Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors
Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, Inc.
We have examined management's assertion about
Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, Inc.'s
(the "Company") compliance with the
requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2
of the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("the Act")
as of February 28, 2004, with respect to securities
and similar investments reflected in the investment
account of the Company, included in the accompanying
Management Statement Regarding Compliance with
Certain Provisions of the Investment Company Act of
1940. Management is responsible for the Company's
compliance with those requirements. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on management's assertion
about the Company's compliance based on our
examination.
Our examination was made in accordance with attestation
standards established by the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States) and accordingly, included
examining, on a test basis, evidence about the Company'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 February 28, 2004,
and with respect to agreement of security and similar
investments purchases and sales, for the period from
September 30, 2003 (the date of last examination)
through February 28, 2004;
Count and inspection of all securities and similar
investments located in the vault of Mellon Bank in New
York, without prior notice to management;
Confirmation of all securities and similar investments
held by institutions in book entry form (i.e., the Federal
Reserve Bank of Boston, the Depository Trust Company
and the Participant Trust Company);
Reconciliation of confirmation results as to all such
securities and investments to the books and records
of the Company and Mellon Bank;
Confirmation of all repurchase agreements, if any,
with brokers/banks and agreement of underlying
collateral with Mellon Bank's records;
We believe that our examination provides a reasonable
basis for our opinion. Our examination does not provide
a legal determination on the Company's compliance with
specified requirements.
In our opinion, management's assertion that
Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, 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 February 28, 2004 with respect to
securities and similar investments reflected in the
investment account of the Company is fairly stated, in
all material respects.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of
management of Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, Inc. and the
Securities and
Exchange Commission and should not be used for any other
purpose.
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
New York, New York
April 15, 2004
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM N-17f-2
Certificate of Accounting or Securities and Similar
Investments in the Custody of
Management Investment Companies
Pursuant to Rule 17f-2 [17 CRF 270.17f-2]
1. Investment Company Act File Date examination
Number: completed:
811-5245 04-15-04
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 MI 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:
4. Address of principal executive office: (number,
street, city, state, zip code) 200 Park Avenue,
55th Floor , New York, NY 10166
INSTRUCTIONS
The 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, examine
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
Commissions'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
Management Statement Regarding Compliance with
Certain Provisions
of the Investment Company Act of 1940
We, as members of management of
Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, Inc.
(the "Company"), 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 effective controls over compliance
with those requirements. We have performed an
evaluation of the Company's compliance with the
requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2
as of February 28, 2004.
Based on this evaluation, we assert that the Company
was in compliance with the requirements of subsections
(b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company
Act of 1940 as of February 28, 2004 with respect to
securities and similar investments reflected in the
investment account of the Company.
Dreyfus Strategic Municipals, Inc.
By:
/s/Jim Windels
Jim Windels,
Treasurer
The Dreyfus Corporation