Certifications
- --------------
I, Charles E. Porter, a Principal Executive Officer of the funds listed on
Attachment A, certify that:
1. I have reviewed each report on Form N-CSR of the funds listed on
Attachment A:
2. Based on my knowledge, each report does not contain any untrue statements
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by each report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in each report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and
cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement
of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
each report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal
control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the
Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to
ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which each report is being
prepared;
b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within
90 days prior to the filing date of each report based on such evaluation;
and
d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control
over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent
fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed to each
registrant's auditors and the audit committee of each registrant's board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect each registrant's ability to record, process,
summarize, and report financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in each registrant's internal control
over financial reporting.
/s/ Charles E. Porter
--------------------------
Date: September 27, 2005
Charles E. Porter
Principal Executive Officer
Certifications
- --------------
I, Steven D. Krichmar, the Principal Financial Officer of the funds listed
on Attachment A, certify that:
1. I have reviewed each report on Form N-CSR of the funds listed on
Attachment A:
2. Based on my knowledge, each report does not contain any untrue statements
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by each report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in each report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and
cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement
of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
each report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal
control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the
Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to
ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which each report is being
prepared;
b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within
90 days prior to the filing date of each report based on such evaluation;
and
d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control
over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent
fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed to each
registrant's auditors and the audit committee of each registrant's board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect each registrant's ability to record, process,
summarize, and report financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in each registrant's internal control
over financial reporting.
/s/ Steven D. Krichmar
-------------------------------
Date: September 27, 2005
Steven D. Krichmar
Principal Financial Officer
Attachment A
- -------------------------------------
N-CSR
Period (s) ended July 31, 2005
Annuals
- -------------------------------------
003 Putnam Investors Fund
007 Putnam Voyager Fund
073 Putnam Premier Income Trust
035 Putnam AMT Free-Insured Municipal Fund
2AQ Putnam Research Fund
2AP Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund
036 Putnam Tax Free High Yield Fund
001 The George Putnam Fund of Boston
006 Putnam Vista Fund
024 Putnam OTC & Emerging Growth Fund
Putnam RetirementReady Funds
- -------------------------------------
48P Putnam RetirementReady Maturity
48I Putnam RetirementReady 2010
48W Putnam RetirementReady 2015
49D Putnam RetirementReady 2020
49K Putnam RetirementReady 2025
49R Putnam RetirementReady 2030
49Y Putnam RetirementReady 2035
40F Putnam RetirementReady 2040
40M Putnam RetirementReady 2045
7CR Putnam RetirementReady 2050