EXHIBIT NO. 99.8(d)
AMENDMENT
The Custodian Contract dated February 19, 1988 between MFS Government
Income Plus Trust (referred to herein as the "Trust") and State Street Bank and
Trust Company (the "Custodian") is hereby amended as follows:
I. Section 2.1 is amended to read as follows:
"Holding Securities. The Custodian shall hold and physically
segregate for the account of the Trust all non-cash property, including all
securities owned by the Trust, other than (a) securities which are maintained
pursuant to Section 2.12 in a clearing agency which acts as a securities
depository or in a book-entry system authorized by the U.S. Department of the
Treasury, collectively referred to herein as "Securities System" and (b)
commercial paper of an issuer for which State Street Bank and Trust Company acts
as issuing and paying agent ("Direct Paper") which is deposited and/or
maintained in the Direct Paper System of the Custodian pursuant to Section
2.12A.
II. Section 2.2 is amended to read, in relevant part as follows:
"Delivery of Securities. The Custodian shall release and
deliver securities owned by the Trust held by the Custodian or in a Securities
System account of the Custodian or in the Custodian's Direct Paper book entry
system account ("Direct Paper System Account") only upon receipt of Proper
Instructions, which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by
the parties, and only in following cases:
1) . . . .
.
.
.
15) . . . ."
III. Section 2.8(1) is amended to read in relevant part as follows:
"Payment of Trust Monies. Upon receipt of Proper Instructions,
which may be continuing instructions when deemed appropriate by the parties, the
Custodian shall pay out monies of the Trust in the following cases only:
1) Upon the purchase of securities, options, futures contracts
or options on futures contracts for the account of the Trust but only (a)
against the delivery of such securities or evidence of title to such options,
futures contracts or options on futures contracts, to the Custodian (or any
bank, banking firm or trust company doing business in the United States or
abroad which is qualified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
to act as a custodian and has been designated by the Custodian as its agent for
this purpose) registered in the name of the Trust or in the name of a nominee of
the Custodian referred to in Section 2.3 hereof or in proper form for transfer;
(b) in the case of a purchase effected through a Securities System, in
accordance with the conditions set forth in Section 2.12 hereof (c) in the case
of a purchase involving the Direct Paper System, in accordance with the
conditions set forth in Section 2.12A; or (d) in the case of repurchase
agreements entered into between the Trust and the Custodian, or another bank, or
a broker-dealer which is a member of NASD, (i) against delivery of the
securities either in certificate form or through an entry crediting the
Custodian's account at the Federal Reserve Bank with such securities or (ii)
against delivery of the receipt evidencing purchase by the Trust of securities
owned by the Custodian along with written evidence of the agreement by the
Custodian to repurchase such securities from the Trust or (e) for transfer to a
time deposit account of the Trust in any bank, whether domestic or foreign; such
transfer may be effected prior to receipt of a confirmation from a broker and/or
the applicable bank pursuant to Proper Instructions from the Trust as defined in
Section 2.17;"
IV. Following Section 2.12 there is inserted a new Section
2.12.A to read as follows:
2.12.A "Trust Assets Held in the Custodian's Direct Paper
System. The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain securities owned by the
Trust in the Direct Paper System of the Custodian subject to the following
provisions:
1) No transaction relating to securities in the Direct Paper
System will be effected in the absence of Proper Instructions;
2) The Custodian may keep securities of the Trust in the Direct
Paper System only if such securities are represented in an account ("Account")
of the Custodian in the Direct Paper System which shall not include any assets
of the Custodian other than assets held as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise
for customers;
3) The records of the Custodian with respect to securities of
the Trust which are maintained in the Direct Paper System shall identify by
book-entry those securities belonging to the Trust;
4) The Custodian shall pay for securities purchased for the
account of the Trust upon the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian
to reflect such payment and transfer of securities to the account of the Trust.
The Custodian shall transfer securities sold for the account of the Trust upon
the making of an entry on the records of the Custodian to reflect such transfer
and receipt of payment for the account of the Trust:
5) The Custodian shall furnish the Trust confirmation of each
transfer to or from the account of the Trust, in the form of a written advice or
notice, of Direct Paper on the next business day following such transfer and
shall furnish to the Trust copies of daily transaction sheets reflecting each
day's transaction in the Securities System for the account of the Trust;
6) The Custodian shall provide the Trust with any report on its
system of internal accounting control as the Trust may reasonably request from
time to time."
V. Section 9 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Effective Period, Termination and Amendment. This Contract
shall become effective as of its execution, shall continue in full force and
effect until terminated as hereinafter provided, may be amended at any time by
mutual agreement of the parties hereto and may be terminated by either party by
an instrument in writing delivered or mailed, postage prepaid to the other
party, such termination to take effect not sooner than thirty (30) days after
the date of such delivery or mailing; provided, however that the Custodian shall
not act under Section 2.12 hereof in the absence of receipt of an initial
certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary that the Board of
Trustees of the Trust has approved the initial use of a particular Securities
System and the receipt of an annual certificate of the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary that the Board of Trustees has reviewed the use by the Trust of such
Securities System, as required in each case by Rule 17f-4 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended and that the Custodian shall not act under
Section 2.12.A hereof in the absence of receipt of an initial certificate of the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary that the Board of Trustees has approved the
initial use of the Direct Paper System and the receipt of an annual certificate
of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary that the Board of Trustees has
reviewed the use by the Trust of the Direct Paper System; provided further,
however, that the Trust shall not amend or terminate this Contract in
contravention of any applicable federal or state regulations, or any provision
of the Declaration of Trust, and further provided, that the Trust may at any
time by action of its Board of Trustees (i) substitute another bank or trust
company for the Custodian by giving notice as described above to the Custodian,
or (ii) immediately terminate this Contract in the event of the appointment of a
conservator or receiver for the Custodian by the Comptroller of the Currency or
upon the happening of a like event at the direction of an appropriate regulatory
agency or court of competent jurisdiction.
Upon termination of the Contract, the Trust shall pay to the Custodian
such compensation as may be due as of the date of such termination and shall
likewise reimburse the Custodian for its costs, expenses and disbursements."
Except as otherwise expressly amended and modified herein, the
provisions of the Custodian Contract shall remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this
Amendment to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized
representatives and its Seal to be hereto affixed as of the 17th day of
September, 1991.
ATTEST: MFS GOVERNMENT INCOME PLUS TRUST
XXXXX X. XXXXX By: W. T. LONDON
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx W. T. London
Assistant Secretary Treasurer
ATTEST: STATE STREET BANK & TRUST COMPANY
XXX XXXXXXXX By: XXXX XXXXXXX
Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Assistant Secretary Vice President
