Article from INSOL Europe (Week 9 - 15 November 2015) GlobalINSOLvency Editorial Board

On 1 July 2015, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico published a report authored by former World Bank chief economist Anne O. Krueger analysing its bond and other public debt (“Krueger Report”). The Krueger Report concludes Puerto Rico and its governmental enterprises owe $73 billion to their bond creditors. Not surprisingly, the Krueger Report also concludes that the Caribbean island sovereign with a declining population of 3.5 million residents, a declining GNP of $72 billion and trading activity closely linked to the US mainland cannot sustain its debt burden.
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Puerto Rico Restructuring Law to Face Constitutional Challenges

Puerto Rico is facing an impending fiscal crisis, brought on by the island’s US$73 billion in municipal debt. While the government is actively implementing reforms and engaging in tax hikes to address its overwhelming debt, such efforts are not likely to be sufficient, and with the upcoming maturity of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s (PREPA) bank credit lines in August, there is a very real possibility that the entity will default on its debt.
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