ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Public administrations in Spain owe a total of 632.9 million euros to cleaning companies that are members of the Professional Association of Cleaning Companies (ASPEL) - and late payment has increased by 68 per cent over the last year.

According to data gathered by ASPEL autonomous communities are the administrations owing the largest amount, over 349 million euros. On average payment from them takes 194 days.

The two plans for payment to suppliers approved by the Government have not had a significant effect on late payment by the autonomous communities because, from the cumulative debt of 144.5 million euros in 2011, they went on to owe 262.6 million in 2012, and 349.4 million in 2013. The communities with the worst performance are Valencia, Catalonia and Andalucia.

In spite of the fact that late payment by local bodies has grown by 256 per cent in 2013 (with a debt of 226.9 million and payment at 113 days), it is the public administrations which have most reduced debt through the first suppliers' plan, from 382.5 million in 2011 to 63 million in 2012.

In terms of the General Administration of the State, late payment this year is at 56.5 million euros, an increase of 25 per cent, with average payment at 81 days.

Nevertheless, late payment is currently almost double that of 2011, which was of 25.2 million euros.

"This data demonstrates that the two funds for financing payment to suppliers by the Public Administrations have had a positive one-off effect, and that the new plan will again be a sticking-plaster while the administrations do not comply, as they are obliged to, with payment of their invoices at 30 days as provided by the Law on Late Payment," commented ASPEL president Juan Díez de los Ríos.