Puerto Rico in Distress

ABI Analysis

Puerto Rico and its main electric utility have spent more than $60 million in legal and advisory fees from firms such as Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Millstein & Co. over the past two years as the governor and public finance officials have sought to restructure the island’s $72 billion debt burden, Bloomberg News reported today.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William C. Dudley urged Congress to pass a bill that would allow some agencies of Puerto Rico to file for chapter 9 protection, Bloomberg News reported yesterday.

Up against a deadline to reveal its plan to restructure its staggering debt, Puerto Rico has decided not to move ahead with a controversial proposal to borrow an additional $750 million to pay for improvements to its water and sewer authority, the New York Times DealBook blog reported yesterday. It attributed the decision, made on Monday, to the turmoil in the global markets.

A private sector coalition of over 20 trade associations is speaking with a single voice and asking Congress to grant Puerto Rico the right to allow its public corporations access to protections under chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, according to a commentary on the Huffington Post on Friday.

Other Resources

The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the President of the United States and one ex officio member designated by the Governor of Puerto Rico. Access information on the Board, documents, videos of meetings, calendar of events and live webcasts by clicking here.