This was not a promise, it was his personal expectations. That the company had prepared a AGM agenda PR with a buyback and dividend program as the main topics already (that unfortunately went out premature), pretty much confirms the expectations of the future financial situation of the company. Many times when he has what you call "promised" things, has been based on what other people around him has guaranteed him.
Example, the extraordinary dividend, I blame Nisse S 100% for failing this one. Nisse pushed Solomon to make this "promise" during one CC long time ago because Nisse guaranteed that he would get SIAF a loan in Sweden. Nisse did not deliver.
The list of people Solomon has surrounded himself with that has overpromised and under delivered is long, Geroge Yap, Bertil T, Feredrik D, Nils S... and so on. Being a "Chinese" company it has been more important to hire a management based on their nationality rather than competence, that is the impression I get. But I agree, in the end of the day, Solomons job is to get competent people onboard who can deliver, he has not been very good at that so far.
This is one other reason why the independent listed companies will have a much better chance. For example, when TRW is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, they don't have to bother about the perception of some racist western folks, they can hire the best management available both locally or from abroad.
