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- Capitalization
Requirements
- When
incorporating and maintaining the N.V.,
the minimum capital amount that should be
issued and outstanding at all times is
the lesser of 20% of the authorized
capital or Nafl. 10,000 or its equivalent
in any other currency (this calculates to
approximately US $6,000).
- It should be
noted that for other types of N.V.'s such
as banks or insurance companies this
minimum amount is considerably higher.
- The share
capital can be stated in any currency.
- Aside from
nonvoting shares, certain shares can be
given a greater say in corporate matters;
these are so called priority shares.
- Shares can be
redeemed by the N.V. at all times,
provided they are fully paid up, unless
the Articles of incorporation provide
otherwise (shares can be made to be
nonredeemable or to be redeemable on
certain dates only, with redemption
requests to be made a certain number of
days before such redemption date). If the
Articles of Incorporation provide for
redemption rights, the shareholders can
then require redemption of their shares
by the N.V. Please note that as stated
above, shares can only be redeemed by the
N.V. up to a maximum of 80% of the
authorized capital (and in the event
nonvoting shares can be issued, the law
also requires that 20% of the authorized
capital be issued in form of voting
shares).
- Corporate Securities
- Common Stock
- The
class of stock usually issued is
called common stock. Unless other
classes of shares are authorized,
the authorized capital will
consist of common stock.
- Preferred
Stock
- Preferred
stock are shares that have a
preference on dividend payments.
Such preference is usually
limited to a fixed percentage of
either the par value of each such
share or at the paid-in value of
each such share. The preference
percentage can be made either
cumulative or non-cumulative (in
other words, if in any given
fiscal year insufficient profits
have been generated to pay the
preference percentage in full,
such dividend right is lost).
- Regarding B,
1 and 2 above, please note that
non-voting shares can be issued (provided
the Articles of Incorporation so
stipulate). At least twenty percent of
the authorized capital must be issued in
the form of voting stock (Article 89A
CCNA).
- Debt
Securities
- A NV
may issue bonds, notes or
debentures.
- Dividends
- The general
meeting of shareholders has, in
principle, the exclusive right to declare
final dividends. The Articles of
Incorporation can authorize another
corporate body to reserve some or all of
the net profits (Article 77 CCNA) and can
authorize another corporate body (e.g.
the managing board) to declare final
dividends. The managing board can in any
case declare interim dividends payable
from (realistically) anticipated profits,
if the Articles of Incorporation so
permit (as is usually the case).However,
if the general meeting of shareholders
(when appointed as the entity empowered
to declare dividends), when adopting the
financial statements of the fiscal year
in which interim dividends were made
payable, resolves that a lower amount is
to be paid as final dividend, the
shareholders must reimburse the NV for
the balance.
- Dividends can
only be paid out of available profits. If
losses have been incurred in any fiscal
year, no dividends may be made payable
until such losses have been offset by
either subsequent profits or from the
account retained earnings (Article 78
CCNA).
- Authorization and
Issuance of Corporate Securities
- Debt
securities (bonds, notes and debentures)
can be issued by the board of managing
directors unless the Articles of
Incorporation of the NV restrict its
authority (e.g. prior approval of the
general meeting of shareholders or
supervisory board - if appointed).
- The general
meeting of shareholders has, the
authority to issue shares in the NV
unless the Articles of Incorporation
grant such authority to another corporate
body; normally the board of managing
directors is granted the authority to do
so. Unless the Articles of Incorporation
so provide, the existing shareholders do
not have preemptive rights with regard to
shares issued or sold by the NV. Please
note: shares may be issued in either
registered form or, provided they are
fully paid, in bearer form (Article 51
CCNA).
- There are no
detailed security laws in the Netherlands
Antilles.
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