40-17F2 1 c23936_40-17f2.txt FORM 40-17F2 REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS To the Board of Directors of The France Growth Fund, Inc. We have examined management's assertion, included in the accompanying Management Statement Regarding Compliance with Certain Provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, about The France Growth Fund, Inc.'s (the "Fund") compliance with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("the Act") as of December 31, 2001 included in the accompanying Management Statement Regarding Compliance with Certain Provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Management is responsible for the Fund's compliance with those requirements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on management's assertion about the Fund's compliance based on our examination. Our examination was conducted in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and, accordingly, included examining, on a test basis, evidence about the Fund's compliance with those requirements and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. Included among our procedures were the following tests performed as of December 31, 2001 and for the period from June 29, 2001 through December 31, 2001, with respect to agreement of purchases and sales of securities and similar investments: o Confirmation of all securities and similar investments owned by the Fund and in the control of Credit Agricole Indosuez in Paris, France ("CAI"), the Fund's sub-custodian, with SICOVAM, France, the central depository in France. It was not possible to physically inspect or perform other procedures directed to the Fund's securities because they are maintained by CAI and SICOVAM under an omnibus nominee account for all of CAI's custodial customers; o Reconciliation of confirmation results as to all such securities and similar investments to the books and records of the Fund and the Custodian; o Agreement of three security and/or investment purchases and three security and/or investment sales or maturities since our last examination from the books and records of the Fund to broker confirmations. To the Board of Directors of The France Growth Fund, Inc. February 28, 2002 We believe that our examination provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Our examination does not provide a legal determination of the Fund's compliance with specified requirements. In our opinion, management's assertion that The France Growth Fund, Inc. was in compliance with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 as of December 31, 2001 with respect to securities reflected in the investment account of the Fund is fairly stated, in all material respects. This report is intended solely for the information and use of management of The France Growth Fund, Inc. and the Securities and Exchange Commission and should not be used for any other purpose. February 28, 2002 (2) MANAGEMENT STATEMENT REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 We, as members of management of The France Growth Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"), are responsible for complying with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2, "Custody of Investments by Registered Management Investment Companies," of the Investment Company Act of 1940. We are also responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective internal control structure over compliance with those requirements. We have performed an evaluation of the Fund's compliance with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 as of December 31, 2001. Based on this evaluation, we assert that the Fund was in compliance with those provisions of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 as of December 31, 2001, with respect to securities and similar investments reflected in the investment account of the Fund. The France Growth Fund, Inc. By: --------------------------------------------------- Frederick J. Schmidt, Vice President and Treasurer --------------------------------------------------- Steven M. Cancro, Vice President and Secretary UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION --------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB APPROVAL --------------------------------------- FORM N-17f-2 OMB NUMBER: 3235-0360 Certificate of Accounting of Securities and Similar EXPIRES: JULY 31, 1994 Investments in the Custody of ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN Management Investment Companies HOURS PER RESPONSE ...0.05 Pursuant to Rule 17f-2 [17 CFR 270.17F-2] ---------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Investment Company Act File Number: Date examination completed: 811-5994 February 28, 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. State identification Number: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AL AK AZ AR CA CO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CT DE DC FL GA HI ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ID IL IN IA KS KY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LA ME MD MA MI MN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MS MO MT NE NV NH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NJ NM NY NC ND OH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK OR PA RI SC SD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TN TX UT VT VA WA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WV WI WY PUERTO RICO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other (specify): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Exact name of investment company as specified in registration statement: The France Growth Fund, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Name under which business is conducted, if different from above: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Address of principal executive office (number, street, city, state, zip code): 666 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017-4011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTRUCTIONS This Form must be completed by investment companies that have custody of securities or similar investments. INVESTMENT COMPANY 1. All items must be completed by the investment company. 2. Give this Form to the independent public accountant who, in compliance with Rule 17f-2 under the Act and applicable state law, examines securities and similar investments in the custody of the investment company. ACCOUNTANT 3. Submit this Form to the Securities and Exchange Commission and appropriate state securities administrators when filing the certificate of accounting required by Rule 17f-2 under the Act and applicable state law. File the original and one copy with the Securities and Exchange Commission's principal office in Washington, D.C., one copy with the regional office for the region in which the investment company's principal business operations are conducted, and one copy with the appropriate state administrator(s), if applicable. THIS FORM MUST BE GIVEN TO YOUR INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT SEC 2198 (11-91)