Big businesses have been told they must pay small suppliers within 30, rather than 60 days, under a strengthened Prompt Payment Code.
The Department for Business said the code, first introduced in 2008, needed to be bolstered to protect small firms as poor payment practices were still rife and threatened the viability of solid businesses as the country emerges from the
It said that from July, the 3,000 companies currently signed up to the code would have to pay 95% of invoices to suppliers with 50 employees or fewer within 30 days.
The department also demanded that either the chief executive, finance chief or a director of a participating company made a personal commitment to the code.
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