EX-99. CERT
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I, Robert C. Doll, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Merrill Lynch Utilities and
Telecommunications Fund, Inc., certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Merrill Lynch Utilities
and Telecommunications Fund, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement 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 this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this 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 this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) 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 this 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 this 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 second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report
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(s) and I have disclosed to
the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
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 the
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 the
registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
Date: January 25, 2006
/s/ Robert C. Doll, Jr.
-----------------------------
Robert C. Doll, Jr.,
Chief Executive Officer of
Merrill Lynch Utilities and
Telecommunications Fund, Inc.
EX-99. CERT
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I, Donald C. Burke, Chief Financial Officer of Merrill Lynch Utilities and
Telecommunications Fund, Inc., certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Merrill Lynch Utilities
and Telecommunications Fund, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement 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 this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this 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 this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer(s) 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 this 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 this 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 second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report
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(s) and I have disclosed to
the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
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 the
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 the
registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
Date: January 25, 2006
/s/ Donald C. Burke
-----------------------------
Donald C. Burke,
Chief Financial Officer of
Merrill Lynch Utilities and
Telecommunications Fund, Inc.