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The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has welcomed Emma Jones as the new small business commissioner, a role established to address late payment and poor payment practices in the private sector.
According to ACCA, Jones’s appointment is a “significant step” in efforts to support small firms. The Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC) was created under the Enterprise Act 2016 to advocate for fairer payment terms.
Jones’s initial priorities will include contributing to an expected consultation on the prompt payment code and influencing the government’s forthcoming small business strategy.
ACCA stated that Jones faces a “tough job” tackling entrenched late payment practices, which continue to harm small and growing businesses.
Glenn Collins, head of technical and strategic engagement, said: “We offer warm congratulations to Emma on her appointment. It is no easy task but as founder of Enterprise Nation Emma has a track record and experience that means she has an excellent chance of making a significant difference to hundreds of thousands of small businesses up and down the country.
“Both the strategy and the consultation continue the work of her predecessor, Liz Barclay, and ACCA would like to pay tribute to the impact that she has had in the role over the years.”
Gemma Gathercole, strategic engagement lead at ACCA, added: “We’ve always been strong supporters of the OSBC and in consultation with our members will continue to work constructively with the OSBC. In particular we look forward to seeing the strategy and the consultation.”
