1 Apr 2020 12:32
Aberdeen Smaller Companies Income Trust PLC (the "Company")
Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): 213800J6D2TVHRGKBG24
1 April 2020
Posting of Annual Report and Financial Statements for Year Ended 31 December 2019
A Copy of the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2019 has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism ("NSM") and the document will shortly be available for inspection at: www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM. A Copy of the Annual Report together with the Pre-Investment Disclosure Document (per Article 23 AIFMD/Rule 3.2 FCA FUND Sourcebook) dated 30 March 2020 will also shortly be available for download from the Company's website, www.aberdeensmallercompanies.co.uk.*
*Neither the NSM website nor the Company's website nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on those websites (or any other website) is (or is deemed to be) incorporated into, or forms (or is deemed to form) part of this announcement
Annual General Meeting (AGM) Delayed to 26 June 2020
The impact of very recent events in relation to the COVID 19 pandemic has superseded some of the information contained in the Annual Report, particularly in relation to the arrangements to hold the Annual General Meeting on 30 April 2020 at the offices of Aberdeen Standard Investments in Central London. This arrangement is no longer possible with the current Government restrictions in place on staying at home, ceasing non-essential travel, implementing social distancing and stopping public gatherings. As a consequence, the Board has had to reconsider whether holding the AGM at that time is in the best interests of shareholders, or even possible.
The Company is required by law to hold an AGM and therefore in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board has decided to delay holding the 2020 AGM until 9.30 a.m. on Friday, 26 June 2020 when it is hoped restrictions may have eased. However, as the situation is constantly evolving, these AGM arrangements may change again so the Board urges shareholders to consult the Company's website for further updates. The Board will also keep shareholders updated through announcements to the London Stock Exchange.
Given the advance printing of the Annual Report, it was not possible to amend the Notice of AGM and shareholders should therefore disregard the AGM date, time and venue details contained in the Annual Report. In particular, shareholders should not attend the offices of Aberdeen Standard Investments in central London on Thursday, 30 April 2020 for the purposes of attending the AGM as the meeting will not now take place.
In addition, this year, considering the public health and government advice related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board strongly advises shareholders that they should not attend the AGM in person and should instead submit their votes by proxy or, in the case of Aberdeen Standard Investment Plan Participants, use the Letter of Direction as usual to ensure their votes are registered. The proposed resolutions are explained fully in the 2019 Annual Report. Proxy instructions or letter of directions must be received by the Company's Registrar, Equiniti, no later than 9.30 am on 24 June 2020.
Aberdeen Asset Management PLC
Company Secretary