PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER
(PAMPA ENERGY INC.)
Building #4
C1425DSR
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Form 20-F ___X___ Form 40-F ______
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the
information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.)
Yes ______ No ___X___
registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- .)
Press Release
January 5, 2012
Pampa Energía declares early dividend to compensate for the 2011 personal asset tax that it must pay for its shareholders
Buenos Aires, January 5, 2012. Pampa Energía S.A. (NYSE: PAM; BASE: PAMP) (“Pampa” or the “Company”) announcestoday that, in order to preserve its equity value and to ensure equal treatment amongst its shareholders, Pampa’s Board of Directors has decided to implement, once again, a procedure that it believes is useful and efficient and that consist in declaring an early dividend against which it will compensate for the personal asset tax amounts that Pampa has to pay to the Argentine tax authority for the fiscal period of 2011, corresponding to its shareholders.
In accordance with the provisions of the Personal Asset Tax Law No. 23,966 Pampa is required to pay as substitute taxpayer the personal asset tax payable by all Company shareholders, as of the closing of December 29, 2011, who are subject to the tax.
Pampa has declared an early dividend of Ps. 17,086,041.63, or Ps. 0.013 per common share. On January 10, 2012, registered coupons will be issued representing this early dividend, with a payment date of March 30, 2012, date by which the definitive amount of the tax payment will be known. The coupons will have a trading restriction until the payment date to preserve the identity of the shareholders subject to the tax as well as the identity of the shareholders entitled to the dividend. Pampa's shares will thus trade ex coupon from January 11, 2012.
On March 30, 2012, Pampa will pay the early dividend to the shareholders and will withhold the corresponding amount of personal asset tax from those shareholders who are subject to the tax.Argentine companies and holders of common shares from Switzerland, Chile and Spain arenot subject to this tax(ADS holders are taxed in all cases).
For further information, contact:
Ricardo Torres - Chief Executive Officer
Mariano Batistella - Investor Relations
3302 Ortiz de Ocampo, Building #4
(C1425DSR) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Phone: 5411 4809 9500
http://www.pampaenergia.com/ir
investor@pampaenergia.com
Pampa Energía S.A. | ||
By: | /s/ Roberto Maestretti | |
Name: Roberto Maestretti Title: Chief Financial Officer |
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on management's current view and estimates offuture economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "plans" and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will a ctually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.