Also as well, businesses deliberately pay late as a means of saving money.

See the report released today by Philip Green into government financing:

“He says that the norm in most departments is to pay suppliers in five days, compared with the standard 30 days payment period for most private-sector transactions, and 45 days demanded by some bigger companies (like his own).

“If the government demanded a minimum of 30 days of credit from suppliers, it would save hundreds of millions of pounds in financing costs.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2010/10/green_id_be_bust_if_i_ran_my_b.html