Cross border insolvency
- November 29, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Cross border insolvency
Subject: Economy
Context:
The ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has published a draft framework for cross border insolvency proceedings based on the UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) model under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
Concept:
- Cross border insolvency proceedings are relevant for the resolution of distressed companies with assets and liabilities across multiple jurisdictions. A framework for cross border insolvency Proceedings allows for the location of such a company’s foreign assets, the identification of creditors and their claims and establishing payment
- towards claims as well as a process for coordination between court in different countries.
- While foreign creditors can make claims against a domestic company, the IBC currently doesnot allow for automatic recognition of any insolvency proceedings in other countries. In the case of Jet Airways, when one of the company’s
- aircraft was grounded in Amsterdam over non-payment of dues to a European cargo firm, the National Company Law Tribunal had declined to “take on record” any orders of a foreign court regarding domestic insolvency proceedings in the absence of enabling provision in the IBC.
- The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, however, permitted the recognition of Dutch proceedings as “non-main insolvency proceedings” recognising India as the Centre Of Main Interests(COMI) for the company.
- However, current provisions under the IBC do not allow Indian courts to address the issue of foreign assets of a company being subjected to parallel insolvency proceedings in other jurisdictions.
- The UNCITRAL model is the most widely accepted legal framework to deal with cross- border insolvency
- It has been adopted by 49 countries, including the UK, the US, South Africa, South Korea and Singapore.
UNCITRAL:
- The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law.
- UNCITRAL was established in 1966 with a recognition that international trade cooperation among States is an important factor in the promotion of friendly relations and, consequently, in the maintenance of peace and security.
- Through its several model laws, conventions, legislative guides and robust debates in working groups, UNCITRAL has provided a valuable platform for countries to compare, examine, debate and adopt principles of international commercial and trade law appropriate to their circumstances.
- Since its inception, India is only one of eight countries that has been a member of UNCITRAL.
UNCITRAL Model Law- The model law deals with four major principles of cross-border insolvency:
- Direct access to foreign insolvency professionals and foreign creditors to participate in or commence domestic insolvency proceedings against a defaulting debtor.
- Recognition of foreign proceedings & provision of remedies.
- Cooperation between domestic and foreign courts & domestic and foreign insolvency practitioners.
- Coordination between two or more concurrent insolvency proceedings in different countries. The main proceeding is determined by the concept of centre of main interest (COMI).