unusual , ( ii ) is material in amount , and ( iii ) varies significantly from the retirement profile identified through our depreciation studies .
a gain or loss is recognized in other income when we sell land or dispose of assets that are not part of our railroad operations .
when we purchase an asset , we capitalize all costs necessary to make the asset ready for its intended use .
however , many of our assets are self-constructed .
a large portion of our capital expenditures is for replacement of existing road infrastructure assets ( program projects ) , which is typically performed by our employees , and for track line expansion ( capacity projects ) .
costs that are directly attributable or overhead costs that relate directly to capital projects are capitalized .
direct costs that are capitalized as part of self-constructed assets include material , labor , and work equipment .
indirect costs are capitalized if they clearly relate to the construction of the asset .
these costs are allocated using appropriate statistical bases .
general and administrative expenditures are expensed as incurred .
normal repairs and maintenance are also expensed as incurred , while costs incurred that extend the useful life of an asset , improve the safety of our operations or improve operating efficiency are capitalized .
assets held under capital leases are recorded at the lower of the net present value of the minimum lease payments or the fair value of the leased asset at the inception of the lease .
amortization expense is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the period of the related lease .
11 .
accounts payable and other current liabilities dec .
31 , dec .
31 , millions of dollars 2009 2008 .

millions of dollars
dec . 31 2009
dec . 31 2008
accounts payable
$ 612
$ 629
accrued wages and vacation
339
367
accrued casualty costs
379
390
income and other taxes
224
207
dividends and interest
347
328
equipment rents payable
89
93
other
480
546
total accounts payable and other current liabilities
$ 2470
$ 2560

12 .
financial instruments strategy and risk 2013 we may use derivative financial instruments in limited instances for other than trading purposes to assist in managing our overall exposure to fluctuations in interest rates and fuel prices .
we are not a party to leveraged derivatives and , by policy , do not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes .
derivative financial instruments qualifying for hedge accounting must maintain a specified level of effectiveness between the hedging instrument and the item being hedged , both at inception and throughout the hedged period .
we formally document the nature and relationships between the hedging instruments and hedged items at inception , as well as our risk-management objectives , strategies for undertaking the various hedge transactions , and method of assessing hedge effectiveness .
changes in the fair market value of derivative financial instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting are charged to earnings .
we may use swaps , collars , futures , and/or forward contracts to mitigate the risk of adverse movements in interest rates and fuel prices ; however , the use of these derivative financial instruments may limit future benefits from favorable interest rate and fuel price movements. .

Question: what was the percentage increase in short term debt for amounts distributed to shareholders and debt holders during 2009?
Answer: 5.8%