Jammu: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Jammu Chapter, has advocated adoption of the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) for eligible MSME suppliers under Ayushman Bharat to ease working-capital pressures and facilitate timely liquidity against accepted invoices.
In a representation submitted to Ananth Dwivedi, Chief Executive Officer, State Health Agency, Jammu & Kashmir, ICC Jammu Chairman Rahul Sahai highlighted concerns of suppliers and vendors whose legitimate payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme have remained pending for prolonged periods.
Sahai appreciated the role of Ayushman Bharat in strengthening healthcare access and providing cashless treatment to beneficiaries across Jammu & Kashmir, and said ensuring the financial sustainability of suppliers and other stakeholders supporting the scheme would further strengthen its implementation.
The ICC suggested that the State Health Agency, in consultation with concerned authorities and hospitals, explore onboarding relevant entities onto TReDS and facilitate eligible MSME receivables through the platform. According to the Chamber, this could provide working-capital support to MSMEs, reduce dependence on costly borrowings and bring greater transparency and financial discipline to the payment ecosystem.
The Chamber also sought an early review and clearance of long-pending legitimate dues and recommended adoption of a transparent First-In-First-Out (FIFO) payment mechanism at the hospital level, ensuring that payments are released according to the chronological seniority of bills.
Sahai said prolonged payment cycles were putting considerable pressure on suppliers and affecting their ability to meet commitments towards manufacturers, banks, employees and principals. He added that, in some cases, suppliers associated with reputed national and multinational companies had also faced difficulties in retaining their distributorships due to delayed realisation of receivables.
The ICC further suggested that while changing or transitioning vendors for continuity of supplies, legitimate outstanding liabilities of previous vendors should also be appropriately addressed so that businesses supporting the healthcare system are not placed under avoidable financial stress.
The Chamber urged the State Health Agency to take up the issue of timely release of J&K’s due share of funds with the concerned authorities. It also recommended a time-bound payment and grievance-redressal mechanism for suppliers.
“MSMEs and vendors have continued to support the healthcare system in good faith despite considerable working-capital pressures. Timely payments, a transparent FIFO mechanism and integration of eligible receivables with TReDS can significantly strengthen both MSMEs and the overall Ayushman Bharat ecosystem in J&K,” Sahai said.
The ICC Jammu expressed confidence that the matter would receive positive consideration from the State Health Agency and the government, leading to an early, transparent and equitable resolution for affected suppliers while further strengthening implementation of Ayushman Bharat in Jammu & Kashmir.
