The Director of Finance recommended changes to the payments processes to reduce the period of time taken to pay providers and suppliers from receipt of invoice.  The proposal was to achieve payment of SME suppliers and providers within 10 days of invoice receipt.  The current performance target was 32 days.

The report outlined the volume of transactions processed by the Council and identified a number of measures necessary to improve the payments cycle.

The Deputy Leader of the Council requested whether future reports could contain the value of invoices as well as number.

With the permission of the Chair, the Leader of the Conservative Group addressed the Cabinet.  Councillor Green queried when business would have confidence that they would be paid within 10 days and was informed that it was not possible to set a date for this.

Resolved: -That

(1)  the Authority targets the payment of SME invoices in ten days at a cost of £170,000.

(2)  the measures proposed in this report be agreed as the appropriate means of achieving improvements to the payments process.

(3)  the staffing arrangements required to deliver this Action Plan be implemented immediately.