Instructions.
7. Item G.1.b.i. Material amendments to organizational documents. Provide copies of all material amendments to the Registrant's charters, by-laws, or other similar organizational documents that occurred during the reporting period.
8. Item G.1.b.ii. Instruments defining the rights of the holders of any new or amended class of securities. Provide copies of all constituent instruments defining the rights of the holders of any new or amended class of securities for the current reporting period. If the Registrant has issued a new class of securities other than short-term paper, furnish a description of the class called for by the applicable item of Form N-2. If the constituent instruments defining the rights of the holders of any class of the Registrant's securities have been materially modified during the reporting period, give the title of the class involved and state briefly the general effect of the modification upon the rights of the holders of such securities.
9. Item G.1.b.iii. New or amended investment advisory contracts. Provide copies of any new or amended investment advisory contracts that became effective during the reporting period.
10. Item G.1.b.iv. Information called for by Item 405 of Regulation S-K. Provide the information called for by Item 405 of Regulation S-K concerning failure of certain closed-end management investment company and small business investment company shareholders to file certain ownership reports.
11. Item G.1.b.v. Code of ethics (small business investment companies only).
(a) (1) Disclose whether, as of the end of the period covered by the report, the Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party. If the Registrant has not adopted such a code of ethics, explain why it has not done so. (2) For purposes of this instruction, the term "code of ethics" means written standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote: (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a Registrant files with, or submits to, the Commission and in other public communications made by the Registrant; (iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations; (iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code; and (v) accountability for adherence to the code.
(3) The Registrant must briefly describe the nature of any amendment, during the period covered by the report, to a provision of its code of ethics that applies to the Registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party, and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition enumerated in paragraph (a)(2) of this instruction. The Registrant must file a copy of any such amendment as an exhibit to this report on Form N-CEN, unless the Registrant has elected to satisfy paragraph (a)(6) of this instruction by posting its code of ethics on its website pursuant to paragraph (a)(6)(ii) of this Instruction, or by undertaking to provide its code of ethics to any person without charge, upon request, pursuant to paragraph (a)(6)(iii) of this instruction.
(4) If the Registrant has, during the period covered by the report, granted a waiver, including an implicit waiver, from a provision of the code of ethics to the Registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party, that relates to one or more of the items set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of this instruction, the Registrant must briefly describe the nature of the waiver, the name of the person to whom the waiver was granted, and the date of the waiver.
(5) If the Registrant intends to satisfy the disclosure requirement under paragraph (a)(3) or (4) of this instruction regarding an amendment to, or a waiver from, a provision of its code of ethics that applies to the Registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition enumerated in paragraph (a)(2) of this instruction by posting such information on its Internet website, disclose the Registrant's Internet address and such intention.
(6) The Registrant must: (i) file with the Commission a copy of its code of ethics that applies to the Registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, as an exhibit to its report on this Form N-CEN; (ii) post the text of such code of ethics on its Internet website and disclose, in its most recent report on this Form N-CEN, its Internet address and the fact that it has posted such code of ethics on its Internet website; or (iii) undertake in its most recent report on this Form N-CEN to provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of such code of ethics and explain the manner in which such request may be made.
(7) A Registrant may have separate codes of ethics for different types of officers. Furthermore, a "code of ethics" within the meaning of paragraph (a)(2) of this instruction may be a portion of a broader document that addresses additional topics or that applies to more persons than those specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this instruction. In satisfying the requirements of paragraph (a)(6) of this instruction, a Registrant need only file, post, or provide the portions of a broader document that constitutes a "code of ethics" as defined in paragraph (a)(2) of this instruction and that apply to the persons specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this instruction.
(8) If a Registrant elects to satisfy paragraph (a)(6) of this instruction by posting its code of ethics on its Internet website pursuant to paragraph (a)(6)(ii), the code of ethics must remain accessible on its website for as long as the Registrant remains subject to the requirements of this instruction and chooses to comply with this instruction by posting its code on its Internet website pursuant to paragraph (a)(6)(ii).
(9) The Registrant does not need to provide any information pursuant to paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this instruction if it discloses the required information on its Internet website within five business days following the date of the amendment or waiver and the Registrant has disclosed in its most recently filed report on this Form N-CEN its Internet website address and intention to provide disclosure in this manner. If the amendment or waiver occurs on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday on which the Commission is not open for business, then the five business day period shall begin to run on and include the first business day thereafter. If the Registrant elects to disclose this information through its website, such information must remain available on the website for at least a 12-month period. The Registrant must retain the information for a period of not less than six years following the end of the fiscal year in which the amendment or waiver occurred. Upon request, the Registrant must furnish to the Commission or its staff a copy of any or all information retained pursuant to this requirement.
(10) The Registrant does not need to disclose technical, administrative, or other non-substantive amendments to its code of ethics.
(11) For purposes of this instruction: (i) the term "waiver" means the approval by the Registrant of a material departure from a provision of the code of ethics; and (ii) the term "implicit waiver" means the Registrant's failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of the code of ethics that has been made known to an executive officer, as defined in rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.3b-7), of the Registrant.
(b) (1) Disclose that the Registrant's board of directors has determined that the Registrant either: (i) has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee; or (ii) does not have an audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee.
(2) If the Registrant provides the disclosure required by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this instruction, it must disclose the name of the audit committee financial expert and whether that person is "independent." In order to be considered "independent" for purposes of this instruction, a member of an audit committee may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee: (i) accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the issuer; or (ii) be an "interested person" of the investment company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(19)).
(3) If the Registrant provides the disclosure required by paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this instruction, it must explain why it does not have an audit committee financial expert.
(4) If the Registrant's board of directors has determined that the Registrant has more than one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee, the Registrant may, but is not required to, disclose the names of those additional persons. A Registrant choosing to identify such persons must indicate whether they are independent pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this instruction.
(5) For purposes of this instruction, an "audit committee financial expert" means a person who has the following attributes: (i) an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and financial statements; (ii) the ability to assess the general application of such principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals, and reserves; (iii) experience preparing, auditing, analyzing, or evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Registrant's financial statements, or experience actively supervising one or more persons engaged in such activities; (iv) an understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting; and (v) an understanding of audit committee functions.
(6) A person shall have acquired such attributes through: (i) education and experience as a principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, public accountant, or auditor or experience in one or more positions that involve the performance of similar functions; (ii) experience actively supervising a principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, public accountant, auditor, or person performing similar functions; (iii) experience overseeing or assessing the performance of companies or public accountants with respect to the preparation, auditing, or evaluation of financial statements; or (iv) other relevant experience.
(7) (i) A person who is determined to be an audit committee financial expert will not be deemed an "expert" for any purpose, including without limitation for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act (15 U.S.C. 77k), as a result of being designated or identified as an audit committee financial expert pursuant to this instruction; (ii) the designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert pursuant to this instruction does not impose on such person any duties, obligations, or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations, and liability imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation or identification; (iii) the designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert pursuant to this instruction does not affect the duties, obligations, or liability of any other member of the audit committee or board of directors.
(8) If a person qualifies as an audit committee financial expert by means of having held a position described in paragraph (b)(6)(iv) of this Instruction, the Registrant shall provide a brief listing of that person's relevant experience. |