MERRILL LYNCH AMERICAS INCOME FUND INC
485BPOS, 2000-10-11
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    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 10, 2000
                                            Securities Act File No. 333-37288
                                     Investment Company Act File No. 811-7794
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549
                        ------------------------------

                                   FORM N-14
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                        ------------------------------



                      [ ] Pre-Effective Amendment No.

                      [X] Post-Effective Amendment No. 1

                       (Check appropriate box or boxes)
                        ------------------------------

                   MERRILL LYNCH AMERICAS INCOME FUND, INC.
            (Exact Name Of Registrant As Specified In Its Charter)
                        ------------------------------

                                (609) 282-2800
                       (Area Code And Telephone Number)
                        ------------------------------

                            800 Scudders Mill Road
                         Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536
                   (Address Of Principal Executive Offices:
                    Number, Street, City, State, Zip Code)
                        ------------------------------

                                Terry K. Glenn
                   Merrill Lynch Americas Income Fund, Inc.
             800 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536
       Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9011, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-9011
                    (Name And Address Of Agent For Service)
                        ------------------------------

                                  Copies to:
        FRANK P. BRUNO, ESQ.              MICHAEL J. HENNEWINKEL, ESQ.
          BROWN & WOOD LLP             MERRILL LYNCH INVESTMENT MANAGERS, L.P.
      One World Trade Center                      800 Scudders Mill Road
      New York, NY 10048-0557                      Plainsboro, NJ 08536
                        ------------------------------
     Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable
after the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act of
1933.
                        ------------------------------

     Title of Securities Being Registered: Common Stock, Par Value $.10 per
share.

     No filing fee is required because of reliance on Section 24(f) under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

     The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or
dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant
shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this
Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with
Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement
shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said
Section 8(a), may determine.

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

<PAGE>

This amendment consists of the following:

(1)  Facing Sheet of the Registration Statement.

(2)  Part C of the Registration Statement (including signature page).

     Parts A and B are incorporated by reference from Pre-Effective Amendment
No. 1 to this Registration Statement (File No. 333-37288) filed on July 12,
2000.

     This amendment is being filed solely to file as Exhibit No. 12 to this
Registration Statement the private letter ruling received from the Internal
Revenue Service.

<PAGE>

                                    PART C

                               OTHER INFORMATION

Item 15.  Indemnification.

     Reference is made to Article VI of Registrant's Articles of
Incorporation, Article VI of Registrant's By-Laws, Section 2-418 of the
Maryland General Corporation Law and Section 9 of the Class A, Class B, Class
C and Class D Distribution Agreements.

     Article VI of the By-Laws provides that each officer and director of the
Registrant shall be indemnified by the Registrant to the full extent permitted
under the General Laws of the State of Maryland, except that such indemnity
shall not protect any such person against any liability to the Registrant or
any stockholder thereof to which such person would otherwise be subject by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office. Absent a court
determination that an officer or director seeking indemnification was not
liable on the merits or guilty of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
office, the decision by the Registrant to indemnify such person must be based
upon the reasonable determination of independent counsel or non-party
independent directors, after review of the facts, that such officer or
director is not guilty of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

     Each officer and director of the Registrant claiming indemnification
within the scope of Article VI of the By-Laws shall be entitled to advances
from the Registrant for payment of the reasonable expenses incurred by him in
connection with proceedings to which he is a party in the manner and to the
full extent permitted under the General Laws of the State of Maryland,
provided, however, that the person seeking indemnification shall provide to
the Registrant a written affirmation of his good faith belief that the
standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Registrant has been
met and a written undertaking to repay any such advance, if it should
ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met, and
provided further that at least one of the following additional conditions is
met: (a) the person seeking indemnification shall provide a security in form
and amount acceptable to the Registrant for his undertaking; (b) the
Registrant is insured against losses arising by reason of the advance; (c) a
majority of a quorum of non-party independent directors, or independent legal
counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of facts
readily available to the Registrant at the time the advance is proposed to be
made, that there is reason to believe that the person seeking indemnification
will ultimately be found to be entitled to indemnification.

     The Registrant may purchase insurance on behalf of an officer or director
protecting such person to the full extent permitted under the General Laws of
the State of Maryland from liability arising from his or her activities as an
officer or director of the Registrant. The Registrant, however, may not
purchase insurance on behalf of any officer or director of the Registrant that
protects or purports to protect such person from liability to the Registrant
or to its stockholders to which such officer or director would otherwise be
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

     The Registrant may indemnify, make advances or purchase insurance to the
extent provided in Article VI of the By-Laws on behalf of an employee or agent
who is not an officer or director of the Registrant.

     In Section 9 of the Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D Distribution
Agreements relating to the securities being offered hereby, the Registrant
agrees to indemnify the Distributor and each person, if any, who controls the
Distributor within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"),
against certain types of civil liabilities arising in connection with the
Registration Statement or Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act may
be permitted to Directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant
and the principal underwriter pursuant to the foregoing provisions or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than
the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a Director,
officer, or controlling person of the Registrant and the principal underwriter
in connection with the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
is asserted by such Director, officer or controlling person or the principal
underwriter in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant
will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by
controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the
question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

Item 16.  Exhibits.


(1) (a)  Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant,
         dated November 12, 1993.(a)
    (b)  Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant.
         (b)
    (c)  Articles Supplementary to the Articles of Incorporation of the
         Registrant.(b)
(2)      By-Laws of the Registrant.(c)
(3)      Not applicable.
(4)      Form of Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between the Registrant
         and Worldwide DollarVest Fund, Inc. (included as Exhibit I to the
         Proxy Statement and Prospectus contained in the Registration
         Statement filed on July 12, 2000).
(5)      Portions of the Articles of Incorporation, as amended and restated,
         and By-Laws of the Registrant defining the rights of holders of
         shares of common stock of the Registrant.(d)
(6) (a)  Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Merrill Lynch
         Investment Managers, L.P. ("MLIM").(e)
    (b)  Supplement to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and
         MLIM.(g)
    (c)  Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between MLIM and Merrill Lynch Asset
         Management U.K. Limited.(f)
(7)  (a) Form of Unified Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and FAM
         Distributors, Inc. (the "Distributor").(h)
(8)      Credit Agreement between the Registrant and a syndicate of banks. (j)
(9)      Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman
         & Co.(e)
(10)(a)  Form of Unified Class B Distribution of the Registrant.(h)
    (b)  Form of Unified Class C Distribution Plan of the Registrant.(h)
    (c)  Form of Unified Class D Distribution Plan of the Registrant.(h)
(11)     Opinion and Consent of Brown & Wood LLP, counsel for the Registrant.(l)
(12)     Private Letter Ruling from the Internal Revenue Service.
(13)     Not applicable.
(14)(a)  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent auditors for the
         Registrant.(l)
    (b)  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP), independent auditors for Worldwide
         DollarVest Fund, Inc.(l)
(15)     Not applicable.
(16)     Power of Attorney. (k)
(17)(a)  Prospectus dated March 30, 2000, as supplemented, and Statement of
         Additional Information, dated March 30, 2000, of the Registrant.(l)
    (b)  Annual Report to Stockholders of the Registrant, as of December 31,
         1999.(l)
    (c)  Annual Report to Stockholders of Worldwide DollarVest Fund, Inc. as of
         November 30, 1999.(l)
    (d)  Form of Proxy(l)

---------------
   (a)  Filed on August 20, 1993 as an Exhibit to Pre-Effective Amendment No.
        3 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the
        Securities Act of 1933, as amended (File No. 33-64398) (the
        "Registration Statement").
   (b)  Filed on April 28, 1995 as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No.
        3 to the Registration Statement.
   (c)  Filed On April 29, 1996 as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No.
        4 to the Registration Statement.
   (d)  Reference is made to Article III (Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5), Article IV,
        Article V (Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), Article VI, Article VII and
        Article IX of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Articles of
        Incorporation filed as Exhibit 1(a) to the Registration Statement;
        Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation filed as
        Exhibit 1(b) to the Registration Statement; Articles Supplementary to
        the Articles of Incorporation filed as Exhibit 1(c) to the
        Registration Statement; and Article II, Article III (Sections 1, 2, 3,
        5, 6 and 7), Article VI, Article VII, Article XII, Article XIII and
        Article XIV of the Registrant's By-Laws filed as Exhibit 2 to the
        Registration Statement.
   (e)  Filed on February 18, 1994, as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment
        No. 1 to the Registration Statement.
   (f)  Filed on April 29, 1997, as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No.
        5 to the Registration Statement.
   (g)  Filed on October 17, 1994, as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment
        No. 2 to the Registration Statement.
   (h)  Filed on June 21, 2000, as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No.
        10 to the Registration Statement.
   (i)  Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 18 to Post-Effective Amendment
        No. 13 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities
        Act of 1933, as amended, filed on January 25, 1996, relating to shares
        of Merrill Lynch New York Municipal Bond Fund series of Merrill Lynch
        Multi-State Municipal Series Trust (File No. 2-99473).
   (j)  Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 8(b) to the Registration
        Statement on Form N-1A of Master Premier Growth Trust (File No.
        811-09733), filed December 21, 1999.
   (k)  Included on the signature page of the N-14 Registration Statement
        filed on May 18, 2000 and incorporated herein by reference.
   (l)  Filed on July 12, 2000 as an Exhibit to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1
        to the Registration Statement.

Item 17.  Undertakings.

     (1) The undersigned Registrant agrees that prior to any public reoffering
of the securities registered through use of a prospectus which is part of this
Registration Statement by any person or party who is deemed to be an
underwriter within the meaning of Rule 145(c) of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, the reoffering prospectus will contain information called for by
the applicable registration form for reofferings by persons who may be deemed
underwriters, in addition to the information called for by other items of the
applicable form.

     (2) The undersigned Registrant agrees that every prospectus that is filed
under paragraph (1) above will be filed as part of an amendment to the
registration statement and will not be used until the amendment is effective,
and that, in determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement for the securities offered therein, and the offering of
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
of them.

     (3) The Registrant undertakes to file, by post-effective amendment,
either a copy of the Internal Revenue Service private letter ruling applied
for or an opinion of counsel as to certain tax matters, within a reasonable
time after receipt of such ruling or opinion.

<PAGE>

                                  SIGNATURES

     As required by the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement
has been signed on behalf of the Registrant, in the Township of Plainsboro and
State of New Jersey, on the 6th day of October, 2000.

                            MERRILL LYNCH AMERICAS INCOME FUND, INC.
                                           (Registrant)


                            By              /s/ Donald C. Burke
                               ------------------------------------------------
                               (Donald C. Burke, Vice President and Treasurer)

     As required by the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement
has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates
indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                  Signature                                    Title                               Date
                  ---------                                    -----                               ----


<S>                                                <C>                                             <C>
               TERRY K. GLENN*                        President and Director
-----------------------------------------------
               (Terry K. Glenn)                    (Principal Executive Officer)


                                                   Vice President and Treasurer
               DONALD C. BURKE*                        (Principal Financial
-----------------------------------------------       And Accounting Officer)
              (Donald C. Burke)


              CHARLES C. REILLY*                             Director
-----------------------------------------------
             (Charles C. Reilly)


               RICHARD R. WEST*                              Director
-----------------------------------------------
              (Richard R. West)


                ARTHUR ZEIKEL*                               Director
-----------------------------------------------
               (Arthur Zeikel)


              EDWARD D. ZINBARG*                             Director
-----------------------------------------------
             (Edward D. Zinbarg)

*By:     /s/ Donald C. Burke
-----------------------------------------------
     (Donald C. Burke, Attorney-in-Fact)                                                     October 6, 2000

</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

  Exhibit
  Number        Description
  --------      -----------

(12)       --   Private Letter Ruling from the Internal Revenue Service.

<PAGE>

Internal Revenue Service                       Department of the Treasury
Index Number:  368.04-00                       Washington, DC 20224

Mr. Donald C. Burke                            Person to Contact:
Vice President and Treasurer                   Ms. Frances Kelly, ID # 50-16034
Merrill Lynch Americas Income Fund, Inc.       Telephone Number:
Worldwide Dollarvest Fund, Inc.                (202) 622-7770
800 Scudders Mill Road                         Refer Reply To:
Plainsboro, NJ 08536                           CC:CORP:B2-PLR-110760-00
                                               Date:  September 7, 2000

LEGEND:

Acquiring               =           Merrill Lynch Americas Income Fund, Inc.
                                    a Maryland corporation
                                    EIN: 22-3249394

Target                  =           Worldwide Dollar Vest Fund, Inc.
                                    a Maryland corporation
                                    EIN: 22-3276789

State A                 =           Maryland


Dear Mr. Burke:

         This letter is in reply to a letter dated May 17, 2000 regarding the
federal income tax consequences of a proposed transaction. Additional
information was submitted in a letter dated August 21, 2000. The information
submitted for consideration is summarized below.

         Acquiring is organized under the laws of State A and is registered
under the Investment Company Act (the "1940 Act") as a non-diversified
open-end management investment company. Acquiring has elected to be taxed as a
regulated investment company (RIC) under sections 851 through 855 of the
Internal Revenue Code. Acquiring's investment objective will be to provide a
high level of current income by investing in debt obligations of issuers
located in emerging countries, with a secondary objective of capital
appreciation.

         Target is organized under the laws of State A and is registered under
the 1940 Act as a non-diversified closed-end management investment company.
Target has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (RIC) under
sections 851 through 855 of the Internal Revenue Code. Target's investment
objective is to provide its shareholders with high current income by investing
exclusively in U.S. dollar-denominated securities, substantially all of which
will be debt securities, and, as a secondary objective, to seek capital
appreciation. Under State A law, stockholders of Target do not have
dissenter's rights.

         Acquiring has authorized four classes of voting common stock,
designated Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D Common Stock. Target has one
class of common stock authorized. Both Acquiring and Target file their income
tax returns based on the accrual method of accounting.

         Acquiring and Target have approved a plan of reorganization for what
are represented to be valid business reasons. To the best of knowledge and
belief, the transaction does not qualify under ss. 368(a)(1)(A). Pursuant to
the plan, the following transaction is proposed (the Transaction):

         (i)      Target will transfer all of its assets and liabilities to
                  Acquiring in exchange for an equal value of newly issued
                  Acquiring Class A voting common stock. Fractional shares
                  will be issued.

         (ii)     Target will liquidate and distribute to its shareholders all
                  of the Acquiring stock received in the exchange. Each Target
                  shareholder will be entitled to receive a proportionate
                  number of Acquiring Class A shares equal to the aggregate
                  net asset value of the Target shares owned by such
                  shareholder on the exchange date.

         (iii)    Target will dissolve in accordance with the laws of State A
                  and will terminate its registration under the 1940 Act.

         (iv)     Acquiring may sell up to 66% of the assets received in the
                  transaction to unrelated purchasers and will reinvest any
                  proceeds consistent with its investment objectives and
                  policies.

         The following representations have been made in connection with the
Transaction:

         (a)      The fair market value of the Acquiring stock received by
                  each Target shareholder will be approximately equal to the
                  fair market value of the Target stock surrendered in the
                  exchange.

         (b)      There is no plan or intention by the Target shareholders who
                  own 5% or more of the Target stock and to the best knowledge
                  of the management of Target, there is no plan or intention
                  on the part of the remaining shareholders of Target, to
                  sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of a number of shares
                  of Acquiring stock received in the Transaction that would
                  reduce Target shareholders' ownership of Acquiring stock to
                  a number of shares having a value, as of the date of the
                  Transaction, of less than 50% of the value of all of the
                  formerly outstanding stock of Target as of the same date.
                  For purposes of this representation, shares of Target stock
                  exchanged for cash or other property or surrendered by
                  dissenters will be treated as outstanding Target stock on
                  the date of the Transaction. Moreover, shares of Target
                  stock and shares of Acquiring stock held by Target
                  shareholders and otherwise sold, redeemed, or disposed of
                  prior to or subsequent to the Transaction will be considered
                  in making this representation.

         (c)      Acquiring will acquire at least 90% of the fair market value
                  of the net assets and at least 70% of the fair market value
                  of the gross assets held by Target immediately prior to the
                  Transaction. For purposes of this representation, amounts
                  paid by Target to dissenters, amounts used by Target to pay
                  its Transaction expenses, and all redemptions and
                  distributions (except for regular, normal dividends) made by
                  Target immediately preceding the transfer will be included
                  as assets of Target held immediately prior to the
                  Transaction.

         (d)      After the Transaction, the shareholders of Target will be in
                  control of Acquiring within the meaning of section
                  368(a)(2)(H).

         (e)      Acquiring has no plan or intention to reacquire any of its
                  stock issued in the Transaction except in connection with
                  its legal obligations under section 22(e) of the 1940 Act.

         (f)      After the Transaction, Acquiring will use the assets
                  acquired from Target in its business, except that a portion
                  of these assets may be sold or otherwise disposed of in the
                  ordinary course of Acquiring's business and as set forth
                  above in step (iv) of the transaction. Any proceeds will be
                  invested in accordance with Acquiring's investment
                  objectives. Acquiring has no plan or intention to sell or
                  otherwise dispose of any of the assets of Target acquired in
                  the Transaction, except for dispositions made in the
                  ordinary course of business.

         (g)      Target will distribute to its shareholders the stock of
                  Acquiring it receives pursuant to the plan of
                  reorganization.

         (h)      The liabilities of Target assumed by Acquiring and any
                  liabilities to which the transferred assets of Target are
                  subject were incurred by Target in the ordinary course of
                  its business.

         (i)      Following the Transaction, Acquiring will continue the
                  historic business of Target or use a significant portion of
                  Target's historic business assets in the continuing
                  business.

         (j)      At the time of the Transaction, Acquiring will not have
                  outstanding any warrants, options, convertible securities,
                  or any other type of right pursuant to which any person
                  could acquire stock of Acquiring that, if exercised or
                  converted, would affect Target shareholders' acquisition or
                  retention of control of Acquiring, as defined in section
                  368(a)(2)(H).

         (k)      Target, Acquiring, and the shareholders of Target will pay
                  their respective expenses, if any, incurred in connection
                  with the Transaction.

         (l)      There is no intercorporate indebtedness existing between
                  Acquiring and Target that was issued, acquired, or will be
                  settled at discount.

         (m)      Acquiring and Target each meets the requirements of a
                  regulated investment company in section 368(a)(2)(F).

         (n)      The fair market value of the assets of Target transferred to
                  Acquiring will equal or exceed the sum of the liabilities to
                  be assumed by Acquiring, plus the amount of the liabilities,
                  if any, to which the transferred assets are subject.

         (o)      The total adjusted bases of the assets of Target transferred
                  to Acquiring will equal or exceed the sum of the liabilities
                  assumed by Acquiring, plus the amount of the liabilities, if
                  any, to which the transferred assets are subject.

         (p)      Acquiring does not own, directly or indirectly, nor has it
                  owned during the past five years, directly or indirectly,
                  any stock of Target.

         (q)      Target is not under the jurisdiction of a court in a Title
                  11 or similar case within the meaning of section
                  368(a)(3)(A).

         (r)      Target and Acquiring have elected to be taxed as RIC's under
                  section 851 and, for all of their taxable periods (including
                  the last short taxable period ending on the date of the
                  Transaction, for Target), have qualified for the special tax
                  treatment afforded RIC's under the Code. After the
                  Transaction, Acquiring intends to continue to so qualify.

         (s)      There is no plan or intention for Acquiring (the issuing
                  corporation as defined in section 1.368-1(b)) or any person
                  related (as defined in section 1.368-1(e)(3)) to Acquiring,
                  to acquire during the five-year period beginning on the date
                  of the Transaction, with consideration other than Acquiring
                  stock, Acquiring stock furnished in exchange for a
                  proprietary interest in Target in the Transaction, either
                  directly or through any transaction, agreement, or
                  arrangement with any other person, other than redemptions in
                  the ordinary course of the Acquiring business as an open-end
                  investment company as required by section 22(e) of the 1940
                  Act.

         (t)      During the five-year period ending on the date of the
                  Transaction: (i) neither Acquiring, nor any person related
                  (as defined in section 1.368 1(e)(3)) to Acquiring, will
                  have acquired Target stock with consideration other than
                  Acquiring stock, (ii) neither Target nor any person related
                  (as defined in section 1.368-1(e)(3)) to Target, will have
                  acquired Target stock with consideration other than
                  Acquiring stock or Target stock, and (iii) no distributions
                  will have been made with respect to Target stock (other than
                  regular, normal dividend distributions made pursuant to
                  Target's historic dividend paying practice), either directly
                  or through any transaction, agreement, or arrangement with
                  any other person, except for (a) cash paid to dissenters,
                  and (b) distributions described in sections 852 and 4982, as
                  required for Target's tax treatment as a RIC.

         (u)      The aggregate value of the acquisitions, redemptions, and
                  distributions discussed in paragraphs (s) and (t) above will
                  not exceed 50% of the value (without giving effect to the
                  acquisitions, redemptions, and distributions) of the
                  proprietary interest in Target on the effective date of the
                  Transaction.

         Based solely on the information submitted and on the representations
set forth above, we hold as follows:

(1)      The acquisition by Acquiring of substantially all of the assets of
         Target in exchange for voting stock of Acquiring and Acquiring's
         assumption of Target's liabilities, followed by the distribution by
         Target to its shareholders of the Acquiring stock and any remaining
         assets, in complete liquidation, will qualify as a reorganization
         within the meaning of ss. 368(a)(1)(D). Target and Acquiring will
         each be "a party to a reorganization" within the meaning of ss.
         368(b).

(2)      No gain or loss will be recognized by Target upon the transfer of
         substantially all of its assets to Acquiring in exchange for voting
         stock of Acquiring and Acquiring's assumption of Target's
         liabilities. Sections 361(a) and 357(a). In addition, no gain or loss
         will be recognized by Target upon the distribution of the Acquiring
         stock to the Target shareholders. Section 361(c).

(3)      No gain or loss will be recognized by Acquiring upon the receipt of
         the assets of Target in exchange for voting stock of Acquiring.
         Section 1032(a).

(4)      The basis of Target's assets in the hands of Acquiring will be the
         same as the basis of those assets in the hands of Target immediately
         prior to the Transaction. Section 362(b).

(5)      Acquiring's holding period for the Target assets acquired will
         include the period during which such assets were held by Target.
         Section 1223(2).

(6)      No gain or loss will be recognized by the Target shareholders on the
         receipt of voting stock of Acquiring solely in exchange for their
         Target stock. Section 354(a).

(7)      The basis of the Acquiring stock received by the Target shareholders
         will be the same as the basis of the Target stock surrendered in
         exchange therefor. Section 358(a)(1).

(8)      The holding period of the Acquiring stock received by the Target
         shareholders in exchange for their Target stock will include the
         period that the shareholder held the Target stock exchanged therefor,
         provided that the shareholder held such stock as a capital asset on
         the date of the exchange. Section 1223(1).

(9)      Pursuant to ss. 381(a) and ss. 1.381(a)-1, the tax year of Target
         will end on the effective date of the Transaction and Acquiring will
         succeed to and take into account the items of Target described in ss.
         381(c), subject to the provisions and limitations specified in ss.ss.
         381, 382, 383, and 384, and the regulations thereunder.

         No opinion is expressed about the tax treatment of the Transaction
under other provisions of the Code and Regulations or about the tax treatment
of any conditions existing at the time of, or effects resulting from, the
transactions that are not specifically covered by the above rulings.
Specifically, no opinion was requested, and none is expressed, about whether
Acquiring or Target qualify as a RIC that is taxable under Subchapter M, Part
1 of the Code.

         The rulings contained in this letter are based upon information and
representations submitted by the taxpayer and accompanied by a penalty of
perjury statement executed by an appropriate party. While this office has not
verified any of the material submitted in support of the request for rulings,
it is subject to verification on examination.

         This ruling is directed only to the taxpayer(s) requesting it. Section
6110(k)(3) of the Code provides that it may not be used or cited as precedent.

         In accordance with the Power of Attorney on file with this office, a
copy of this letter is being sent to your authorized representative.

         A copy of this letter must be attached to any income tax return to
which it is relevant.




                              Sincerely,

                              Associate Chief Counsel (Corporate)


                              by: /s/ Lewis K Brickates
                                 --------------------------------
                                  Lewis K Brickates
                                  Assistant to the Chief, Branch 2





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