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Fallout from Mexican president's Pemex 'rescue' set to welcome successor

Mexico's outbound president has taken steps to promote a smooth handoff for national oil business Pemex, three sources informed , but the newest moves will likely delay a day of reckoning for the world's most heavilyindebted oil company.

Recently, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador presented fresh assistance for Pemex, part of his longstanding goal to make Mexico self-sufficient in the production of motor fuels, revealing a brand-new tax break worth about $6.4 billion.

The boost follows a tremendous $90 billion in federal government assistance administered to Pemex given that Lopez Obrador took office in late 2018, spanning tax cuts and capital injections, most of it to service a crushing financial obligation load of some $106 billion.

The business's distressed finances might fall to former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, Lopez Obrador's greasy successor and present front-runner in polls ahead of June's election.

Mexico's next president takes office in October.

A Sheinbaum presidency would look to cut Pemex's dependence on federal government funds, one source close to her team told , using tax cuts to maximize company costs in other places.

Sheinbaum has also committed to pursing Lopez Obrador's. vague but oft-repeated objective of energy sovereignty.

A source close to Pemex, on the other hand, said the current round of. support will be utilized to cover $17.2 billion in debts to service. service providers, such as Halliburton and Baker Hughes.

All this is part of a strategy of organized transition aimed. at a soft landing for the next administration, stated a. high-ranking Pemex source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Concerns that currently enjoy Lopez Obrador's seal of. approval, however, could constrain his successor, the source. included.

The popular president declared victory on his Pemex policy. earlier today.

I think that we have actually currently saved Pemex, said Lopez. Obrador, promoting a reduction in its financial debt compared to. six years back.

Those liabilities fell almost 7%, from 1.99 trillion pesos. in 2018 to 1.86 trillion, as of last September.

' FINANCIAL FAILURE'

According to computations from the Mexican Institute for. Competitiveness (IMCO) based upon Pemex information, the company needs to. make $53 billion in regular debt payments between October and. September 2027. Financial obligation payments this year alone reach almost $11. billion.

Pemex also deals with debt maturities of some $35 billion, mainly. tied to its bonds, between 2025 and 2030.

Despite whatever given to it, 2024 and 2025 financial obligation. pressures are really strong, stated IMCO economic expert Jesus Carrillo.

Pemex has been (Lopez Obrador's) financial failure ... a rescue. that never came, he included.

Neither Pemex, the president's office nor the finance. ministry responded to requests for remark for this story.

Some sources acknowledged that measures of success have been. downsized however said that some development has been made.

The concept is to leave Pemex better than we found it,. stated one business source, admitting that numerous problems have not. been fixed.

The source near Sheinbaum's group pointed to the progressive. slashing of the company's profit-sharing DUC tax, among the. most important for state coffers, from a 65% to 30%.

The source added that the tax cuts look for to guarantee that Pemex. can keep more of its own revenue, and stop being a burden on. state financial resources.

Still, the oil business's crude output - extremely its. main income - has actually continued to slide during Lopez. Obrador's term, from 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) to 1.6. million bpd, despite his promise to grow it.

And while that decrease has been partly offset by growing. condensate output, the president's leading concern of refining more. oil in your home has disappointed his initial goal.

Domestic refining is up to about 791,000 bpd, but still far. from his goal of processing a minimum of 1 million bpd.

There is awareness within Pemex that the goals will not be met. this year, said one company source.

However in an election year, promises abound..

(source: Reuters)