SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT
with
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
For Class A Shares of
Xxxxxxxxxxx Developing Markets Fund
SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT (the "Plan") dated the 15th day of November, 1996,
by and between Xxxxxxxxxxx Developing Markets Fund (the "Fund") and
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. (the "Distributor").
1. The Plan. This Plan is the Fund's written service plan for its Class A
Shares described in the Fund's registration statement as of the date this
Plan takes effect, contemplated by and to comply with Rulie 2830 of the
Conduct Rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.,
pursuant to which the Fund will reimburse the Distributor for a portion of
its costs incurred in connection with the personal service and maintenance of
shareholder accounts ("Accounts") that hold Class A Shares (the "Shares") of
the Fund. The Fund may be deemed to be acting as distributor of securities
of which it is the issuer, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), according to the terms of this Plan.
The Distributor is authorized under the Plan to pay "Recipients," as
hereinafter defined, for rendering services and for the maintenance of
Accounts. Such Recipients are intended to have certain rights as third-party
beneficiaries under this Plan.
2. Definitions. As used in this Plan, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
(a) "Recipient" shall mean any broker, dealer, bank or other
institution which: (i) has rendered services in connection with the
personal service and maintenance of Accounts; (ii) shall furnish the
Distributor (on behalf of the Fund) with such information as the
Distributor shall reasonably request to answer such questions as may
arise concerning such service; and (iii) has been selected by the
Distributor to receive payments under the Plan. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, a majority of the Fund's Board of Trustees (the "Board") who
are not "interested persons" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) and who have
no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of this Plan
or in any agreements relating to this Plan (the "Independent Trustees")
may remove any broker, dealer, bank or other institution as a
Recipient, whereupon such entity's rights as a third-party beneficiary
hereof shall terminate.
(b) "Qualified Holdings" shall mean, as to any Recipient, all Shares
owned beneficially or of record by: (i) such Recipient, or (ii) such
brokerage or other customers, or investment advisory or other clients
of such Recipient and/or accounts as to which such Recipient is a
fiduciary or custodian or co-fiduciary or co-custodian (collectively,
the "Customers"), but in no event shall any such Shares be deemed owned
by more than one Recipient for purposes of this Plan. In the event
that two entities would otherwise qualify as Recipients as to the same
Shares, the Recipient which is the dealer of record on the Fund's
books shall be deemed the Recipient as to such Shares for purposes of
this Plan.
3. Payments.
(a) Under the Plan, the Fund will make payments to the Distributor,
within forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, in the
amount of the lesser of: (i) .0625% (.25% on an annual basis) of the
average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset value of
the Shares, computed as of the close of each business day, or (ii) the
Distributor's actual expenses under the Plan for that quarter of the
type approved by the Board. The Distributor will use such fee received
from the Fund in its entirety to reimburse itself for payments to
Recipients and for its other expenditures and costs of the type
approved by the Board incurred in connection with the personal service
and maintenance of Accounts including, but not limited to, the services
described in the following paragraph. The Distributor may make Plan
payments to any "affiliated person" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the
Distributor if such affiliated person qualifies as a Recipient.
The services to be rendered by the Distributor and Recipients in
connection with the personal service and the maintenance of Accounts
may include, but shall not be limited to, the following: answering
routine inquiries from the Recipient's customers concerning the Fund,
providing such customers with information on their investment in
Shares, assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or
sub-accounts in the Fund, making the Fund's investment plans and
dividend payment options available, and providing such other
information and customer liaison services and the maintenance of
Accounts as the Distributor or the Fund may reasonably request. It may
be presumed that a Recipient has provided services qualifying for
compensation under the Plan if it has Qualified Holdings of Shares to
entitle it to payments under the Plan. In the event that either the
Distributor or the Board should have reason to believe that,
notwithstanding the level of Qualified Holdings, a Recipient may not be
rendering appropriate services, then the Distributor, at the request of
the Board, shall require the Recipient to provide a written report or
other information to verify that said Recipient is providing
appropriate services in this regard. If the Distributor still is not
satisfied, it may take appropriate steps to terminate the Recipient's
status as such under the Plan, whereupon such entity's rights as a
third-party beneficiary hereunder shall terminate.
Payments received by the Distributor from the Fund under the Plan
will not be used to pay any interest expense, carrying charges or other
financial costs, or allocation of overhead by the Distributor, or for
any other purpose other than for the payments described in this Section
3. The amount payable to the Distributor each quarter will be reduced
to the extent that reimbursement payments otherwise permissible under
the Plan have not been authorized by the Board of Trustees for that
quarter. Any unreimbursed expenses incurred for any quarter by the
Distributor may not be recovered in later periods.
(b) The Distributor shall make payments to any Recipient quarterly,
within forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, at a
rate not to exceed .0625% (.25% on an annual basis) of the average
during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset value of the
Shares computed as of the close of each business day, of Qualified
Holdings owned beneficially or of record by the Recipient or by its
Customers. However, no such payments shall be made to any Recipient
for any such quarter in which its Qualified Holdings do not equal or
exceed, at the end of such quarter, the minimum amount ("Minimum
Qualified Holdings"), if any, to be set from time to time by a majority
of the Independent Trustees. A majority of the Independent Trustees
may at any time or from time to time increase or decrease and
thereafter adjust the rate of fees to be paid to the Distributor or to
any Recipient, but not to exceed the rate set forth above, and/or
increase or decrease the number of shares constituting Minimum
Qualified Holdings. The Distributor shall notify all Recipients of the
Minimum Qualified Holdings and the rate of payments hereunder
applicable to Recipients, and shall provide each Recipient with written
notice within thirty (30) days after any change in these provisions.
Inclusion of such provisions or a change in such provisions in a
revised current prospectus shall constitute sufficient notice.
(c) Under the Plan, payments may be made to Recipients: (i) by
OppenheimerFunds, Inc. ("OFI") from its own resources (which may
include profits derived from the advisory fee it receives from the
Fund), or (ii) by the Distributor (a subsidiary of OFI), from its own
resources.
4. Selection and Nomination of Trustees. While this Plan is in effect,
the selection or replacement of Independent Trustees and the nomination of
those persons to be Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" of
the Fund shall be committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees.
Nothing herein shall prevent the Independent Trustees from soliciting the
views or the involvement of others in such selection or nomination if the
final decision on any such selection and nomination is approved by a majority
of the incumbent Independent Trustees.
5. Reports. While this Plan is in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall
provide at least quarterly a written report to the Fund's Board for its
review, detailing the amount of all payments made pursuant to this Plan, the
identity of the Recipient of each such payment, and the purposes for which
the payments were made. The report shall state whether all provisions of
Section 3 of this Plan have been complied with. The Distributor shall
annually certify to the Board the amount of its total expenses incurred that
year with respect to the personal service and maintenance of Accounts in
conjunction with the Board's annual review of the continuation of the Plan.
6. Related Agreements. Any agreement related to this Plan shall be in
writing and shall provide that: (i) such agreement may be terminated at any
time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the
Independent Trustees or by a vote of the holders of a "majority" (as defined
in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities of the Class, on
not more than sixty days written notice to any other party to the agreement;
(ii) such agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its
"assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act); (iii) it shall go into effect
when approved by a vote of the Board and its Independent Trustees cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement; and
(iv) it shall, unless terminated as herein provided, continue in effect from
year to year only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at
least annually by the Board and its Independent Trustees cast in person at a
meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance.
7. Effectiveness, Continuation, Termination and Amendment. This Plan has
been approved by a vote of the Independent Trustees cast in person at a
meeting called on June 6, 1996 for the purpose of voting on this Plan, and
shall take effect on the date that the Fund's Registration Statement is
declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless
terminated as hereinafter provided, it shall continue in effect until
November ____, 1997 and from year to year thereafter or as the Board may
otherwise determine only so long as such continuance is specifically approved
at least annually by the Board and its Independent Trustees by a vote cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance.
This Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the
Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a "majority" (as
defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding voting securities of Class
A. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of
payments to be made without approval of the Class A Shareholders, in the
manner described above, and all material amendments must be approved by a
vote of the Board and of the Independent Trustees.
8. Disclaimer of Shareholder and Trustee Liability. The Distributor
understands that the obligations of the Fund under this Plan are not binding
upon any Trustee or shareholder of the Fund personally, but bind only the
Fund and the Fund's property. The Distributor represents that it has notice
of the provisions of the Declaration of Trust of the Fund disclaiming
shareholder and Trustee liability for acts or obligations of the Fund.
Xxxxxxxxxxx Developing Markets Fund
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
By: _____________________________
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Secretary
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
/s/ Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
By: _____________________________
Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Vice President & Secretary
