SICILY – The Italian state he is still a “bad payer” especially in Noon and in particular in Sicily. There public administration buy from local businesses, but pays the bill late. And it makes little difference whether it is a Common or aWait.
Even i ministries they pay late, ending up impacting the performance of companies in the South. This is highlighted by the Cgia study center in Mestre. In 2023, total Italian state spending reached i 122 billion eurosincluding purchases, consumption, supplies, maintenance, staff training and energy expenses.
However, despite the huge expenditure, the state has failed to honor all financial commitments taken with their suppliers, accumulating commercial debts which still amount to around 50 billion euros. An amount that has remained unchanged for at least five years according to the Cgia.
In this scenario which penalizes Southern Italy above all, there is no shortage of virtuous cases with Sicily as the protagonist. Palermo, for example, is the most virtuous provincial capital in Italy.
Small businesses penalized, including by incorrect practices
Based on the data collected by the Study Center, the ones most penalized by delays in public administration payments are predictably the small businesses. Not a new situation, but a chronic one as he explains to NewSicilia Eleonora Cardillo associate professor of Business Economics of the University of Catania.
“On one side – explained the teacher – the data presented, which, as described in the report, come from the analysis of the indicators of timeliness of payments extrapolated from the Transparent Administration section of the individual institution, highlight a chronic delay in payments, on the other hand, they are the expression of a pachydermal process which, however, does not always and necessarily derive from unwise choices and solutions or from incorrect practices“.
According to the Cgia Study Center, among these practices there is also a sort of “abuse of position” for which a further problem is represented by the choice, now consolidated, imposed by many public managers and companies linked to the regions and local authoritiesto decide unilaterally when suppliers must issue invoices.
If the latter do not comply, they risk no longer being able to work with the state body. In this way the public administration issues an invoice only when funds are available to liquidate them, only formally “respecting” the payment times.
The Palermo public administration pays invoices in advance
Among the slowest public administrations in payments, Cgia has detected i Commonespecially those of Noon. In 2023, the the municipality of Naples recorded a late payment of 143 days, followed by Andria with 89.5 days and Chieti with 61.8 days late. In reverse, Palermo liquidated its business partners with 65.5 days in advanceproving to be the most virtuous provincial capital municipality in Italy.
Palermo is to all intents and purposes a “white fly” and it is especially so in comparison with the other Sicilian provinces. In the ranking drawn up by the Study Center we find five provinces islanders in the thirty positions for greatest delay in payment. Agrigento she is fifth with over 53 days late, Catania is eighth with almost 37 days, Trapani she is eighteenth with 20 more days, Caltanissetta twenty-first with over 12 days, Messina it is twenty-sixth with over 12 days. The provinces of are virtuous, even if less than Palermo Syracuse and Ragusawhere the public administration pay 5 days in advance.
All the reasons why the public administration pays invoices late
But why do public administrations pay invoices late in the South? “THE data must also be read according to different contextual elements which, by influencing each other, can have a negative impact on payment capacityjamming the complex public management machine – explained Professor Eleonora Cardillo – For example, the composition and impact of own revenues (tax and non-tax) and from transfers on total current revenue, the collection capacitythe policies to combattax evasion and the local response Compared to the latter, they constitute crucial components to guarantee the financial sustainability of the local authority. Just like yours ability to acquit to the obligations undertaken”.
It is therefore essential that citizens and businesses themselves are also punctual in payments of the contributions due to the administrations, but this is only one of the aspects that influence the delay in payments of invoices by the PAs.
It is also the laws that put the PA in difficulty
“Regardless of political issues, one cannot deny that the financial management of Local societies is also influenced by the regulations on harmonized accounting. The aim is to make public accounting more complete, clear and transparent, directing the institution towards a modus operandi characterized by virtuous and prudential mechanisms“, recalled Professor Cardillo.
“As gthere provisions provided for by the standard, which have the aim of guaranteeing a prudent and reliable forecast more balanced management of resources and to strengthen the credibility and reliability of the institution on the part of citizens and businesses, do not fail to have narrowed the financial flexibility. Finally limiting the spending capacity of the local authority and causing situations of imbalance. A correct planning and a careful one management of provisions they are fundamental to ensure the fulfillment of the financial commitments and the efficient delivery of community services“, he concludes.
