The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India had made the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, effective from 6th February, 2018 (the ‘Amendment Regulations, 2018’), to make amendments in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016 (the ‘CIRP Regulations, 2016’), w.r.t. invitation of Resolution Plans, information memorandum, introduction of the concepts of evaluation matrix and fair value.
According to the Amendments,
a. The Resolution Professional shall appoint two registered valuers to determine the fair value and the liquidation value of the corporate debtor. After the receipt of resolution plans, the resolution professional shall provide the fair value and the liquidation value to each member of the committee of creditors in electronic form, on receiving a confidentiality undertaking. The resolution professional and registered valuers shall maintain confidentiality of the fair value and the liquidation value.
b. The Resolution Professional shall submit the information memorandum in electronic form to each member of the committee of creditors within two weeks of his appointment as resolution professional and to each prospective resolution applicant latest by the date of invitation of resolution plan, on receiving confidentiality undertaking.
c. The Resolution Professional shall issue an invitation, including the evaluation matrix, to the prospective resolution applicants. He may modify the invitation as well as the evaluation matrix. However, the prospective resolution applicant shall get at least 30 days from the issue of invitation or modification thereof, whichever is later, to submit resolution plans. Similarly, he will get at least 15 days from the issue of evaluation matrix or modification thereof, whichever is later, to submit resolution plans. An abridged invitation shall be available on the web site, if any, of the corporate debtor, and on the web site, if any, designated by the IBBI for the purpose.
d. While the Resolution Applicant shall continue to specify the sources of funds that will be used to pay insolvency resolution process costs, liquidation value due to operational creditors and liquidation value due to dissenting financial creditors, the committee of creditors shall specify the amounts payable from resources under the resolution plan for these purposes.
e. A Resolution Plan shall provide for the measures, as may be necessary, for insolvency resolution of the corporate debtor for maximization of value of its assets. These may include reduction in the amount payable to the creditors, extension of a maturity date or a change in interest rate or other terms of a debt due from the corporate debtor, change in portfolio of goods or services produced or rendered by the corporate debtor, and change in technology used by the corporate debtor.
f. The Resolution Professional shall submit the resolution plan approved by the committee of creditors to the Adjudicating Authority, at least 15 days before the expiry of the maximum period permitted for the completion of the corporate insolvency resolution process.
The present article analyses these amendments in a precise manner.
1. Definition
Clause (ha) and (hb) are inserted by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, w.e.f. 6-2-2018 in Regulation 2 of the CIRP Regulations, 2016, to provide for the following:
- “evaluation matrix” means such parameters to be applied and the manner of applying such parameters, as approved by the committee, for consideration of resolution plans for its approval – clause (ha);
- “fair value” means the estimated realizable value of the assets of the corporate debtor, if they were to be exchanged on the insolvency commencement date between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm’s length transaction, after proper marketing and where the parties had acted knowledgably, prudently and without compulsion – clause (hb).
Further, clause (k) has also been substituted by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) (Amendment) Regulations, 2018, w.e.f. 6-2-2018 to provide for the following:
- “liquidation value” means the estimated realizable value of the assets of the corporate debtor, if the corporate debtor were to be liquidated on the insolvency commencement date – clause (k)
1.1. Evaluation matrix: It lays down such parameters for the purpose of analyzing and verifying a resolution plan, as to whether it is good to be considered for approval by the Committee of Creditors (‘CoC’). Such matrix should also contain the manner of application of the defined parameters