Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: Promote the solution to the problem of payment difficulties for small and medium-sized enterprises and guide leading enterprises to pay cash within 60 days

China News Service, September 14. On September 14, the State Council Information Office held a regular briefing on State Council policies to introduce the work on strengthening the management of the problem of payment difficulties for small and medium-sized enterprises. Ke Jixin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that promoting timely payment of accounts by enterprises in the industry and ensuring smooth corporate capital chains are necessary and inevitable requirements to improve the resilience and safety level of the industrial chain and supply chain, and to enhance the modernization of the industry's governance system and governance capabilities.

At present, most industries have not yet issued special settlement and payment rules. Some large enterprises have taken advantage of this "loophole" and abused their market competitive advantage to deliberately lengthen the account periods of upstream and downstream small and medium-sized enterprises by blurring the starting point of the accounting period, delaying acceptance or settlement, and abusing commercial bills and electronic vouchers for accounts receivable (referred to as electronic vouchers), making it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to collect payment. The "Notice" proposes that the relevant industry authorities should formulate and improve the settlement and payment regulations of the industry, and clarify the starting point of the accounting period, the payment method and process, the standards and deadlines for inspection and acceptance of goods and services (or project completion settlement), the maximum payment period and other relevant key contents. These are the "four key elements of payment."

These four elements are clearly directed and targeted. By standardizing the "four key elements of payment" and promoting their inclusion in contract model texts, they will fill the "blank spots" in current settlement and payment management in various industries. They will not only set clear boundaries for large enterprises to pay their accounts in a timely manner, but also allow small and medium-sized enterprises to have a clear idea of ​​when and how they can get their money back. By continuing to promote system construction and improving long-term mechanisms, we will gradually achieve a fundamental solution to the problem of difficulty in collecting payments for small and medium-sized enterprises.

At the same time, the "Notice" actively guides large enterprises to reduce the maximum payment period for small and medium-sized enterprises to 60 days. The timely payment of accounts by leading companies will serve as a model and guide for companies in the entire industry chain and industry. The "Notice" requires relevant industry authorities to issue timely payment initiatives, guide leading enterprises in the industry to take the lead in issuing and practicing the "60-day cash payment commitment", and encourage leading enterprises to pay cash to small and medium-sized enterprises within 60 days from the date of delivery of goods, projects, and services. Of course, cash payment here also includes instant payment methods such as bank transfers. By guiding leading companies to take the lead and set an example, the entire industry will be driven to form a good ecology of timely payment.