As reported by ANI, Rajya Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which will amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
Purpose of introducing the amendments to the Code —
Concerns have been raised that:
- in some cases, extensive litigation is causing undue delays, which may hamper the value maximisation.
- There is a need to ensure that all creditors are treated fairly, without unduly burdening the Adjudicating Authority whose role is to ensure that the resolution plan complies with the provisions of the Code.
- Various stakeholders have suggested that if the creditors were treated on an equal footing, when they have different pre-insolvency entitlements, it would adversely impact the cost and availability of credit.
- Views have also been obtained so as to bring clarity on the voting pattern of financial creditors represented by the authorised representative.
In order to fill the critical gaps in the corporate insolvency framework, it became necessary to amend certain provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019, inter alia, provides for the following, namely:–
(a) to amend clause (26) of Section 5 of the Code so as to insert an Explanation in the definition of “resolution plan” to clarify that a resolution plan proposing the insolvency resolution of corporate debtor as a going concern may include the provisions for corporate restructuring, including by way of merger, amalgamation and demerger to enable the market to come up with dynamic resolution plans in the interest of value maximisation;
(b) to amend sub-section (4) of Section 7 of the Code to provide that if an application has not been admitted or rejected within fourteen days by the Adjudicating Authority, it shall provide the reasons in writing for the same;
(c) to amend sub-section (3) of Section 12 of the Code to mandate that the insolvency resolution process of a corporate debtor shall not extend beyond three hundred and thirty days from the insolvency commencement date, which will include the time taken in legal proceedings, in order to prevent undue delays in the completion of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process. However, if the process, including time taken in legal proceedings, is not completed within the said period of three hundred and thirty days, an order requiring the corporate debtor to be liquidated under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section 33 shall be passed. It is clarified that the time taken for the completion of the corporate insolvency resolution process shall include the time taken in legal proceedings;
(d) to insert sub-section (3A) in Section 25A of the Code to provide that an authorised representative under sub-section (6A) of Section 21 will cast the vote for all financial creditors he represents in accordance with the decision taken by a vote of more than fifty per cent. of the voting share of the financial creditors he represents, who have cast their vote, in order to facilitate decision making in the committee of creditors, especially when financial creditors are large and heterogeneous group;
(e) to amend sub-section (2) of Section 30 of the Code to provide that–
(i) the operational creditors shall receive an amount that is not less than the liquidation value of their debt or the amount that would have been received if the amount to be distributed under the resolution plan had been distributed in accordance with the order of priorities in Section 53 of the Code, whichever is higher;
(ii) the financial creditors who do not vote in favour of the resolution plan shall receive an amount that is not less than the liquidation value of their debt;
(iii) the provisions shall apply to the corporate insolvency resolution process of a corporate debtor–
(A) where a resolution plan has not been approved or rejected by the Adjudicating Authority; or
(B) an appeal is preferred under Sections 61 or 62 or such appeal is not time-barred under any provision of law for the time being in force; or
(C) where a legal proceeding has been initiated in any court against the decision of the Adjudicating Authority in respect of a resolution plan;
(f) to amend sub-section (1) of Section 31 of the Code to clarify that the resolution plan approved by the Adjudicating Authority shall also be binding on the Central Government, any State Government or any local authority to whom a debt in respect of payment of dues arising under any law for the time being in force, such as authorities to whom statutory dues are owed, including tax authorities;
(g) to amend sub-section (2) of Section 33 of the Code to clarify that the committee of creditors may take the decision to liquidate the corporate debtor, in accordance with the requirements provided in sub-section (2) of Section 33, any time after the constitution of the committee of creditors under sub-section (1) of Section 21 until the confirmation of the resolution plan, including at any time before the preparation of the information memorandum.
[Dated: 29-07-2019]
