Amsterdam rushes to clear backlog of thousands of unpaid invoices

The city of Amsterdam has launched a crisis team to address a backlog of thousands of unpaid invoices following a transition to a new financial system. The payment delays, which surfaced earlier this week, have affected businesses and independent contractors awaiting compensation for services rendered.

“This is a serious issue. We are working tirelessly to resolve the backlog and have allocated additional resources to address the problem,” Finance Alderman Hester van Buren told the city council. “Entrepreneurs and other suppliers must be able to rely on timely payments. It is also essential for the city’s operations that we pay our suppliers on time.”

To expedite the process, the city has implemented an emergency payment procedure, though officials have not yet provided a timeline for when all overdue invoices will be processed.

An evaluation will be conducted to determine whether the delays could have been prevented. “Let me be clear: the city will pay all outstanding invoices. Suppliers do not need to worry about that,” Van Buren assured.