Getin shareholders to decide on diversification proposal today

During today's shareholders' meeting of IT concern Getin, its owners are to decide whether to change the company's profile - a move which analysts claim carries heavy risks for shareholders. The company's present activity - running a B2B e-platform - will be transferred to a newly-created company, in which Getin will hold a 49% stake. Meanwhile, the "new" Getin will become a venture capital fund which will invest money in the East. Its first investment will be Carcade, a leasing company from Kaliningrad, and the next a retail bank operating in Moscow. However, according to the Commercial Code, current shareholders are permitted to demand that the company buy back their securities based on their average price from the last three years. If only the main shareholder, Leszek Czarnecki holding 66%, is in favor of the changes, the company must be prepared to buy back five million shares. (Parkiet, p. 1) M.M.