Directorate Change

Scottish Oriental Smlr Co Tst PLC
01 April 2004


              The Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust Plc -
                         Announcement re new Directors



Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust Plc is pleased to announce the
appointment of James Ferguson and Alexandra Mackesy as non-executive Directors
of the Trust with effect from 1 April 2004.  Mr Ferguson, who is 56, will also
become Chairman of the Board on the retirement of Mr Ivor Guild.



James Ferguson has considerable experience of investment trusts and was a Deputy
Chairman of the Association of Investment Trusts from 1984-86 and from 1995-99.
His current investment trust directorships are: Value and Income Trust
(Chairman), The Independent Investment Trust, Northern 3 VCT, The Monks
Investment Trust and Edinburgh US Tracker Trust. Previously, he joined Stewart
Ivory in 1970, became Chairman in 1989 and retired in 2000.



Alexandra Mackesy, age 42, who is a graduate of Oxford University, has extensive
experience of Asian equity markets.  This culminated in her role as Director,
Head of Hong Kong and China Research, at Credit Suisse First Boston from May
1998 to April 2000, where she remains a part-time consultant.  She has
significant knowledge of Asian smaller companies and of the volatile far eastern
markets.



The Directors look forward very much to working with their new colleagues.



Set out below are the details of the directorships of all publicly quoted
companies held over the previous 5 years by Mr Ferguson.


Current Directorships


Value and Income Trust plc
Audax Properties PLC
The Independent Investment Trust PLC
Northern 3 VCT plc
The Monks Investment Trust plc
Edinburgh US Tracker Trust plc


Past Directorships


OLIM Convertible Trust PLC



Mrs Mackesy has no directorships to be disclosed.



Both Mr Ferguson and Mrs Mackesy have no details to be disclosed under paragraph
6.F.2 (b) to (g) of the UKLA Listing Rules.



Enquiries:
Shona Darling
First State Investment Management (UK) Limited
0131 473 2228






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