PERSONNEL EXPENSES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Disclosure of amounts incurred by entity for provision of key management personnel services provided by separate management entities [abstract]

PERSONNEL EXPENSES

3. PERSONNEL EXPENSES

	December 31, 2019 US$‘000		December 31, 2018 US$‘000		December 31, 2017 US$‘000
Wages and salaries		25,885		26,475		26,316
Social welfare costs		2,538		2,585		2,424
Pension costs		503		490		459
Tax settlement (Note 6)		5,094		—		—
Share-based payments		758		1,369		928
		34,778		30,919		30,127

Personnel expenses are shown net of capitalisations. Total personnel expenses, inclusive of amounts capitalised for wages and salaries, social welfare costs and pension costs, for the year ended December 31, 2019 amounted to US$36,288,000 (2018: US$38,002,000) (2017: US$37,351,000). Total share based payments, inclusive of amounts capitalised in the balance sheet, amounted to US$838,000 for the year ended December 31, 2019 (2018: US$1,607,000) (2017: US$1,109,000). See Note 22 for further details.

The average number of persons employed by the Group in the financial year was 579 (2018: 575) (2017: 556) and is analysed into the following categories:

	December 31, 2019		December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
Research and development		57		59		60
Administration and sales		159		163		162
Manufacturing and quality		363		353		334
		579		575		556