04-4058. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available from: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Filings and Information Services, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549.

Extension: Rule 83; SEC File No. 270-82; OMB Control No. 3235-0181.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a request for extension of the previously approved collection of information discussed below.

Rule 83, Exemption in the Case of Transactions with Foreign Associates, sauthorizes an exemption from the “at cost” standard of section 13(b) of the Public Utility Holding Company act of 1935 (the “Act”) for services provided to associated foreign utility companies.

Rule 83 requires a registered holding company system that wishes to avail itself of this exemption from section 13(b) of the Act to submit an application, in the form of a declaration, to the Commission. The Commission will grant the application if, by reason of the lack of any major interest of holders of securities offered in the United States in servicing arrangements affecting such serviced subsidiaries, such an application for exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors.

Rule 83 does not create a record-keeping burden or retention burden on respondents. The rule does, however, contain reporting and filing requirements. The filing requirement of rule 83 is necessary to obtain a benefit. Responses are not kept confidential. Rule 83 does not impose a cost burden. The Commission has not received any applications specifically under rule 83 in the past 3 years. The only rule 83 related filings were made within the context of large filings concerning other matters. Therefore, we estimate the burden of rule 83 as zero.

The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the purpose of the paperwork Reduction Act and are not derived from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the costs of SEC rules and forms.

An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number.

Please direct general comments regarding the above information to the following persons: (i) Desk Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Office of Management and Budget, Room 10102, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; and (ii) R. Corey Booth, Director/Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549. Comments must be submitted to OMB within 30 days of this notice.

Dated: February 13, 2004.

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.