With the successful conclusion of the share issue, AEL intends to seek a listing for its ordinary shares on the Main Board of the Colombo Stock Exchange via an Initial Public Offering within a period of one year subject to the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities.
Mr. Sumal Perera, the Chairman of Access, commenting on the success of the issue, stated that, “The overwhelming response to the AEL share issue in my view is not only a show of confidence by the institutional and individual investors in the future prospects of our company and the construction/engineering sector of Sri Lanka, but more importantly a recognition that Sri Lankan economy is well on course for sustainable growth and given that, the construction and engineering industry will be in the forefront of this growth ”. He also mentioned that the Company intends to utilize the funds raised via the share issue to finance future capital and working capital requirements that are expected to arise from proposed public-private partnership projects, investments in property development/township projects and to repay bank loans which have been obtained to finance the acquisition of plant and machinery.
“We are privileged to have worked with Access and play an active role in this momentous transaction of the Company which is a significant achievement in the capital market of Sri Lanka”, said, Mr. Vajira Kulatilaka, CEO, Investment Banking Cluster of the NDB Group.
Mr. Darshan Perera, CEO of NDBIB stated, “The keen interest shown by investors for the share issue enabled the Company to fully subscribe and successfully conclude the fund raising amounting to Rs. 4.5 billion. With this level of enthusiasm, we are confident of having a very successful IPO within a period of one year which we believe would be a significant milestone in the construction sector as well as the capital markets of Sri Lanka”.
Access Engineering was incorporated in 2001 and functions as the holding company of Access Engineering Group which includes a fully owned subsidiary, Access Realties (Private) Limited (ARL). AEL carries out the Group’s engineering business whilst ARL owns, Access Towers. The Company has emerged as a leading entity in the engineering and construction arena by winning over 100 major civil engineering projects island-wide. The business sectors in which AEL operates includes roads and highways, bridges and flyovers, water and waste water management, harbours and marine works, dredging and reclamation, telecommunication, irrigation and land drainage, piling and environment and waste management. The significant growth prospects in the economy, in the aftermath of the three decade long war that ravaged Sri Lanka has lead towards the Government embarking on many infrastructure development projects. This, together with the private sector investments, is expected to rein in an era of rapid growth for the construction and property development sector. AEL, with its proven track record in the execution of large scale construction projects coupled with its unparalleled expertise in the sector, provides a unique positioning to the Company to harness the growth opportunities available.
SOURCE : ADA DERANA