PETALING JAYA: Boustead Holdings Bhd is exercising its first call option to buy back two oil palm estates totalling 3,771ha located in Tasek Glugor, Penang, and Pekan, Pahang, from Golden Crop Returns Bhd (GCRB) for at least RM110mil. The two estates were part of a sale and leaseback agreement between Boustead and GCRB in which the former had sold and subsequently leased back the estates for up to three, five and seven years. The exercise was to facilitate the securitisation transaction involving the issuance of RM442mil Sukuk al-Ijarah by GCRB and an RM300mil Musyarakah facility obtained from Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera. To improve the performance of the fund, chairman of Boustead REIT Managers Sdn Bhd Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin said in a statement a combination of strategies - existing plantations to be managed for maximum returns and selected plantation assets will be acquired - would be adopted.
(30-1-2008 The Star)
