据路透社墨西哥城报道,根据路透社星期四看到的一份文件,墨西哥政府的目标是向负债累累的墨西哥国家石油公司(墨国油/Pemex)提供73亿美元的税收减免,以平息人们对其金融生存能力及其更广泛经济影响的担忧。
墨国油背负着1060亿美元的金融债务,正濒临失去其投资级评级。
这种情况对墨国油来说可能是灾难性的,因为投资者的任务规定他们必须持有投资级质量的资产,但却发现自己被迫出售了数十亿美元的债券,这将推高墨国油的债务融资成本。
该内部文件详细介绍了在2020年和2021年减免1387亿比索(约72.8亿美元)的税收,并称政府将在9月8日提出2020年预算提案时提出修改。
墨国油表示,通过将利润分享税从目前的65%降至2021年的54%,可以实现减税。到2020年,税收减免额将达到471亿比索,到2021年将达到916亿比索。
该文件表示,墨国油面临着很高的税收负担,因此墨西哥政府决定修改税收制度以减轻其税收负担,这一修改将在未来几年逐步进行,以免给政府带来财政不稳定。
评级机构惠誉和标准普尔今年早些时候对墨国油的独立评估,将其置于负面前景,令该公司更接近金融悬崖。
目前,惠誉将墨国油的长期外债评级定为BBB,而穆迪将其评级定为Baa3,两者都高于垃圾评级。这三家评级机构中至少有两家不得不将墨国油降级为垃圾,以迫使其出售债券。
墨西哥总统奥夫拉多尔计划让墨国油建造一座价值80亿美元的炼油厂,各机构对此一直高度警惕。
本月早些时候,政府宣布了缓解墨国油债务困境的计划,包括25亿美元的债务再融资,55亿美元信贷额度续期以及逐步减税。不过,评级机构表示,这些计划不足以缓解墨国油的财务问题。
詹晓晶摘自路透社
原文如下:
Mexico promises $7.3 billion in tax relief for troubled Pemex
Mexico’s government aims to give $7.3 billion in tax relief to heavily indebted state oil company Pemex, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday, in an effort to cool fears over its financial viability and the impact on the wider economy.
Pemex, burdened by $106 billion of financial debt, is teetering on the brink of losing its investment-grade rating.
That scenario could be disastrous for Pemex as investors whose mandates stipulate they must hold assets of investment-grade quality find themselves forced to sell billions of dollars of its bonds. This would push Pemex’s debt financing costs higher.
The internal document detailed a tax relief of 138.7 billion pesos ($7.28 billion) over 2020 and 2021, saying the government would propose the changes on Sept. 8 when it presents its proposal for the 2020 budget.
Pemex said the tax reductions would be achieved by lowering the profit-sharing tax to 54% by 2021 from 65%. The tax relief would amount to 47.1 billion pesos in 2020 and 91.6 billion pesos in 2021.
“Pemex faces a high tax load, as such Mexico’s government has decided to modify its tax regime to lighten it. This modification will be done gradually over the coming years so as to not create fiscal instability for the government,” the document stated.
Ratings agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor’s cut Pemex’s standalone assessment earlier this year and put it on negative outlook, inching the firm closer to a financial cliff.
Fitch now rates Pemex’s long-term foreign debt at BBB-, while Moody’s puts it at Baa3 - both one level above a junk rating. At least two of the three ratings agencies would have to downgrade Pemex to junk to trigger forced selling of its bonds.
The agencies have been on high alert over Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s plans to have the state oil firm build a $8 billion refinery.
Earlier this month the government announced plans to ease Pemex’s debt woes, including $2.5 billion in debt refinancing plus the renewal of credit lines with three banks and a gradual tax cut.
Those measures include two extended lines of credit with the banks worth up to $5.5 billion. Though ratings agencies have said that the plans were not enough to ease Pemex’s financial problems.
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