-term investment — — — — 46,742 510,000 46,742 510,494 510,000 494 — — |
certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Cathay Balanced Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 9,326 100,000 9,326 100,062 100,000 62 — — |
beneficiary certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F-29
| GIGASTORAGECORPORATION ANDSUBSIDIARIES | NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) | Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 | (Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise) | APPENDIX 2 — 2 ACCUMULATED PURCHASES OR SALES OF A SINGLE SECURITY THAT AMOUNT TO NT$100 MILLION OR 20% OF CAPITAL | STOCK OR MORE | January 1, 2002 Acquisition Disposal December 31,2002 |
Name and General |
Buyer or Seller Type of Security Ledger Account Counterparty Relationship Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Price Cost Gain Shares Amount |
Gigastorage Corp. . . . Xin-Quang Ji-Li Bond Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 52,846 820,000 47,731 740,822 740,000 822 5,115 80,000 |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Ri-Sheng Bond Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 14,774 188,000 11,930 151,589 151,500 89 2,844 36,500 |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . James Bond Fund/beneficiary Short-term investment — — — — 19,413 280,000 19,413 280,204 280,000 204 — — |
certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Bao-Lai De-Li Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 14,811 210,000 10,606 150,194 150,000 194 4,205 60,000 |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Qun-Yi An-Xin Fund/ Short-term investment- — — — — 43,303 470,000 34,184 370,528 370,000 528 9,119 100,000 |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Shinkong Chi-Shin Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 19,382 260,000 19,382 260,234 260,000 234 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Apollo B.B. Bond Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 27,805 300,000 27,805 300,310 300,000 310 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Union Bond Fund/beneficiary Short-term investment — — — — 59,406 675,000 51,107 580,617 580,000 617 8,299 95,000 |
certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Sheng-Hua 5599 Bond Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 11,574 120,000 11,574 120,089 120,000 89 — — |
beneficiary certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . President Home Run Bond Short-term investment — — — — 35,089 460,000 35,089 460,381 460,000 381 — — |
Fund/beneficiary | certificate | Gigastorage Corp. . . . Jin Ya-Tai Bond Fund/ Short-term investment — — — — 41,087 490,000 36,917 440,434 440,000 434 4,170 50,000 |
beneficiary certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F-30
| GIGASTORAGECORPORATION ANDSUBSIDIARIES | NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) | Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002 | (Amounts are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise) | APPENDIX 3 — PURCHASES AND SALES TO RELATED PARTY THAT AMOUNT TO NT$100 MILLION OR 20% OF CAPITAL STOCK OR MORE | (Amounts are in Thousands of NT Dollars) | Original Investment Ownership at End of Period |
End of End of Investee Investment |
this Last Book Gain (Loss) Gain (Loss) |
Investor Investee Location Main Business period Period Shares % Value this Period this Period Remark |
GIGASTORAGE Custer Inc. Offshore Chambers, Investment in — — 1,000 100.00% — — — Subsidiary |
CORPORATION . . P.O. BOX 217, Apia, various businesses |
Samoa | GIGASTORAGE Quo-Chao Investment Hsinchu City Investment 99,999 99,999 10,688 99.99% 105,350 (2,975) (2,975) Subsidiary |
CORPORATION . . Corporation |
GIGASTORAGE Maxmax Group Corporation Taipei County Sale of CD-R, 67,930 27,930 2,344 78.14% 24,025 (1,287) (1,945) Subsidiary, includes |
CORPORATION . . CD-RW and other amortization of |
products investment |
premium of | $1,064 | GIGASTORAGE Taimide Tech. Inc. Hsinchu County Manufacture and sale 92,000 92,000 9,200 20.00% 66,691 (80,692) (21,763) Equity method |
CORPORATION . . of electronic parts |
GIGASTORAGE Abon-Senses Technology Hsinchu County Sale of hospital 13,000 — 1.300 43,33% 13,000 (11,408) (2,472) Equity method |
CORPORATION . . Incorporation equipment |
material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F-31
| Remark | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Value | 19 | 5,540 | 21 | 445 | 974 | 1,019 | 1 | 18 | 86 | 170 | 8,027 | 5,143 | 65,343 | 139 | — | |
| End of Period | Book Value Shareholding % |
31 — |
6,278 — |
22 — |
726 — |
1,342 — |
1,803 — |
— — |
19 — |
92 — |
— — |
17,779 0.26% |
14,191 0.02% |
65,343 6.97% |
139 — |
— 100.00% |
| Shares/Units | 1 | 381 | 1 | 34 | 28 | 140 | 0.014 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 990 | 317 | 3,208 | 6 | 1,000 | |
| Relation with Issuer General Ledger Account | none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Short-term investment |
none Long-term investment |
none Long-term investment |
none Long-term investment |
none Long-term investment |
none Long-term investment |
|
| Holding Company Type and Name of Security |
Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Prodisc Technology Inc../stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Cmc Magnetics Corporation/stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Infodisc Taiwan/stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Deltamac(hk) Co. Ltd/stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Acer Inc./stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Microtek International Inc./stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Pihsiang Machinery Mfg. Co,. Ltd/stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Yuanta Core Pacifia Securities/stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . China Television Co./stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Data Systems Consulting Co,.Ltd./stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Lead Data Inc./stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Ritek Corporation/stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Taimide Tech. Inc./stock | Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . Wistron Corporation/stock | CUSTER INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barnwell Enterprise Ltd./stock |
F-32
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Years ended December 31, 2000, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts, Except Per Share, are Expressed in Thousands unless Stated Otherwise)
24. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(1) Consolidated Financial Statements
-
Consolidated balance sheets: please refer to page F-3.
-
Consolidated statements of income: please refer to page F-4.
-
(2) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
-
Consolidated entities:
| Company Name Gigastorage corporation USA . . . . Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . |
Relationship directly-owned subsidiary directly-owned subsidiary directly-owned subsidiary |
Nature of Business Sale of CD-R, CD-RW and other products Investment in various businesses Sale of CD-R, CD-RW and other products |
% Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100.00% 99.99% 78.14% |
-
Change in reporting entity: None.
-
Subsidiary that was not consolidated: Invitees in which the Company’s ownership interest exceed 50%, except for Quo-Chao Investment Corporation and Maxmax Group Corporation are consolidated, but individually with total assets and total operating revenues separately amount to less than 10% of the Company’s or in aggregate with total assets and total operating revenues separately amount to less than 30% of the Company’s are not consolidated.
-
Subsidiary with different accounting year-end and related adjustments: None
-
Subsidiary with different accounting policies and related adjustments: Inquiry and review of subsidiary did not show significant differences in accounting policies or require adjustments.
-
Significant risks in foreign subsidiary’s business: None
-
Legal or contractual restriction on the distribution of earnings: None
-
Consolidation debit (credit) amortization method and period: None
-
Other disclosure items:
-
(1) Eliminated transactions: please refer to Note 23
-
(2) Financing: none
-
(3) Guarantees: none
-
(4) Derivative instrument transactions: please refer to Note 20
-
(5) Significant contingencies: none
-
(6) Significant subsequent events: none
-
(7) Marketable securities: please refer to Appendix 1 and Appendix 4
F-33
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS’ REVIEW REPORT
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
We have reviewed the balance sheets of GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION (the ‘‘Company’’) as of March 31, 2002 and the related statements of operations, and cash flows for the three-month periods then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express a review opinion on these financial statements based on our reviews.
Except as discussed in the following paragraph, we conducted our reviews in accordance with ‘‘Regulations Governing the Review of Interim Financial Statements of Public Companies’’ in the Republic of China. A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures to financial data and of making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
As stated in Note 4(6), long-term investments accounted for by the equity-method of NT$109,677 thousand as of March 31, 2002, and equity in loss of such equity-method investees of NT$11,779 thousand for the three-month periods then ended, which were included in the financial statements referred to in the first paragraph, were based on unreviewed financial statements.
Based on our reviews, except for such modifications on the investment amounts that might have resulted had the investees’ financial statements been reviewed, we are not aware of modifications on the financial statements necessary for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the Republic of China.
Deloitte & Touche
Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China April 19, 2002
The above independent accountants’ review report and the following financial statements are English translations of the Chinese accountants’ review report and financial statements prepared for and used in the Republic of China. The accompanying financial statements were prepared using accounting principles, procedures and reporting practices generally accepted in the Republic of China and are not intended to present the financial position and results of operations and cash flows in accordance with accounting principles and practices generally accepted in countries and jurisdictions other than those in the Republic of China. The standards, procedures and practices utilized to review such financial statements are those generally accepted and applied in the Republic of China.
F-34
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REVIEW REPORT
The Board of Directors and Shareholders of
Gigastorage Corporation
We have reviewed the accompanying balance sheets of Gigastorage Corporation as of March 31, 2003 and the related statements of operations, and cash flows for the three months then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express a review opinion on these financial statements based on our review. The financial statements of Gigastorage Corporation as of March 31, 2002 were reviewed by other auditors whose report thereon dated April 19, 2002, expressed a qualified review opinion on those statements.
We conducted our review in accordance with ‘‘Standards for the Review of Interim Financial Statements.’’ A review consists principally of inquiries, comparison and analytical procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
As discussed in note 4(6), certain of the Company’s investees whose financial statements as of March 31, 2003 and for the three months then ended were not reviewed. Accordingly, the long-term investment accounted for under equity method amounting to NT$124,027 thousand (including credit balance of NT$55,511 thousand offset against receivables from related parties) as of March 31, 2003 and the related investment loss amounting to NT$5,439 thousand for the three months then ended, which were included in the financial statements referred to in the first paragraph, were not reviewed.
Based on our review, except for the circumstances mentioned in the third paragraph, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying financial statements in order for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the Republic of China.
DIWAN, ERNST & YOUNG CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China April 16, 2003
Notice to Readers
The accompanying financial statements are intended only to present the financial position and results of operations and cash flows in accordance with accounting principles and practices generally accepted in the Republic of China and not those of any other jurisdictions. The standards, procedures and practices to audit such financial statements are those generally accepted and applied in the Republic of China.
F-35
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
UNAUDITED BALANCE SHEETS March 31, 2002 and 2003
(Amounts in are Expressed in Thousands)
| Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Short-term investments — net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes receivable — net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts receivable — net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Receivables from related parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inventories — net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax assets — current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepaid expenses and other current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other financial assets — current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restricted deposits — current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term Investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property, plant and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buildings and facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transportation equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Office furniture and fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Accumulated depreciation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Add: Construction in progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepayment for equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net property, plant and equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Assets Refundable deposits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax assets-non-current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restricted deposits-non-current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Notes 2, 4(1) 2, 4(2) 2, 4(3) 2, 4(3) 2, 5 2, 4(5) 2, 4(14) 4(4) 2, 6 2, 4(6) 2, 4(7), 6 2 2, 4(14) 2, 6 |
As of March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 302,558 86,081 2,477 401,670 576,826 16,599 125,920 39,505 1,137 249,146 350,290 10,080 202,166 392,783 11,303 281,102 182,577 5,254 53,000 37,485 1,079 123,346 40,761 1,173 44,358 462 13 75,627 12,924 372 1,858,893 1,719,694 49,487 388,234 376,195 10,826 — 215,598 215,598 6,204 523,896 528,114 15,197 3,318,224 3,413,610 98,233 151,253 156,925 4,516 15,472 13,931 401 14,337 14,409 415 15,635 15,635 450 4,254,415 4,358,222 125,416 (1,071,083) (1,493,255) (42,971) 533 — — 59,980 44,580 1,283 3,243,845 2,909,547 83,728 8,510 5,060 146 93,596 118,317 3,405 145,986 162,050 4,663 14,500 — — 262,592 285,427 8,214 5,753,564 5,290,863 152,255 |
As of March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 302,558 86,081 2,477 401,670 576,826 16,599 125,920 39,505 1,137 249,146 350,290 10,080 202,166 392,783 11,303 281,102 182,577 5,254 53,000 37,485 1,079 123,346 40,761 1,173 44,358 462 13 75,627 12,924 372 1,858,893 1,719,694 49,487 388,234 376,195 10,826 — 215,598 215,598 6,204 523,896 528,114 15,197 3,318,224 3,413,610 98,233 151,253 156,925 4,516 15,472 13,931 401 14,337 14,409 415 15,635 15,635 450 4,254,415 4,358,222 125,416 (1,071,083) (1,493,255) (42,971) 533 — — 59,980 44,580 1,283 3,243,845 2,909,547 83,728 8,510 5,060 146 93,596 118,317 3,405 145,986 162,050 4,663 14,500 — — 262,592 285,427 8,214 5,753,564 5,290,863 152,255 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 302,558 401,670 125,920 249,146 202,166 281,102 53,000 123,346 44,358 75,627 1,858,893 388,234 215,598 523,896 3,318,224 151,253 15,472 14,337 15,635 4,254,415 (1,071,083) 533 59,980 3,243,845 8,510 93,596 145,986 14,500 262,592 5,753,564 |
|||
| NT$ 86,081 576,826 39,505 350,290 392,783 182,577 37,485 40,761 462 12,924 1,719,694 376,195 215,598 528,114 3,413,610 156,925 13,931 14,409 15,635 4,358,222 (1,493,255) — 44,580 2,909,547 5,060 118,317 162,050 — 285,427 5,290,863 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-36
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
UNAUDITED BALANCE SHEETS — (Continued) March 31, 2001 and 2002
(Amounts in are Expressed in Thousands)
| Current Liabilities Short-term loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Short-term notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payables to related parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current portion of long-term loans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payables to equipment suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accrued expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advance receipts and other current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total current liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term Liabilities Long-term loans, less current portion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Liabilities Accrued pension liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shareholders’ Equity Common stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paid-in capital in excess of par-common stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accumulated deficits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrealized loss on market value decline of long-term equity investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cumulative translation adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Shareholders’ Equity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Notes 4(8) 4(9) 5 4(10) 4(10) 2 4(11) 4(12) 2 |
As of March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 864 385,000 11,079 — 50,000 1,439 90,162 59,116 1,701 94,729 53,408 1,537 15,405 39,741 1,144 333,570 344,773 9,922 24,599 18,426 530 223,151 284,425 8,185 51,885 9,742 280 834,365 1,244,631 35,817 738,686 503,914 14,501 2,317 4,099 118 1,575,368 1,752,644 50,436 2,520,076 2,520,076 72,520 2,405,981 2,405,981 69,237 (709,020) (1,299,460) (37,395) (25,133) (76,732) (2,208) (13,708) (11,646) (335) 4,178,196 3,538,219 101,819 5,753,564 5,290,863 152,255 |
As of March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 864 385,000 11,079 — 50,000 1,439 90,162 59,116 1,701 94,729 53,408 1,537 15,405 39,741 1,144 333,570 344,773 9,922 24,599 18,426 530 223,151 284,425 8,185 51,885 9,742 280 834,365 1,244,631 35,817 738,686 503,914 14,501 2,317 4,099 118 1,575,368 1,752,644 50,436 2,520,076 2,520,076 72,520 2,405,981 2,405,981 69,237 (709,020) (1,299,460) (37,395) (25,133) (76,732) (2,208) (13,708) (11,646) (335) 4,178,196 3,538,219 101,819 5,753,564 5,290,863 152,255 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 864 — 90,162 94,729 15,405 333,570 24,599 223,151 51,885 834,365 738,686 2,317 1,575,368 2,520,076 2,405,981 (709,020) (25,133) (13,708) 4,178,196 5,753,564 |
|||
| NT$ 385,000 50,000 59,116 53,408 39,741 344,773 18,426 284,425 9,742 1,244,631 503,914 4,099 1,752,644 2,520,076 2,405,981 (1,299,460) (76,732) (11,646) 3,538,219 5,290,863 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-37
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
| Operating Revenues Sales revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Sales returns and allowances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost of goods sold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gross Profit (Loss). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating Expenses Selling expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and development expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating Income Interest income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gain on disposal of short-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Foreign exchange gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reversals of market value decline on short-term investments. . . . . . . . . . Other income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total non-operating income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-operating Expenses Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment loss recognized under equity method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment loss recognized under cost method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total non-operating expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss Before Income Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income Tax Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basic earnings per share (in New Taiwan dollars): Net loss per common share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Notes 2, 4(16), 5 4(17), 5 2 2, 4(2) 2, 4(6) 2, 4(6) 2, 4(14) 2, 4(15) |
Three months ended March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 374,727 483,166 13,904 (5,577) (10,282) (296) 369,150 472,884 13,608 (382,060) (453,446) (13,049) (12,910) 19,438 559 (53,426) (72,499) (2,086) (14,688) (19,899) (573) (10,882) (10,641) (306) (78,996) (103,039) (2,965) (91,906) (83,601) (2,406) 390 70 2 5,929 2,380 68 — 1,036 30 — 1,316 38 4,020 1,507 43 10,339 6,309 181 (19,289) (12,747) (367) (14,506) (5,439) (156) — (137) (4) (695) (40) (1) (34,490) (18,363) (528) (116,057) (95,655) (2,753) — 549 16 (116,057) (95,106) (2,737) (0.46) (0.38) (0.01) |
Three months ended March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 374,727 483,166 13,904 (5,577) (10,282) (296) 369,150 472,884 13,608 (382,060) (453,446) (13,049) (12,910) 19,438 559 (53,426) (72,499) (2,086) (14,688) (19,899) (573) (10,882) (10,641) (306) (78,996) (103,039) (2,965) (91,906) (83,601) (2,406) 390 70 2 5,929 2,380 68 — 1,036 30 — 1,316 38 4,020 1,507 43 10,339 6,309 181 (19,289) (12,747) (367) (14,506) (5,439) (156) — (137) (4) (695) (40) (1) (34,490) (18,363) (528) (116,057) (95,655) (2,753) — 549 16 (116,057) (95,106) (2,737) (0.46) (0.38) (0.01) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 374,727 (5,577) 369,150 (382,060) (12,910) (53,426) (14,688) (10,882) (78,996) (91,906) 390 5,929 — — 4,020 10,339 (19,289) (14,506) — (695) (34,490) (116,057) — (116,057) (0.46) |
|||
| NT$ 483,166 (10,282) 472,884 (453,446) 19,438 (72,499) (19,899) (10,641) (103,039) (83,601) 70 2,380 1,036 1,316 1,507 6,309 (12,747) (5,439) (137) (40) (18,363) (95,655) 549 (95,106) (0.38) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-38
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands)
| Cash flows from operating activities: Net Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Bad debt expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Depreciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amortization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment loss recognized under equity method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment loss recognized under cost method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gain on disposal of short-term investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reversals of market value decline on short-term investments. . . . . . . . . . Changes in assets and liabilities: Trading short-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes and accounts receivable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Receivables from related parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepaid expenses and other current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other financial assets — current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Notes and accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payables to related parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accrued expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other current liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accrued pension liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net cash provided by operating activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cash flows from investing activities: Increase in restricted deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Increase in short-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acquisition of property, plant and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Increase in deferred assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decrease (increase) in refundable deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net cash used in investing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Three months ended March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ (116,057) (95,106) (2,737) 28,434 40,083 1,153 104,399 106,807 3,074 11,357 16,798 483 14,506 5,439 156 — 137 4 — (2,380) (68) — (1,316) (38) 115,714 — — (115,582) 135,021 3,885 140,432 (170,847) (4,916) 8,084 68,172 1,962 (108,964) (17,891) (515) 11,570 19,247 554 — (549) (16) 28,678 (82,768) (2,382) (50,129) 12,302 354 14,542 4,006 115 (1,069) (5,236) (150) (9) 8 — 85,906 31,927 918 (24,591) (1,800) (52) — (18,723) (539) (18,289) (7,098) (204) (12,427) (17,846) (513) (214) 5,308 153 (55,521) (40,159) (1,155) |
Three months ended March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ (116,057) (95,106) (2,737) 28,434 40,083 1,153 104,399 106,807 3,074 11,357 16,798 483 14,506 5,439 156 — 137 4 — (2,380) (68) — (1,316) (38) 115,714 — — (115,582) 135,021 3,885 140,432 (170,847) (4,916) 8,084 68,172 1,962 (108,964) (17,891) (515) 11,570 19,247 554 — (549) (16) 28,678 (82,768) (2,382) (50,129) 12,302 354 14,542 4,006 115 (1,069) (5,236) (150) (9) 8 — 85,906 31,927 918 (24,591) (1,800) (52) — (18,723) (539) (18,289) (7,098) (204) (12,427) (17,846) (513) (214) 5,308 153 (55,521) (40,159) (1,155) |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ (116,057) 28,434 104,399 11,357 14,506 — — — 115,714 (115,582) 140,432 8,084 (108,964) 11,570 — 28,678 (50,129) 14,542 (1,069) (9) 85,906 (24,591) — (18,289) (12,427) (214) (55,521) |
||
| NT$ (95,106) 40,083 106,807 16,798 5,439 137 (2,380) (1,316) — 135,021 (170,847) 68,172 (17,891) 19,247 (549) (82,768) 12,302 4,006 (5,236) 8 31,927 (1,800) (18,723) (7,098) (17,846) 5,308 (40,159) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-39
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS — (Continued) For the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands)
| Cash flows from financing activities: Increase in short-term loans and short-term notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decrease in long-term loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net cash used in financing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cash and cash equivalents at the end of period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Income taxes paid during the period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interest paid during the period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment activities involving partial cash receipts and disbursements: Acquisition of property, plant and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Add: Payable at the beginning of period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Payable at the end of period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cash paid for acquiring property, plant and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investing and financing activities not affecting cash flows: Current portion of long-term loans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Three months ended March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 864 76,894 2,213 (83,692) (83,392) (2,400) (82,828) (6,498) (187) (52,443) (14,730) (424) 355,001 100,811 2,901 302,558 86,081 2,477 — — — 18,446 13,527 389 (15,441) (4,297) (123) (27,447) (21,227) (611) 24,599 18,426 530 (18,289) (7,098) (204) 333,570 344,773 9,922 |
Three months ended March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 864 76,894 2,213 (83,692) (83,392) (2,400) (82,828) (6,498) (187) (52,443) (14,730) (424) 355,001 100,811 2,901 302,558 86,081 2,477 — — — 18,446 13,527 389 (15,441) (4,297) (123) (27,447) (21,227) (611) 24,599 18,426 530 (18,289) (7,098) (204) 333,570 344,773 9,922 |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 864 (83,692) (82,828) (52,443) 355,001 302,558 — 18,446 (15,441) (27,447) 24,599 (18,289) 333,570 |
||
| NT$ 76,894 (83,392) (6,498) (14,730) 100,811 86,081 — 13,527 (4,297) (21,227) 18,426 (7,098) 344,773 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.
F-40
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
1. COMPANY BACKGROUND
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION ‘‘the Company’’ was established on March 26, 1997 in accordance with the Company Law and related regulations of the Republic of China and started operations on December 1, 1997. The Company is mainly engaged in research, manufacturing, and sale of read-only, write-able, and erasable optical disks; consulting services on the related technology; import and export of production equipment, spare parts, raw materials, semi-finished goods, and finished goods; bidding and agency services for foreign and local products; and manufacturing of information storage and handling equipment.
Beginning April 29, 2000, the Company’s shares are listed in Taiwan Securities Exchange Corporation. As of March 31, 2002 and 2003, the employees of the Company totaled 390 and 421 respectively.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accompanying financial statements are prepared in accordance with ROC’s ‘‘Criteria Governing Preparation of Financial Reports by Company — Type Stock Exchanges’’ and generally accepted accounting standards. Significant accounting policies are summarized as follows:
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash, and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in interest rates. Commercial papers, negotiable certificates of deposit, and bank acceptances with original maturities of three months or less at the investment date are considered to be cash equivalents.
Translation of Foreign Currency Transactions
The Company maintains its accounting records in New Taiwan dollars (‘‘NT dollars’’ or ‘‘NT$’’). Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are recorded in NT dollars using the exchange rates in effect at the dates of transactions. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into NT dollars using the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Foreign exchange gains or losses are included in other income or losses.
The assets and liabilities of the foreign subsidiaries are translated into NT dollars, with the local currency of each foreign subsidiary as its functional currency, at current exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenue and expense accounts are translated using the weighted average exchange rate for the period. Translation gains and losses are included as a component of shareholders’ equity.
Convenience Translation into US Dollars
The Company prepares its financial statements in NT dollars, its reporting currency. The United States (‘‘US’’) dollar amounts disclosed in the financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2003, are presented solely for the convenience of the reader and were translated at the rate of NT$34.75 to US$1.00 (on the basis of the noon buying rate in the City of New York for cable transfer in NT dollars per US dollar as certified for customer’s purpose by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on March 31, 2003). Such translation amounts are unaudited and it should not be construed that the NT dollar amounts represent, or have been, or could be, converted into US dollars at that or any other rates.
F-41
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
Short-term Investments
Short-term investments are recorded at cost when acquired and are stated at the lower of aggregate cost or market value at the balance sheet date. The market value of listed equity securities, closed-end funds, overseas convertible bonds and depository receipts are determined by the average closing price during the last month of the fiscal period. The market value for open-ended funds is determined by their equity value as reported at the balance sheet date. No revenue is recognized when stock dividends are received. Instead, the number of shares increases and the cost per share is recalculated. Interest revenue is recognized, on an accrued basis, for credit-linked structured deposits due within a year based on its contract rate.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
The allowance for doubtful accounts is provided based on a collectibility and aging analysis of notes and accounts receivable and other receivables.
Inventories
Inventories, except slow-moving or obsolete items which are stated at net realizable value, are recorded at cost when acquired and stated at the lower of aggregate cost, based on the weighted average method, or market value at the balance sheet date. The market value is determined on the basis of replacement cost.
Long-term Investments
-
(1) Long-term investments in which the Company holds an interest of less than 20% are accounted for under the cost method and stated at the lower of cost or market value, with unrealized losses recorded as a separate component of shareholders’ equity. There is no recognition of unrealized gains.
-
(2) Long-term investments in which the Company holds an interest of 20% or more are accounted for under the equity method. The difference between the cost of the investment and the underlying equity in the investee’s net assets at the date of acquisition is amortized over ten years. Adjustment to capital reserve is required when holding percentage changes due to unproportional subscription to investee’s new shares issued. If the capital reserve is insufficient, retained earnings are adjusted.
-
(3) Unrealized inter-company gains and losses are eliminated under the equity method. Unrealized profit from sale of depreciable assets between the investee and the Company is amortized and recognized based on the assets’ economic service lives. Profit from other types of inter-company transactions is recognized when realized.
-
(4) If the Company’s share of an investee company’s losses equals to or exceeds the carrying amount of an investment accounted for under the equity method, the recognized investment losses shall be limited to the extent that makes the book value of a long-term investment equal to zero. However, if the Company intends to provide further financial support for the investee company, or the investee company’s losses are temporary and there exists sufficient evidence showing imminent return to profitable operations, then the Company shall continue to recognize investment losses in proportion to the stock ownership percentage. Any credit long-term investment balance shall first offset the advance (if any) the Company made to the investee company, the remaining shall be recorded under other liabilities.
-
(5) Long-term bonds investments are recorded at cost as acquired and are stated at the lower of cost or market value at the balance sheet date.
F-42
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line basis over the following useful lives:
| Buildings and facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 9 to 55 years |
|---|---|
| Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 3 to 10 years |
| Research and development equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 3 to 10 years |
| Transportation equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 5 years |
| Office furniture and fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 5 years |
| Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 5 years |
Improvements and replacements are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful lives while ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. When property, plant and equipment are disposed of, their costs and accumulated depreciation are written off and related gain or loss is recorded under non-operating income (losses). Interest incurred to bring property, plant and equipment to the condition necessary for their intended use is capitalized.
Deferred Assets
Deferred assets, including molds, spare parts and tools are amortized by the straight-line method over 3 to 5 years.
Capital Expenditure vs. Revenue Expenditures
If the expenditure increase the future service potential of the plant assets and the purchase price exceeds a certain monetary threshold, the expenditure is capitalized, while the others are expensed as incurred.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized in accordance with ROC Statements of Financial Accounting Standards No. 32, ‘‘Accounting for Revenue Recognition.’’
Pension Plan
The Company established a pension plan covering substantially all of its employees. In accordance with the Labor Standards Law of ROC, the Company makes a monthly contribution equal to 2% of the wages and salaries paid during the period to a pension fund maintained by the Employees Retirement Fund Committee. Assets of the funds are deposited with the Central Trust of China, a government entity, in the name of the Committee. Payments of retirement benefits are disbursed from the fund directly. Therefore, it is not reflected in the accompanying financial statements.
The net pension cost is computed based on an actuarial valuation in accordance with the provisions of ROC Statements of Financial Accounting Standards No. 18, ‘‘Accounting for Pensions,’’ which requires consideration of pension cost components such as service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization of net obligations at transition. The unrecognized net obligations at transition and gain or loss on pension assets are amortized on the straight-line basis over the employees average remaining service period (23 years).
F-43
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with ROC Statements of Financial Accounting Standards No. 22 (‘‘SFAS 22’’), ‘‘Accounting for Income Taxes.’’ Under the asset and liability method of SFAS 22, deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be covered or settled. Valuation allowance on deferred income tax assets is provided to the extent that it is more likely than not that benefits will not be realized.
Income tax credits resulting from the acquisition of equipment, research and development expenditures, employee training and investment in equity stock shall be recognized using flowthrough method.
The 10% tax on undistributed earnings is recorded as an expense at the time shareholders resolve that its earnings shall be retained.
Earnings Per Share
The Company presents earnings per share in accordance with R.O.C. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 24, ‘‘Earnings per Share.’’ Basic earnings per share is equal to the net income (loss) attributable to common stock divided by the weighted average number of common shares.
Financial Instruments
(1) Foreign exchange forward contracts
A forward foreign exchange contract obligates the Company to exchange predetermined amount of specified foreign currencies at specified exchange rates for another currency on a specified date. For contracts that are designated as hedges, discounts or premiums, being the difference between the spot exchange rate and the forward exchange rate at the inception of the contract, are accreted or amortized to the income statement over the contract lives using the straight-line method. Realized gains and losses form settlement or unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in the spot exchange rate at the balance sheet date are recorded in the income statement as foreign exchange gains and losses in the period in which they relate.
Receivables and payables resulting from forward exchange contracts are presented, on a net basis, in the balance sheet under either other current assets or liabilities.
(2) Option contracts
Option contracts are reported at their fair market value at the balance sheet date. Changes in fair value are dealt with in different ways depending on the nature of the hedging activities to which they are related. In a fair value hedge of existing asset or liability, all gains and losses are recognized in earnings in the period of change. In a cash flow of forecasted transaction hedge, gains and losses are deferred and are reclassified into earnings when the forecasted transaction affects earnings. Premium of option contract is stated at cost as acquired and amortized over the contract lives using the straightline method.
F-44
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
3. REASONS AND EFFECT OF CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES
None.
4. DETAILS OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTS
(1) Cash and Cash Equivalents
| Cash on hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Checking accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 200 3,673 298,685 302,558 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 53 63 85,965 86,081 |
US$ 1 2 2,474 |
||
| 2,477 |
(2) Short-term Investments
| Listed equity securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Credit-linked structured deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mutual funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corporate bonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Allowance for market value decline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Market Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 4,356 — 397,384 — 401,740 (70) 401,670 401,670 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 34,512 7,066 512,000 27,590 581,168 (4,342) 576,826 576,826 |
US$ 993 203 14,734 794 |
||
| 16,724 (125) |
|||
| 16,599 | |||
| 16,599 |
-
a. Short-term investments were not pledged.
-
b. Credit-linked structured deposits were acquired at NT$7,066. In light of the Company’s intent for short-term holding, the deposit is classified as short-term investments. Please refer to Note 10 for risk disclosures of credit-linked structured deposits.
(3) Notes Receivable
| Notes receivable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 125,920 — 125,920 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 39,505 — 39,505 |
US$ 1,137 — |
||
| 1,137 |
F-45
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
Accounts Receivable
| Accounts receivable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 432,024 (182,878) 249,146 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 628,261 (277,971) 350,290 |
US$ 18,079 (7,999) |
||
| 10,080 |
During three months period ended March 31, 2002, the Company sold certain of its accounts receivable to China Trust Commercial Bank without recourse. Total amount of accounts receivable sold was NT$199,328. The Company retained NT$39,866 for reserve of sales allowance and return. The retention was recorded under other receivables account.
No accounts receivable was sold during the three months period ended March 31, 2003.
(4) Other financial assets
| Other receivables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 44,358 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 462 | US$ 13 |
(5) Inventories
| Raw materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Work in process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finished Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Allowance for declines in market value and obsolescence. . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 42,834 5,449 175,153 57,666 281,102 — 281,102 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 82,977 — 90,221 22,460 195,658 (13,081) 182,577 |
US$ 2,388 — 2,596 646 |
||
| 5,630 (376) |
|||
| 5,254 |
a. The insurance coverage for inventories amounted to NT$200,000 as of March 31, 2002 and 2003.
- b. Inventories were not pledged.
F-46
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
(6) Long-term Investments
| Long-term equity investment | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, 2002 | As of March 31, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shares Owned 1,500,000 9,999,988 2,793,000 9,200,000 600,000 1,375,000 1,500,000 1,800,000 958,100 1,869,000 90 |
Ownership Amount NT$ 100% — 99.99% 109,677 49.00% — 20.00% 85,639 10.91% 16,800 18.15% 55,000 3.75% 21,000 1.20% 27,180 0.06% 53,635 0.52% 35,436 404,367 — 9,000 413,367 (25,133) 388,234 As of March 31, 2003 |
Accounting method |
|||||
| Gigastorage Corp. USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-Ritek International Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . New Land Transportation Corporation . . . . . . . . Informax Optical Technology Corporation . . . . . Ritekom Phonotics Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtotal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term bonds investment |
Equity Equity Equity Equity Cost Cost Cost Cost LCM LCM LCM |
||||||
| Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: allowance for decline in market value . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long-term equity investment Gigastorage Corp. USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Custer Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quo-Chao Investment Corporation . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taimide Tech. Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avan Sense Technology Incorporation . . . . . . . E-Ritek International Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Land Transportation Corporation . . . . . . . Informax Optical Technology Corporation . . . . Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prosperity Venture Capital Corporation . . . . . . ID Interactive Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: allowance for decline in market value. . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
|||||||
| Shares Owned 9,500,000 1,000,000 10,688,229 2,344,286 9,200,000 1,300,000 600,000 1,375,000 1,500,000 5,000,000 1,100,000 783,346 1,197,625 2,768,900 |
Ownership 100% 100% 99.99% 78.14% 20.00% 43.33% 10.91% 18.15% 2.91% 1.34% 1.34% 16.92% 0.06% 0.74% |
Amount | Accounting method |
||||
| NT$ — — 85,865 25,846 59,457 8,370 — 55,000 21,000 60,000 9,900 10,184 53,635 44,435 433,692 (57,497) 376,195 |
Equity Equity Equity Equity Equity Equity Cost Cost Cost Cost Cost Cost LCM LCM |
a. The Company recognized losses on the above long-term equity investments based on the unreviewed financial statements of the investee companies for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003. Total long-term equity investment losses recognized by the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 were NT$14,506 and NT$5,439, respectively.
F-47
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
-
b. Catalyst Logic Co., Ltd. shares were listed on GreTai Securities Market since March 31, 2003. Accordingly, the Company reclassified NT$348 of its investment in Catalyst Logic Co., Ltd. from long-term investments to short-term, and recognized the realized loss on long-term investments of NT$137 based on the closing price on March 31, 2003.
-
c. As of March 31, 2002 and 2003, the Company offset NT$260,687 and NT$55,511, respectively, of its credit investment balances in Gigastorage Corp. USA and Maxmax Group Corporation against its receivables from these two companies. Please refer to Note 5 (3) for further details.
-
d. The Company acquired 1,000,000 shares (100%) of Custer Inc. from Offshore Incorporations (Samoa) Limited in 2002. However, no payment has been made as of March 31, 2003, thus no investment loss was recognized.
-
e. The Company provided 100% loss for its investment in E-Ritek International Group due to the investee’s inability to improve its operations or financial positions.
(7) Property, Plant and Equipment
-
a. For the three months ended March 31, 2002, and 2003, NT$197 and nil of interest were capitalized, respectively.
-
b. The insurance coverage for property, plant and equipment amounted to NT$3,372,992 and NT$3,076,674 as of March 31, 2002 and 2003, respectively.
-
c. Please refer to Note 6 ‘‘Assets Pledged As Collateral’’ for a summary of those assets included in property, plant and equipment that have been used as security for loans.
(8) Short-term Loans
| Letter of credit loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secured loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working capital loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ — — 864 864 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 382,000 3,000 — 385,000 |
US$ 10,993 86 — |
||
| 11,079 |
-
a. The Company’s unused short-term lines of credit amounted to NT$839,779 and NT$473,504 as of March 31, 2002 and 2003, respectively.
-
b. The interest rates of short-term loans were 8.24% and 2%~3% as of March 31, 2002 and 2003, respectively.
-
c. Please refer to Note 6 for assets pledged for short-term loans.
F-48
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
(9) Short-term Notes
| Short-term notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Discount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interest rates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ — — — — — |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 50,000 — 50,000 1.62% 3.28.2003 ~ 4.11. 2003 |
US$ 1,439 — |
||
| 1,439 | |||
Assets were not pledged as security for the short-term notes.
(10) Long-term Loans
| Secured Loan from Land Bank, repayable in 108 monthly installments from July 2003 to June 2012. . . Loan from Land Bank, repayable in 60 monthly installments from December 1999 to November 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loan from Chiao Tung Bank, repayable in 21 quarterly installments from January 2001 to January 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loan from Chiao Tung Bank, repayable in 19 quarterly installments from March 2002 to September 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loan from China Development Industrial Bank, repayable in 13 quarterly installments from April 2001 to April 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unsecured Loan from MOEA, repayable in 8 quarterly installments from April 2001 to April 2003 . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: current portion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Interest Rate As of March 31, 2002 2003 % % 6.33% 5.50% 3.88% 2.675% 6.05% 5.715% 6.05% 5.715% 6.05% 5.715% — — |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 % 6.33% 3.88% 6.05% 6.05% 6.05% — |
2002 NT$ 90,000 220,688 185,781 293,400 276,924 5,463 1,072,256 (333,570) 738,686 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 200,000 137,930 128,709 228,200 153,848 — 848,687 (344,773) 503,914 |
US$ 5,755 3,969 3,704 6,567 4,428 — |
|||
| 24,423 (9,922) |
||||
| 14,501 |
Please refer to Note 6 for assets pledged for long-term loans.
(11) Common Stock
As of March 31, 2003, authorized common stock of the Company amounted to NT$3,380,000, divided into 338,000 thousand shares (including 20,000 thousand shares reserved for stock options) at par of NT$10. Issued and outstanding capital amounted to NT$2,520,076.
F-49
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
(12) Capital Reserve
| Paid-in capital in excess of par-common stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 2,405,981 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 2,405,981 | US$ 69,237 |
According to the ROC Company Law, the capital reserve can only be used for making up deficiencies or distribution of stock dividends. The Company shall not use the capital reserve to make up its losses unless the legal reserve is insufficient for making good such losses.
(13) Income Distributions
The Company’s articles of incorporation provide that the net income, after deducting the previous years’ losses and the appropriation to the legal and special reserve (‘‘Distributable Earnings’’), may be appropriated or distributed proportionally as follows:
-
a. Remuneration for directors and supervisors’ services at 2% of the Distributable Earnings;
-
b. Employee bonuses at minimum 5% of the Distributable Earnings;
-
c. Shareholder’s dividend distribution is proposed by the board of directors and approved at the Company’s shareholders’ meeting.
(14) Income taxes
-
a. Income tax assessments of the Company through 1999 have been finalized by the tax authorities.
-
b. Pursuant to the ‘‘Statute for Upgrading Industries’’ (the ‘‘SUI’’), the Company is entitled to an income tax exemption period from 2000 to 2004 on income generated from eligible operation expansion project.
-
c. Separately under SUI (‘‘Separate SUI Program’’), the Company is also entitled to other tax credits generally available to ROC companies. The Company earns tax credits on certain acquisition costs of qualifying machinery and equipment, qualifying research and development costs and employee training expenses. Such tax credits may be utilized over a period of five years beginning in the year the costs were incurred.
F-50
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
As of March 31, 2003, unused tax credits available to reduce future income taxes are as follows:
| Expiration Years 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Tax credit Qualifying Investment in Auto Facilities Qualifying Research and Development Cost Qualifying Investment in Auto Facilities Qualifying Research and Development Cost Qualifying Investment in Auto Facilities Qualifying Research and Development Cost Qualifying Investment in Auto Facilities Qualifying Research and Development Cost Qualifying Research and Development Cost |
NT$ 35,061 49,764 117,255 10,300 63,990 5,157 3,203 3,066 694 288,490 |
US$ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,009 1,432 3,374 296 1,841 148 92 88 20 |
|||
| 8,300 |
Such tax credits have been included in deferred income tax assets.
- d. As of March 31, 2003, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards which expire as follows:
| Expiration Years 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Usable Balances NT$ US$ 83,056 2,390 263,168 7,573 336,476 9,683 50,538 1,454 733,238 21,100 |
Unused Balances | Unused Balances |
|---|---|---|---|
| NT$ 83,056 263,168 336,476 50,538 |
NT$ 83,056 263,168 336,476 50,538 733,238 |
US$ 2,390 7,573 9,683 1,454 |
|
| 733,238 | 21,100 |
Tax effects of above loss carryforwards have been included in deferred income tax assets.
-
e.
-
The components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
| (a) Total deferred income tax liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (b) Total deferred income tax assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (c) Valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 12,000 603,000 392,014 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ — 653,193 453,658 |
US$ — | ||
| 18,797 | |||
| 13,055 |
F-51
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
- (d) The tax effects of deductible (taxable) temporary differences that give rise to significant portion of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities at March 31, 2002 and 2003 are as follows:
| Temporary differences that generated deferred income tax assets or liabilities: Allowance for doubtful accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss for market value decline and obsolete or slow-moving inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrealized foreign exchange gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unrealized long-term investment loss . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating loss carryforwards. . Investment tax credits . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Amount Tax Effect NT$ NT$ 257,064 64,266 — — (48,000) (12,000) 309,892 77,473 3,064 766 407,536 101,884 358,611 |
2003 | ||||
| Amount NT$ 257,064 — (48,000) 309,892 3,064 407,536 |
Amount NT$ 269,928 13,081 — 437,146 5,413 733,236 |
Tax Effect NT$ 67,482 3,271 — 109,287 1,353 183,309 288,490 |
Amount US$ 7,768 376 — 12,580 156 21,900 |
Tax Effect |
|
| US$ 1,942 94 — 3,145 39 5,275 8,302 |
(e)
| Deferred income tax assets-current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets-current. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net deferred income tax assets-current . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax liabilities-current . . . . . . . . . . . . Net deferred income tax assets and liabilities-current . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 141,000 (76,000) 65,000 (12,000) 53,000 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 156,051 (118,566) 37,485 — 37,485 |
US$ 4,491 (3,412) |
||
| 1,079 — |
|||
| 1,079 |
(f)
| Deferred income tax assets-non-current . . . . . . . . . . . Valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets-non-current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net deferred income tax assets-non-current . . . . . . . . . Deferred income tax liabilities-non-current . . . . . . . . . Net deferred income tax assets and liabilities-non-current |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 462,000 (316,014) 145,986 — 145,986 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 497,142 (335,092) 162,050 — 162,050 |
US$ 14,306 (9,643) |
||
| 4,663 — |
|||
| 4,663 |
F-52
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
- f. The difference of income tax payable and income tax benefits for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 are reconcilized as follows:
| Income tax payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deferred income taxes Unrealized long-term investment losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Valuation allowance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Investment tax credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Operating loss carryforwards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Income tax benefits from continuing operations. . . . . . . . . . . |
For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ — (4,078) 32,014 (981) (16,223) (10,732) — |
2003 | ||
| NT$ — (1,361) 7,643 (695) (12,635) 6,499 (549) |
US$ — (39) 220 (20) (364) 187 |
||
| (16) |
- g. Integrated income tax information:
| Balance of imputation credit account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expected (Actual) creditable ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Retained earnings information: Prior to 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . After 1998 (inclusive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 43,485 45,272 1,303 For the year ended December 31, 2001 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . — — As of March 31, |
2003 | ||
| NT$ US$ 45,272 1,303 For the year ended December 31, |
US$ 1,303 | ||
| 2002 | |||
| — | |||
| 2002 NT$ — (709,020) (709,020) |
2003 | ||
| NT$ — (1,299,460) (1,299,460) |
US$ — (37,395) |
||
| (37,395) |
- h. Retained earnings information:
(15) Earnings Per Share
| Weighted average number of shares outstanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | For the three months ended March 31, |
For the three months ended March 31, |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 252,007,580 |
2003 | |
| 252,007,580 |
F-53
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
For the three months ended March 31, 2002
| For the three months ended March 31, 2002 | For the three months ended March 31, 2002 | h 31, 2002 | h 31, 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Numerator) Income (Denominator) Earnings per share NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ Before tax After tax Shares Before tax After tax (116,057) (116,057) 252,007,580 (0.46) (0.46) For the three months ended March 31, 2003 |
Earnings per share | ||
| NT$ Before tax (116,057) |
NT$ | ||
| After tax | |||
| (0.46) | |||
| (Numerator) Income NT$ NT$ Before tax After tax (95,655) (95,106) US$ US$ (2,753) (2,737) |
(Denominator) Shares 252,007,580 252,007,580 |
Earnings per share | |
| NT$ Before tax (95,655) US$ (2,753) |
NT$ Before tax (0.38) US$ (0.01) |
NT$ | |
| After tax | |||
| (0.38) | |||
| US$ | |||
| (0.01) |
- (16) Operating Revenues
| Net sales from multimedia products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net sales of merchandise and other products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net operating revenues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 273,079 96,071 369,150 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 414,409 58,475 472,884 |
US$ 11,925 1,683 |
||
| 13,608 |
(17) Compensatory Expense, Depreciation, and Amortization Expenses
Compensatory expense, depreciation, and amortization expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 are as follows:
| Compensatory Expense | For the three | For the three | months ended March 31, | months ended March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2003 | |||||
| Operating Costs |
Operating Expenses |
Total | Operating Costs |
Operating Expenses |
Total | |
| Payroll Expense . . . . . . . Labor and Health Insurance . . . . . . . . . . Pension Expense . . . . . . . Depreciation Expenses . . . Amortization Expenses. . . |
NT$ 31,853 2,535 491 98,066 10,174 |
NT$ 12,266 759 193 6,333 1,183 |
NT$ 44,119 3,294 684 104,399 11,357 |
NT$ 37,122 2,554 461 100,728 15,470 |
NT$ 11,795 753 180 6,079 1,328 |
NT$ US$ 48,917 1,408 3,307 95 641 18 106,807 3,074 16,798 483 |
F-54
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
- (1) Related Parties and Relationships
Related parties
Relationships
Gigastorage Corp. USA (‘‘Gigastorage USA’’). . . 100% owned investee Custer Inc. (‘‘Custer’’) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100% owned investee Barnwell Enterprise Ltd. (‘‘Barnwell’’). . . . . . . . 100% owned investee of Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Equity investee of the Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Its legal representative Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related party in substance Chungf Investments Co., Ltd. (‘‘Chungf’’) . . . . . Related party in substance Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related party in substance
100% owned investee of the Company’s subsidiary
Equity investee of the Company
Its legal representative also serves as the Company’s chairman
(2) Significant Related Party Transactions
- a. Purchases
| Name of related parties Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 9,475 — 56 9,531 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 22,522 14,913 — 37,435 |
US$ 648 429 — |
||
| 1,077 |
Purchase prices were mutually agreed by the Company and counter parties. There was no specific cost-plus for the above purchases.
b. Sales
| Name of related parties Custer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gigastorage USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, | For the three months ended March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ — — — 21,146 — 70 21,216 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 80,570 47,556 31,098 10,961 16,701 46 186,932 |
US$ 2,319 1,369 895 315 481 1 |
||
| 5,380 |
Sales prices were mutually agreed by the Company and counter parties. There was no specific cost-plus for the above sales.
F-55
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
-
(3) Receivables and payables resulting from the above transactions were as follows:
-
a. Receivables from related parties:
| Related parties Gigastorage USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lead Data Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxmax Group Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Custer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barnwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less: Allowance for bad debts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Less:Allowance for investment loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Net Receivables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 442,756 — 43,529 — — — 1,680 487,965 (25,112) (260,687) 202,166 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 144,671 95,158 66,591 40,749 80,847 15,693 7,734 451,443 (3,149) (55,511) 392,783 |
US$ 4,163 2,738 1,916 1,173 2,326 452 223 |
||
| 12,991 (91) (1,597) |
|||
| 11,303 |
Credit terms with Gigastorage USA, Custer and Barnwell are 75 to 150 days, similar to those with regular foreign customers. Nevertheless, in order to support the operations of Gigastorage USA, the Company extends the credit terms with Gigastorage USA.
Credit terms with Maxmax Group Corporation are month end 180 days. However, in order to support its operations, the Company extends the credit terms with Maxmax Group Corporation.
Credit terms with Ritek Corporation and Lead Data Inc. are month end 90 days, similar to those with other domestic customers.
- b. Payables to related parties:
| Related parties Ritek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prorit Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 15,383 — 22 15,405 |
2003 | ||
| NT$ 23,358 16,123 260 39,741 |
US$ 672 464 8 |
||
| 1,144 |
Payment terms with Ritek Corporation and Prorit Corporation are month end 90 days, similar to those with other vendors.
c. Advances
The Company’s temporary payment with Chungf amounted to NT$60,000 as of March 31, 2002. The payment was for the acquisition of Prorit Corporation’s shares.
F-56
GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
6. ASSETS PLEDGED AS COLLATERAL
| Account Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buildings and facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . Machinery and research equipment . . . . Restricted Deposit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
As of March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 215,598 215,598 6,204 219,834 215,359 6,197 1,692,592 1,362,523 39,209 90,127 12,924 372 2,218,151 1,806,404 51,982 |
As of March 31, 2002 2003 NT$ NT$ US$ 215,598 215,598 6,204 219,834 215,359 6,197 1,692,592 1,362,523 39,209 90,127 12,924 372 2,218,151 1,806,404 51,982 |
Nature of collateral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 NT$ 215,598 219,834 1,692,592 90,127 2,218,151 |
|||
| NT$ 215,598 215,359 1,362,523 12,924 1,806,404 |
Long-term loans Long-term loans Long-term loans Deposits of foreign labor, custom clearance, short-term loans and project loans |
7. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
-
(1) The Company’s unused letters of credit amounted to NT$81,495 as of March 31, 2003.
-
(2) As of March 31, 2003, the Company’s significant machinery contracts totaled approximately NT$143,855. The Company has paid NT$41,875 as of March 31, 2003.
-
(3) On October 12, 1999, the Company entered into the 10-year CD-WO/MD Disc Agreement with Royal Philip Electronics (‘‘Philip’’). The agreement requires the Company to pay Philip, on a quarterly basis, a royalty of 3% of net sales of authorized products’ (CD-R) or Japanese Yen 10 per disk, whichever is higher, provided that the terms will be comparable to the terms of other companies in the industry. However, the above-mentioned agreement was terminated by Philip in April 2001. As of March 31, 2003, the Company has not yet entered into a new agreement and still been researching the terms of other existing agreements in the industry.
-
(4) Philip alleged that the Company infringed its patent right over write-able optical disk and asked for compensation in the amount of Japanese Yen 7,900 plus interest. At present, the case is under litigation in the Hsinchu District Court. According to the opinion of the Company’s legal counsel, the case involves a question on the effectiveness of patent rights contract. The Fair Trade Committee of the Executive Yuan has ruled in April 2002 that the write-able optical disk patent rights contract of Philip was illegal and penalized Philip. Based on this, the legal counsel believes the Company’s position that the patent contract is not valid has more than 50% chances of getting favorable result. The claim by Philip for infringement damages against the Company for NT$1,550 plus interest is still being tried by the Hsinchu District Court.
-
(5) Philip filed a legal action against Gigastorage Corporation with the International Trade Commission (‘‘ITC’’) for violation of Philip’s patent. The case is being tried by the Commission. If the result is in favor of Philip, the Company will not be able to sell CD-R and CD-RW products in the US. However, Philip is not seeking recovery of any monetary damages. The Company has contracted an attorney to handle the case.
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(6) Under the ‘‘CD-WO DISC PATENT LICENSE AGREEMENT’’ with Taiyo Co., Ltd, as contracted in March 2003, the Company shall pay royalty fees at a certain percentage of net sales, as defined in the agreement.
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(7) Under the ‘‘CD-R Disc Patents License Agreement’’ with Sony Co., Ltd, as contracted on October 22, 2001, the Company shall pay royalty fees on the basis of the sales quantity of the product, as defined in the agreement, for a period from April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2006.
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GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
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(8) Under the ‘‘CD-RW Disc Patents License Agreement’’ with Sony Co., Ltd, as contracted on February 27, 2003, the Company shall pay royalty fees on the basis of the sales quantity of the product, as defined in the agreement, for a period from October 1, 2002 to September 30, 2007. Royalty fees have been accrued in conformity with the terms and conditions specified in the agreement.
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(9) The Company entered into a DVD-R Research and Development Agreement with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (‘‘MOEA’’). Under the agreement, MOEA has agreed to grant NT$12,800 to the Company for the reimbursement of research and development of DVD-R discs. The Company is obligated to pay back, in 36 quarterly installments, at least 2% of the net sales of the DVD-R product, but not exceeding 30% of the total grant amount, once the project was completed.
8. SIGNIFICANT CASUALTY LOSS
None
9. SIGNIFICANT SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
(Unreviewed) On April 28, 2003, the board of directors of the Company approved a stock option plan that provides for granting up to 10,000,000 units of options to qualified employees for purchases of up to 10,000,000 common shares of the Company. Stock options expire in six years from the grant date and vest over service periods that range from two to four years. The plan has been approved by Securities and Forwards Commission. On July 8, 2003, the Company granted 6,000,000 units of options to employees. The initial exercise price was NT$16.8 per share.
10. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
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(1) Derivative Financial Instruments
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a. As of March 31, 2003
| Financial Instruments Forward contracts- hedging . . . . . . . . Options-trading . . . . . |
Type Currency USD Put |
Settlement Date April, 2003 April~August, 2003 |
Contract amount (US$’000) 1,000 3,000 |
Exercise rate 34.667 35 |
Credit Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — — |
- b. As of March 31, 2002
None
Credit risk amount represents contracts with positive fair value factoring in the offsetting effect of the master netting arrangement as of the balance sheet date. If the credit risk amount is positive and the transaction party breaches the contract, the Company will incur a loss. The possibility for incurring a loss is remote since the Company’s counter parties are reputable financial institutions.
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GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
(2) Market Value Risk
Market value risk for forward contracts is insignificant due to the fact that the purpose of the contracts is hedging and therefore any gain or loss form the fluctuation in interest or exchange rates will be offset by the gain or loss from the exchange hedged. The Company is exposed to market value risk for the options. Nonetheless, the Company prudently evaluates the contract rates of the options before it entered into and holds or expects to hold sufficient US dollars that minimize the market value risk.
(3) Liquidity and Cash Flow Risk
The Company considers the liquidity risk to be minimal as the Company owns sufficient operating funds. No significant cash flow risk exists as the exchange rate in the forward contracts is fixed. The Company holds or expects to hold sufficient US dollars that also minimize the cash flow risk of options.
(4) Types of derivative financial instruments, purpose of holding the derivative financial instruments and the strategy for achieving the hedging purpose
The Company’s derivative financial instruments are entered into for hedging or trading purposes. The purpose of holding call options and forward contracts was to hedge exchange rate fluctuation risks resulting from assets, liabilities or commitments denominated in foreign currencies. The Company’s hedging strategy is to mitigate market price risk. Derivative financial instruments selected for hedging purposes are reviewed and anti-co-related with the fluctuation of the fair value of derivatives hedged. Derivatives are evaluated periodically. Put options for trading purposes are entered to earn premium to offset premium from call options.
(5) Presentation of Derivative financial instruments
Forward receivable and payable are reported under current assets or liabilities on net amount. As of March 31, 2003, details were as follows:
| Forward receivable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forward payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Premium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forward exchange contracts payable-net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
NT$ 34,667 (34,745) (2) (80) |
US$ 998 (1,000) (0) (2) |
|---|---|---|
The forward exchange contracts payable-net is classified under other current liabilities. Foreign exchange loss incurred from the derivatives for the three months ended March 31, 2003 was NT$135.
Gains derived from the call and put options for the three months ended March 31, 2003 were NT$141 and NT$35, respectively.
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GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
(6) Fair value of financial instruments
| Non-derivative Instruments | As of March 31, | As of March 31, | As of March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2003 | ||||
| Book Value | Fair Value | Book Value | Fair Value | Book Value | |
| Assets Cash and cash equivalents and restricted deposits . . . . . . . . . . Short-term investments-net . . . . . . Receivables (including related parties). . . . . Long-term investments. . . . . . . . . Refundable deposits. . . . . . . . . . . Liabilities Short-term loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . Short-term notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payables (including related parties). . . . . Accrued expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . Payables to equipment suppliers . . Long-term loans (including current portion) . . . . Derivative Instruments |
|||||
| Forward Contracts-hedging . . . . . . . . Options-trading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
The methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair values of the financial instruments are as follows:
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a. The fair value of the Company’s short-term financial instruments is based on the carrying value of those instruments at reporting date due to the short maturity of those instruments. The method is applied to cash and cash equivalents, receivables, payables, short-term loans, short-term notes, accrued expenses, and payables to equipment suppliers.
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b. The fair value of the Company’s short-term investments and long-term investments is based on market prices at the reporting date if market prices are available. The fair value of the Company’s long-term investments is based on relevant financial or any other information if market prices are not available.
-
c. The fair value of the Company’s long-term loans bearing variable interest rates, which includes the current portion of long-term loans, is estimated using the book value of the loans at the reporting date.
-
d. The fair value of the refundable deposits is based on the book value.
-
f. The fair value of derivative financial instruments, normally includes unrealized gains or losses from outstanding exchange contracts, is assumed to be the estimated amount that the Company is entitled to receive or obligated to pay if the Company terminated contracts at reporting date.
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GIGASTORAGE CORPORATION
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Three Months Ended March 31, 2002 and 2003 — (Continued) (UNAUDITED)
-
(Amounts are Expressed in Thousands, Except Shares, Per Share and Percentages)
-
(7) Disclosures of risks for investments in credit-linked structured deposits:
-
a. Balances
Investment US$ Credit-linked structured deposit of foreign convertible bonds with Ritek Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
- b. Credit Risk
The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by the issuers to the credit-linked structure deposit. However, the Company has established strict counter-party guidelines and only enters into transactions with financial institutions of good financial standing. The Company considers the risk of counter-party default to be minimal.
- c. Liquidity Risk
The Company is exposed to liquidity risk because primarily it is unable to have the creditlinked investments redeemed or called before maturity. In order to minimize such risk, the Company intends to invest in securities whose maturities are within a year.
- d. Market Risk
The Company considers the price risk exposure to be zero. However, the credit-linked structure deposit is dominated in US dollars that may cause exchange gains or losses.
(8) Others
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a. For comparison purposes, certain accounts of the financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2002 have been reclassified.
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b. The Company’s short-term investment in the first quarter of 2002 was treated as for trading purposes. Accordingly, the proceeds from decrease in short-term investments were classified under cash flows from operating activities in the statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2002. However, the Company treated the short-term investments in the first quarter of 2003 as non-trading purposes. If the Company had treated the 2002 short-term investments as for non-trading purposes, cash flow from operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2002 would have decreased by NT$121,643. Cash from investing activities would have increased by NT$121,643.
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APPENDIX A — FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND EXCHANGE CONTROLS IN THE ROC
The information presented in this appendix has been extracted from publicly available documents which have not been prepared or independently verified by the Company, the Manager or any of their respective affiliates or advisers in connection with the offering of the Bonds.
Foreign Investment
Historically, foreign investment in the ROC securities market has been restricted. From 1983 onwards, however, the ROC government has from time to time enacted legislation and adopted regulations to make it possible for non-ROC persons (other than PRC persons) to invest in the ROC securities market.
Depositary Receipts
In April 1992, the ROC SFC promulgated regulations permitting ROC companies listed on the TSE to sponsor the issuance and sale to foreign investors of depositary receipts (‘‘DRs’’) evidencing depositary shares representing shares of capital stock of ROC companies. In December 1994, new regulations (the ‘‘Regulations’’) were promulgated by the ROC Ministry of Finance allowing companies whose shares are traded on the ROC GreTai Securities Market (‘‘GTSM’’, formerly known as ROC Over-the-Counter Securities Exchange), in addition to companies listed on the TSE, to sponsor, upon approval by the ROC SFC, the issuance and sale of DRs evidencing depositary shares representing shares of its capital stock. Any such approval will be granted in respect of a fixed number of DRs which, except in connection with stock dividends, stock rights offerings and the re-issue of DRs as permitted under the relevant regulations, may not be increased without separate ROC SFC approval.
The Regulations, as amended, provide that any DR holder may immediately request the depositary bank either to cause the underlying shares to be sold in the ROC and distribute the proceeds of such sale to the DR holder or after obtaining the investment approval as a QFII (as defined below) or a non-resident foreign investor (‘‘General Foreign Investor’’) by the converting bondholder to withdraw the underlying shares from the depositary receipt facility and transfer such shares to such holder.
Under existing ROC laws and regulations relating to foreign exchange control, a depositary or a DR holder may, without obtaining further approvals from the CBC or any other governmental authority or agency of the ROC, convert NT dollars into other currencies, including US dollars, in respect of the proceeds of the sale of shares represented by DRs or received as stock dividends in respect of such shares and deposited into the depositary receipt facility and any cash dividends or cash distributions received in respect of such shares. In addition, a depositary, also without any such approvals, may convert inward remittances of payments into NT dollars for purchases of underlying shares for deposit in the depositary receipt facility against the creation of additional DRs. With respect to conversion from NT dollars into foreign currencies in respect of the proceeds from the sale of subscription rights for new shares, proceeds in excess of US$100,000 per remittance may be remitted overseas after CBC approval is obtained. It is expected that the CBC will grant such foreign exchange approval as a routine matter.
In addition, any such cash received by the DR holder (qualified as a QFII or a General Foreign Investor) may be used for further investment in ROC securities, subject to the requirements and restrictions generally applicable to QFIIs and General Foreign Investors (as applicable).
Direct Share Offerings
The ROC government has promulgated regulations to permit ROC companies listed on the TSE or the GTSM to issue shares directly (not through depositary receipt facilities) overseas.
Overseas Corporate Bonds
Since 1989, the ROC SFC has approved a series of overseas corporate bond issues (‘‘OCBs’’) by ROC companies listed on the TSE in offerings directed at non-ROC persons. Since December 1994, the ROC SFC has also permitted ROC companies whose shares are traded on the GTSM to issue and offer OCBs. Under the current ROC laws and policies, OCBs can be converted by bondholders (other than those who are
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persons of the PRC) into shares of the ROC companies or (subject to the ROC SFC approval) may be converted into depositary receipts issued under the sponsorship of the same ROC company or under the sponsorship of the issuing company of the exchanged shares, in the case of exchangeable bonds.
Under current ROC law, a converting bondholder, when exercising the conversion right to convert the bonds into shares of an ROC company, is required to obtain the investment approval as a QFII (as hereinafter defined) or a General Foreign Investor and appoint a local agent (with such qualifications as are set by the ROC SFC) to open a securities trading account with a local brokerage firm, act as custodian for securities, open a central depositary account, pay ROC withholding taxes, make confirmation and settlement, remit funds, exercise stockholders’ rights and perform such other actions as may be designated by such converting bondholder, on behalf of and as agent for such converting bondholder. In addition, such converting bondholder is required to appoint a tax guarantor for filing tax returns and making tax payments.
An ROC company may, without obtaining further approvals from the CBC or any other government authority of the ROC, convert NT dollars into other currencies, including US dollars, in respect of the proceeds of the redemption of the bonds or the repayment of principal upon maturity of the bonds.
In addition, a converting bondholder may, through its local agent and without obtaining prior approval from the CBC, convert NT dollars into foreign currencies of net proceeds realized from the sale of the converted shares or any stock dividends relating to such shares, or any cash dividend or other cash distribution in respect of such shares, as well as for inward remittances of subscription payments in connection with a rights offering. However, a converting bondholder must obtain prior approval from the CBC on a payment-by-payment basis for conversion from NT dollars into other currencies in respect of the proceeds from the sale of subscription rights for newly issued shares if the proceeds are in excess of US$100,000 per remittance.
In addition, any such cash received by the converting bondholder (qualified as a QFII or General Foreign Investor) may be used for further investment in ROC securities subject to the requirements and restrictions generally applicable to QFIIs and General Foreign Investors (as applicable).
Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors
On December 28, 1990, the Executive Yuan approved guidelines drafted by the ROC SFC which, from January 1, 1991, allow direct investment in ROC securities listed on the TSE or other ROC securities approved by the ROC SFC by certain eligible foreign institutional investors that applied for and received prior ROC SFC and, if applicable, CBC approval (each a ‘‘QFII’’) including:
-
(i) banks;
-
(ii) insurance companies;
-
(iii) fund management companies;
-
(iv) offshore fund management companies which are more than 50% owned by an ROC securities investment trust enterprise provided that the funds to be invested do not come from (1) the ROC, (2) self-owned fund of such offshore fund management companies or (3) the PRC;
-
(v) general securities firms;
-
(vi) offshore securities firms which are more than 50% owned by an ROC securities firm, or other offshore securities firms which are wholly-owned by such offshore securities firms;
-
(vii) offshore securities firms which are wholly-owned by an ROC securities firm, or other offshore securities firms which are more than 51% owned by such offshore securities firms;
-
(viii) foreign government-owned investment institutions, provided that the funds completely come from the government;
-
(ix) pension funds;
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-
(x) mutual funds, unit trusts or investment trusts, provided that the application is filed in the name of the trusts;
-
(xi) trust companies;
-
(xii) academic or charitable institutions that, according to their articles of incorporation, may invest their funds, provided those investments are managed externally by a third party; and
-
(xiii) other institutional investors.
Eligible foreign institutional investors who wish to invest directly in the ROC securities market are required to apply for an investment permit from the ROC SFC, provided that any application for investment exceeding US$50 million will require approvals from both the CBC and the ROC SFC. ROC custodians for QFIIs are also required to submit to the CBC and the ROC SFC a report of trading activities and status of assets under custody and other matters every month. Capital remitted into the ROC under these guidelines may be remitted out of the ROC at any time after the date such capital is remitted into the ROC. Capital remitted out of the ROC may be returned into the ROC without ROC SFC approval. Capital gains and income on investments may be remitted out of the ROC at any time. Except for certain specified industries, such as telecommunications, investments in ROC-listed companies by QFIIs are not subject to individual or aggregate foreign ownership limits.
Except for QFIIs, General Foreign Investors may invest in ROC securities up to US$5 million (in the case of individual investors) and US$50 million (in the case of institutional investors). General Foreign Investors are also subject to the foreign ownership limitations on certain specified industries described in the preceding paragraph.
Foreign Investment Approval
With the exception of QFIIs, General Foreign Investors and investors in OCBs and DRs, under existing ROC laws and regulations relating to foreign investment, investors (both institutional and individual) who are not ROC persons and wish to make direct investment in ROC securities may submit a Foreign Investment Approval (‘‘FIA’’) application to the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the ROC or other government authority. The Investment Commission or such other government authority reviews each FIA application and approves or disapproves each application after consultation with other government agencies (such as the CBC and the ROC SFC). Under current law, any non-ROC person possessing a FIA may remit capital for the approved investment and is entitled to repatriate annual net profits, interest and dividends attributable to such investment.
Prohibited and Restricted Industries
In addition to the general restriction against direct investment by non-ROC persons in shares of ROC companies, non-ROC persons are currently prohibited from investing in certain industries in the ROC pursuant to a ‘‘negative list’’, as amended by the Executive Yuan. The prohibition on foreign investment in the prohibited industries specified in the negative list is absolute in the absence of specific exemption from the application of the negative list. Pursuant to the negative list, certain other industries are restricted so that non-ROC persons (except in limited cases) may invest in such industries only up to a specified level and with the specific approval of the relevant competent authority which is responsible for enforcing the relevant legislation which the negative list is intended to implement.
Exchange Controls
The ROC’s Foreign Exchange Control Statute and regulations thereunder provide that all foreign exchange transactions must be executed by banks designated to handle such business by the MOF and by the CBC. Current regulations favor trade-related foreign exchange transactions. Consequently, foreign currency earned from exports of merchandise and services may now be retained and used freely by exporters, and all foreign currency needed for the import of merchandise and services may be purchased freely from the designated foreign exchange banks. Thus, ROC companies can freely purchase all of the foreign currency they need to import raw materials.
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For non-trade related foreign exchange transactions, ROC companies and resident individuals may also, without foreign exchange approval, remit out of the ROC foreign currency of up to US$50,000,000 (or its equivalent) and US$5,000,000 (or its equivalent), respectively, in each calendar year. In addition, ROC companies and resident individuals may, without foreign exchange approval, remit into the ROC foreign currency of up to US$50,000,000 (or its equivalent) and US$5,000,000 (or its equivalent), respectively, in each calendar year. Furthermore, any remittance of foreign currency into the ROC by an ROC company or resident individual in a year will be offset by the amount remitted out of the ROC by the company or individual (as applicable) within its annual quota and will not use up its annual inward remittance quota to the extent of such offset. The above limits apply to remittances involving a conversion between NT dollars and US dollars or other foreign currencies. A requirement is also imposed on all enterprises to register medium and long-term foreign debt with the CBC.
In addition, foreign persons may, subject to certain required documents, but without foreign exchange approval of the CBC, remit outside and into the ROC foreign currencies of up to US$100,000 (or its equivalent) for each remittance. The above limit applies only to remittances involving a conversion between NT dollars and US dollars or other foreign currencies.
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APPENDIX B — THE SECURITIES MARKET OF THE ROC
The information presented in this appendix has been extracted from publicly available documents which have not been prepared or independently verified by the Company, the Manager or any of their respective affiliates or advisers in connection with the Offering.
In September 1960, the ROC government established the ROC SFC to supervise and control all aspects of the securities market. The ROC government also took an active role in the creation of the TSE in 1961 and since that time has taken a number of steps designed to broaden the scope of the ROC securities market and to encourage ROC companies to list their shares on the TSE.
The Taiwan Stock Exchange and the ROC GreTai Securities Market
In 1961, the ROC SFC, working together with private interests, established the TSE to provide a marketplace for securities trading. The TSE is a corporation owned by government-controlled and private banks and enterprises. The TSE is independent of entities transacting business through it, each of which pays a user’s fee. Subject to limited exceptions, all transactions in listed securities by brokers, traders and integrated securities firms (firms which are permitted to combine the activities of brokerage, trading and underwriting) must be made through the TSE.
The instruments traded on the TSE have primarily been limited to common shares and the bonds. However, recent legislative revisions and the present attitude of the ROC SFC regarding liberalization of the securities regulations have encouraged some innovation. In 1988, MOF permitted the issue of the ROC’s first exchangeable bonds (such bonds being convertible at the option of the bondholders into shares of companies owned by the issuer). Since 1989, there have been offerings of domestic convertible bonds and convertible preferred shares. In addition, beneficiary units evidencing beneficiary interests in closed-end investment funds and debt instruments issued by international financial institutions, such as Asia Development Bank, warrants and Taiwanese depositary receipts are also listed on the TSE.
To complement the TSE, the GTSM was established in September 1982 on the initiative of the ROC SFC. In early 1988, the ROC SFC promulgated regulations designed to encourage trading of unlisted securities of companies whose securities do not qualify for listing on the TSE. The GTSM is currently limited to equity securities, bank and corporate bonds and debentures and government bonds.
As of June 30, 2003, there were 638 companies whose shares were listed on the TSE and the total market capitalization was approximately NT$9.9 trillion, and there were 422 companies whose shares were traded on the GTSM and the total market capitalization was approximately NT$0.9 trillion.
Listing on the TSE
In the absence of special regulatory approval, only ROC companies are permitted to list their securities on the TSE. The ROC SFC has promulgated regulations that would permit foreign issuers to list their equity securities on the TSE through the use of depositary receipts. To date, four foreign issuers have listed their equity securities on the TSE through the use of depositary receipts pursuant to such regulations. The TSE has established specific requirements for such listing including the number and distribution of stockholders, the amount of capital, profitability and capital structure of the issuer.
The TSE has established specific requirements for listing based on the history of a company, the number and distribution of a company’s shareholders, amount of capital, profitability and capital structure. For a company to be listed on the TSE, it must have been in existence for at least five years, have a minimum paid-in capital of NT$600 million upon the application for listing and at least 1,000 registered shareholders, including not less than 500 shareholders each holding between 1,000 to 50,000 shares. Such shareholders must together hold in excess of either 20% of the outstanding shares or 10 million shares. The company may not have accumulated deficit for the previous fiscal year and its pre-tax net income and operating income must have: (i) been not less than 6% of paid-in capital for each of the previous two fiscal years, or (ii) averaged not less than 6% of paid-in capital for the previous two fiscal years with the profitability of the last fiscal year exceeding that of the preceding fiscal year, or (iii) been not less than 3% of the paid-in capital for the previous five fiscal years. However, other special listing criteria are applicable to high-technology companies and businesses engaged in activities relating to national economic development.
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Mechanics of Trading on the TSE
In order to reduce market volatility, the TSE has placed limits on block trading and on the range of daily price movements. Transactions that involve 500 trading lots or more must be registered and executed pursuant to certain TSE guidelines. Fluctuations in the price of equities traded on the TSE are subject to a limit of 7% above and below the previous day’s closing price. However, these restrictions have been modified from time to time by the MOF based on market conditions. The ROC SFC has indicated that the limits on share price movements may be further relaxed or abolished entirely.
All shares have a par value of NT$10 and trade in round lots of 1,000 shares. Although odd-lot trading may be conducted on the TSE, delays are occasionally experienced in respect of such trading.
The brokerage commissions can be in any rates not exceeding 0.1425% of the transaction price provided that the rates are required to be reported to the TSE. A securities transaction tax, currently levied at the rate of 0.3% of the transaction price for shares is payable by the seller of securities and is withheld at the time of the transaction giving rise to such taxes.
Price Limits
Fluctuations in the price of securities traded on the TSE are currently subject to a restriction of 7% above and below the previous day’s closing price (or reference price set by the TSE if the previous day’s closing price is not available because of lack of trading activity) in the case of equity securities and 5% in the case of debt securities.
The ROC SFC
The ROC SFC, which is under the jurisdiction of the MOF, is responsible for implementing and administering the Securities and Exchange Law, the principal legislation governing Taiwan’s securities market and its participants. It has extensive regulatory authority over the offering, issue and trading of securities. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Law specifically empowers the ROC SFC to promulgate rules under certain circumstances. The ROC SFC has regulatory authority over companies listed on the TSE, companies whose shares are traded on the GTSM and unlisted public companies. ROC public companies are generally required to obtain approval from, or an effective registration with, the ROC SFC for all securities offerings. The ROC SFC has promulgated regulations requiring, unless otherwise exempted, periodic reporting of financial and operating information by all public companies. In addition, the ROC SFC is responsible for the establishment of standards for financial reporting and carries out licensing and supervision with respect to the other participants in the ROC’s securities market.
The Securities and Exchange Law, among other things, prohibits market manipulation and abuses of inside information and imposes criminal liability on certified public accountants and lawyers who make false certifications in their examination and audit of an issuer’s contracts, reports and other related documents.
The ROC SFC does not have criminal or civil enforcement powers under the Securities and Exchange Law. Criminal actions may be pursued only by the prosecutor upon the recommendation of the ROC SFC. Under ROC law, civil actions may only be brought by plaintiffs who assert that they have suffered damage. The ROC SFC is directly empowered to curb abuses and violations of applicable laws and regulations only through administrative measures such as the issuance of warnings, temporary suspension of operation, imposition of administrative fines and revocation of licenses.
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