A recent release of 7.5 million euro has finally enabled the Province of Lucca to pay many of the companies and professionals who have provided services to the province. The funds have been released through the application of Decree n. 35 of April 2013, which expedites payment of overdue debts owed by public administrations.
While the province paid off its most urgent debts, it owes a total of approximately 18 million euro. A list of the companies and professionals who have been paid has been published online at www.provincia.lucca.it.
In a recent in-depth article, Il Sole 24 Ore named the Province of Lucca one of the best administrations for paying debts: it was among the first institutions in Italy to apply the decree, which gives relief to companies suffering from the economic crisis.
Lucca’s move to pay its creditors is especially important in light of the massive backlog of unpaid bills owed to private businesses by Italy’s public administration.
Paying the state’s debts was one of the priorities of Italy’s technocratic government before the end of its mandate. In early April 2013, the government led by Mario Monti said it would pay 40 billion euro that the state owes to private companies over the next 12 months, in hopes that the late payments, some of which are over two years old, will help companies stay afloat.
