The board of directors of the Shell Refinery published an advertisement today to clarify statements made in Hoy newspaper yesterday regarding payment of past due dividends on earnings. The board of directors of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery indicates that the retained earnings date back to the years before 1995, not just 1994, and are RD$227 million (not RD$237 million as reported), of which RD$113.5 million correspond to Shell and RD$113.5 million to the Dominican government. The Refinery is a joint venture 50-50 between the Dominican government and Shell Group. The advertisement explains that the earnings were not distributed because prior to the passing of the 1995 Foreign Investment Law foreign companies could not expatriate 100% of their earnings. Since dividends could not be paid out to only one of the partners, these were retained by mutual agreement. The board says that the Dominican government representation has received monthly and annual statements up to 2002.