Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 28824-28825 [2011-12203]

Download as PDF 28824 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 18, 2011 / Notices srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES Extension: Form N–8B–4; SEC File No. 270–180; OMB Control No. 3235–0247. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (‘‘PRA’’), the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) requests for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below. Form N–8B–4 (17 CFR 274.14) is the form used by face-amount certificate companies to comply with the filing and disclosure requirements imposed by Section 8(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a–8(b)). Form N–8B–4 requires disclosure about the face-amount certificate company’s organization, controlling persons, business, policies, securities, investment adviser, depositary, management personnel, compensation, and financial statements. The Commission uses the information provided in the collection of information to determine compliance with Section 8(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Based on the Commission’s industry statistics, the Commission estimates that there would be approximately one annual filing on Form N–8B–4. The Commission estimates that each registrant filing a Form N–8b–4 would spend 171 hours in preparing and filing the form and that the total annual time burden for all Form N–8B–4 filings would be 171 hours. Estimates of the burden hours are made solely for the purposes of the PRA, and are not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of SEC rules and forms. The information provided on Form N–8B–4 is mandatory. The information provided on Form N–8B–4 will not be kept confidential. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. The public may view the background documentation for this information collection at the following Web site, https://www.reginfo.gov. Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an e-mail to: Shagufta_Ahmed@omb.eop.gov: and (ii) Thomas Bayer, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi Pavlik- VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:31 May 17, 2011 Jkt 223001 Simon, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an e-mail to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice. Dated: May 13, 2011. Cathy H. Ahn, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2011–12204 Filed 5–17–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549–0213. Extension: Rule 17f–5; SEC File No. 270–259; OMB Control No. 3235–0269. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) requests for extension of the previously approved collections of information discussed below. Rule 17f–5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a) (‘‘Investment Company Act’’ or ‘‘Act’’) governs the custody of the assets of registered management investment companies (‘‘funds’’) with custodians outside the United States.1 Under rule 17f–5, the fund’s board of directors must find that it is reasonable to rely on each delegate it selects to act as the fund’s foreign custody manager. The delegate must agree to provide written reports that notify the board when the fund’s assets are placed with a foreign custodian and when any material change occurs in the fund’s custody arrangements. The delegate must agree to exercise reasonable care, prudence, and diligence, or to adhere to a higher standard of care. When the foreign custody manager selects an eligible foreign custodian, it must determine that the fund’s assets will be subject to reasonable care if maintained with that custodian, and that the written contract that governs each custody arrangement will provide reasonable care for fund assets. The contract must contain certain specified provisions or others 1 17 CFR 270.17f–5. All references to rules 17f– 5, 17f–7, 17d–1, or 19b–1 in this notice are to 17 CFR 270.17f–5, 17 CFR 270.17f–7, 17 CFR 270.17d– 1, and 17 CFR 270.19b–1, respectively. PO 00000 Frm 00099 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 that provide at least equivalent care. The foreign custody manager must establish a system to monitor the performance of the contract and the appropriateness of continuing to maintain assets with the eligible foreign custodian. The collection of information requirements in rule 17f–5 are intended to provide protection for fund assets maintained with a foreign bank custodian whose use is not authorized by statutory provisions that govern fund custody arrangements,2 and that is not subject to regulation and examination by U.S. regulators. The requirement that the fund board determine that it is reasonable to rely on each delegate is intended to ensure that the board carefully considers each delegate’s qualifications to perform its responsibilities. The requirement that the delegate provide written reports to the board is intended to ensure that the delegate notifies the board of important developments concerning custody arrangements so that the board may exercise effective oversight. The requirement that the delegate agree to exercise reasonable care is intended to provide assurances to the fund that the delegate will properly perform its duties. The requirements that the foreign custody manager determine that fund assets will be subject to reasonable care with the eligible foreign custodian and under the custody contract, and that each contract contain specified provisions or equivalent provisions, are intended to ensure that the delegate has evaluated the level of care provided by the custodian, that it weighs the adequacy of contractual provisions, and that fund assets are protected by minimal contractual safeguards. The requirement that the foreign custody manager establish a monitoring system is intended to ensure that the manager periodically reviews each custody arrangement and takes appropriate action if developing custody risks may threaten fund assets. Commission staff estimates that each year, approximately 135 registrants 3 could be required to make an average of one response per registrant under rule 17f–5, requiring approximately 2.5 hours of board of director time per response, to make the necessary findings concerning foreign custody managers. The total annual burden 2 See section 17(f) of the Investment Company Act [15 U.S.C. 80a–17(f)]. 3 This figure is an estimate of the number of new funds each year, based on data reported by funds in 2010 on Form N–1A and Form N–2. In practice, not all funds will use foreign custody managers, and the actual figure may be smaller. E:\FR\FM\18MYN1.SGM 18MYN1 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 96 / Wednesday, May 18, 2011 / Notices associated with these requirements of the rule is up to approximately 337.5 hours (135 registrants × 2.5 hours per registrant). The staff further estimates that during each year, approximately 15 global custodians 4 are required to make an average of 4 responses per custodian concerning the use of foreign custodians other than depositories. The staff estimates that each response will take approximately 270 hours, requiring approximately 1,080 total hours annually per custodian. The total annual burden associated with these requirements of the rule is approximately 16,200 hours (15 global custodians × 1,080 hours per custodian). Therefore, the total annual time burden of all collection of information requirements of rule 17f–5 is estimated to be up to 16,537.5 hours (337.5 + 16,200). The total annual internal cost of the burden is estimated to be $4,914,000 (337.5 hours × $4,000/hour for board of director’s time, plus 16,200 hours × $220/hour for a trust administrator’s time).5 Compliance with the collection of information requirements of the rule is necessary to obtain the benefit of relying on the rule’s permission for funds to maintain their assets in foreign custodians. The estimate of average time burden is made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The estimate is not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of Commission rules and forms. Rule 17f–5 does not impose any paperwork related cost burden. The public may view the background documentation for this information collection at the following Web site, https://www.reginfo.gov. Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an e-mail to: Shagufta_Ahmed@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) Thomas Bayer, Director/Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi PavlikSimon, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an e-mail to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice. 4 This estimate is based on staff research. board hourly rate is based on fund industry representations. The $220/hour figure for a trust administrator is from SIFMA’s Management & Professional Earnings in the Securities Industry 2010, modified to account for an 1,800-hour workyear and multiplied by 5.35 to account for bonuses, firm size, employee benefits and overhead. 5 The VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:31 May 17, 2011 Jkt 223001 Dated: May 13, 2011. Cathy H. Ahn, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. 2011–12203 Filed 5–17–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549–0213. Extension: Form N–17D–1; SEC File No. 270–231; OMB Control No. 3235–0229. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a request for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below. Section 17(d) (15 U.S.C. 80a–17(d)) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (‘‘Act’’) authorizes the Commission to adopt rules that protect funds and their security holders from overreaching by affiliated persons when the fund and the affiliated person participate in any joint enterprise or other joint arrangement or profit-sharing plan. Rule 17d-1 under the Act (17 CFR 270.17d–1) prohibits funds and their affiliated persons from participating in a joint enterprise, unless an application regarding the transaction has been filed with and approved by the Commission. Paragraph (d)(3) of the rule provides an exemption from this requirement for any loan or advance of credit to, or acquisition of securities or other property of, a small business concern, or any agreement to do any of the foregoing (‘‘investments’’) made by a small business investment company (‘‘SBIC’’) and an affiliated bank, provided that reports about the investments are made on forms the Commission may prescribe. Rule 17d–2 (17 CFR 270.17d–2) designates Form N– 17D–1 (17 CFR 274.200) (‘‘form’’) as the form for reports required by rule 17d– 1. SBICs and their affiliated banks use form N–17D–1 to report any contemporaneous investments in a small business concern. The form provides shareholders and persons seeking to make an informed decision about investing in an SBIC an opportunity to learn about transactions of the SBIC that have the potential for PO 00000 Frm 00100 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28825 self dealing and other forms of overreaching by affiliated persons at the expense of shareholders. Form N–17D–1 requires SBICs and their affiliated banks to report identifying information about the small business concern and the affiliated bank. The report must include, among other things, the SBIC’s and affiliated bank’s outstanding investments in the small business concern, the use of the proceeds of the investments made during the reporting period, any changes in the nature and amount of the affiliated bank’s investment, the name of any affiliated person of the SBIC or the affiliated bank (or any affiliated person of the affiliated person of the SBIC or the affiliated bank) who has any interest in the transactions, the basis of the affiliation, the nature of the interest, and the consideration the affiliated person has received or will receive. Up to three SBICs may file the form in any year.1 The Commission estimates the burden of filling out the form is approximately one hour per response and would likely be completed by an accountant or other professional. Based on past filings, the Commission estimates that no more than one SBIC is likely to use the form each year. Most of the information requested on the form should be readily available to the SBIC or the affiliated bank in records kept in the ordinary course of business, or with respect to the SBIC, pursuant to the recordkeeping requirements under the Act. Commission staff estimates that it should take approximately one hour for an accountant or other professional to complete the form.2 The estimated total annual burden of filling out the form is 1 hour, at an estimated total annual cost of $198.3 The Commission will not keep responses on Form N–17D–1 confidential. The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act, and is not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of Commission rules. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it 1 As of February 4, 2011, three SBICs were registered with the Commission. 2 This estimate of hours is based on past conversations with representatives of SBICs and accountants that have filed the form. 3 Commission staff estimates that the annual burden would be incurred by a senior accountant with an average hourly wage rate of $198 per hour. See Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Report on Management and Professional Earnings in the Securities Industry 2010, modified to account for an 1800-hour work year and multiplied by 5.35 to account for bonuses, firm size, employee benefits and overhead. E:\FR\FM\18MYN1.SGM 18MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28824-28825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12203]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange 
Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 
20549-0213.

Extension:
    Rule 17f-5; SEC File No. 270-259; OMB Control No. 3235-0269.

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (``Commission'') has submitted to the Office of Management 
and Budget (``OMB'') requests for extension of the previously approved 
collections of information discussed below.
    Rule 17f-5 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a) 
(``Investment Company Act'' or ``Act'') governs the custody of the 
assets of registered management investment companies (``funds'') with 
custodians outside the United States.\1\ Under rule 17f-5, the fund's 
board of directors must find that it is reasonable to rely on each 
delegate it selects to act as the fund's foreign custody manager. The 
delegate must agree to provide written reports that notify the board 
when the fund's assets are placed with a foreign custodian and when any 
material change occurs in the fund's custody arrangements. The delegate 
must agree to exercise reasonable care, prudence, and diligence, or to 
adhere to a higher standard of care. When the foreign custody manager 
selects an eligible foreign custodian, it must determine that the 
fund's assets will be subject to reasonable care if maintained with 
that custodian, and that the written contract that governs each custody 
arrangement will provide reasonable care for fund assets. The contract 
must contain certain specified provisions or others that provide at 
least equivalent care. The foreign custody manager must establish a 
system to monitor the performance of the contract and the 
appropriateness of continuing to maintain assets with the eligible 
foreign custodian.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 17 CFR 270.17f-5. All references to rules 17f-5, 17f-7, 17d-
1, or 19b-1 in this notice are to 17 CFR 270.17f-5, 17 CFR 270.17f-
7, 17 CFR 270.17d-1, and 17 CFR 270.19b-1, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The collection of information requirements in rule 17f-5 are 
intended to provide protection for fund assets maintained with a 
foreign bank custodian whose use is not authorized by statutory 
provisions that govern fund custody arrangements,\2\ and that is not 
subject to regulation and examination by U.S. regulators. The 
requirement that the fund board determine that it is reasonable to rely 
on each delegate is intended to ensure that the board carefully 
considers each delegate's qualifications to perform its 
responsibilities. The requirement that the delegate provide written 
reports to the board is intended to ensure that the delegate notifies 
the board of important developments concerning custody arrangements so 
that the board may exercise effective oversight. The requirement that 
the delegate agree to exercise reasonable care is intended to provide 
assurances to the fund that the delegate will properly perform its 
duties.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See section 17(f) of the Investment Company Act [15 U.S.C. 
80a-17(f)].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The requirements that the foreign custody manager determine that 
fund assets will be subject to reasonable care with the eligible 
foreign custodian and under the custody contract, and that each 
contract contain specified provisions or equivalent provisions, are 
intended to ensure that the delegate has evaluated the level of care 
provided by the custodian, that it weighs the adequacy of contractual 
provisions, and that fund assets are protected by minimal contractual 
safeguards. The requirement that the foreign custody manager establish 
a monitoring system is intended to ensure that the manager periodically 
reviews each custody arrangement and takes appropriate action if 
developing custody risks may threaten fund assets.
    Commission staff estimates that each year, approximately 135 
registrants \3\ could be required to make an average of one response 
per registrant under rule 17f-5, requiring approximately 2.5 hours of 
board of director time per response, to make the necessary findings 
concerning foreign custody managers. The total annual burden

[[Page 28825]]

associated with these requirements of the rule is up to approximately 
337.5 hours (135 registrants x 2.5 hours per registrant). The staff 
further estimates that during each year, approximately 15 global 
custodians \4\ are required to make an average of 4 responses per 
custodian concerning the use of foreign custodians other than 
depositories. The staff estimates that each response will take 
approximately 270 hours, requiring approximately 1,080 total hours 
annually per custodian. The total annual burden associated with these 
requirements of the rule is approximately 16,200 hours (15 global 
custodians x 1,080 hours per custodian). Therefore, the total annual 
time burden of all collection of information requirements of rule 17f-5 
is estimated to be up to 16,537.5 hours (337.5 + 16,200). The total 
annual internal cost of the burden is estimated to be $4,914,000 (337.5 
hours x $4,000/hour for board of director's time, plus 16,200 hours x 
$220/hour for a trust administrator's time).\5\ Compliance with the 
collection of information requirements of the rule is necessary to 
obtain the benefit of relying on the rule's permission for funds to 
maintain their assets in foreign custodians.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ This figure is an estimate of the number of new funds each 
year, based on data reported by funds in 2010 on Form N-1A and Form 
N-2. In practice, not all funds will use foreign custody managers, 
and the actual figure may be smaller.
    \4\ This estimate is based on staff research.
    \5\ The board hourly rate is based on fund industry 
representations. The $220/hour figure for a trust administrator is 
from SIFMA's Management & Professional Earnings in the Securities 
Industry 2010, modified to account for an 1,800-hour work-year and 
multiplied by 5.35 to account for bonuses, firm size, employee 
benefits and overhead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The estimate of average time burden is made solely for the purposes 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The estimate is not derived from a 
comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of 
Commission rules and forms. Rule 17f-5 does not impose any paperwork 
related cost burden.
    The public may view the background documentation for this 
information collection at the following Web site, https://www.reginfo.gov. Comments should be directed to: (i) Desk Officer for 
the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New 
Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, or by sending an e-
mail to: Shagufta_Ahmed@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) Thomas Bayer, Director/
Chief Information Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission, c/o Remi 
Pavlik-Simon, 6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA 22312 or send an 
e-mail to: PRA_Mailbox@sec.gov. Comments must be submitted to OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.

    Dated: May 13, 2011.
Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-12203 Filed 5-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P
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