The Government of India (GOI) announced a nationwide lock down on account of Covid-19 pandemic with effect from 25 March 2020. This has severely disrupted regular business activities across all sectors of the economy in the country. The quarterly newsletter issued by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for the quarter October – December 2019, states that as on 31 December 2019, there are approximately 1,961 entities which were undergoing a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code).
INTRODUCTION:
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (‘Code’) was enacted by the Parliament with the aim to provide and revamp the framework for insolvency resolution in India in a time bound manner and for the promotion of entrepreneurship, credit availability and balancing of different interests of each and every stakeholder of a Company.
The outbreak of Novel COVID-19 and the nationwide imposed lockdown in India has caused all walks of life to a standstill. Courts and Tribunals came to the rescue of litigants who were facing practical difficulties in filing the petition and passed orders on both judicial side protecting the right to institute proceedings belatedly as well administrative side by bringing the court-room to computer desks.
The Tenor of the Astounding IBC Amendment Act 2020
Notification Raising the Threshold Limit for Triggering the Insolvency
An issue plaguing successful resolution applicants under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (“IBC”) is with respect to government claims pertaining to the period prior to approval of the Resolution Plan. Government claims, such as those raised by the Income Tax Department, Central and State GST Department, extinguished by resolution plans continue to be pursued by such departments by way of issuance of demand notices under respective statutes.
Small business is undoubtedly the lifeblood of economies, more so where those economies are emerging and developing. The promotion and nurturing of entrepreneurship is a key factor in economic success, not just for those entrepreneurs, but for the wider society, which, as stakeholders, benefits from the generation and distribution of wealth through economic and social policy. One unresolved question, however, is how to treat MSMEs (micro-, small- and medium-enterprises) in insolvency.
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As the Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the globe, people and businesses are facing unprecedented challenges, both immediate and strategic. Governments in various jurisdictions have announced various measures to try to alleviate the distress caused by the numerous issues that have arisen and continue to arise, particularly around cashflow and employees.
In continuation of Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) efforts to ease financial stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the RBI issued the circular on the Resolution Framework for Covid-19 Related Stress dated 6 August 2020 (August 6 Circular). The August 6 Circular creates a limited time window for certain categories of borrowers affected by Covid-19 pandemic related business disruption to be allowed resolution plans in the nature of restructuring while permitting the borrower accounts to retain their status as ‘standard’.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (“the Code”) aims to resolve the woes of stressed businesses (“Corporate Debtors”) by putting them through a corporate insolvency resolution process (“CIRP”) and transferring them as ‘going concerns’ to persons/entities (“Resolution Applicants”) willing to take over their management and assets, and service their debts.