The UK National e-Invoicing Forum was set up in 2010 as a
self-funded initiative of industry associations, public sector
bodies and solution providers to promote e-Invoicing in the UK
public and private sectors; and also to ensure expert UK input to
the EU Commission Multi-Stakeholder Forum on e-Invoicing, so that
emerging EU policy - and its implementation - supports UK public
and private interests.
The Forum is chaired by Amabel Grant, Basware. Vice-Chair is Stephen
Tokley, Crown Commercial Services. The Forum's Patron is Stephen
McPartland MP. The Forum Secretary is Tony Nisbett.
The EU Commission requested that all Member States to set up a
formal National Multi-stakeholder e-invoicing forum by June 2011,
to ensure a balanced, public and private input on the essential
common standards and legal framework which will apply to
e-invoicing across the EU. The UKNeF's first objective was to
ensure the United Kingdom was fully represented within the
multi-stakeholder forum. We successfully highlighted this
opportunity to the UK Government who recognised the expertise
within the group and requested we send two candidates who
represented;
1. The United Kingdom's e-Invoicing
service providers
2. The United Kingdom's 4.8 million small and
medium enterprises
Participating in the European Multi-Stakeholder Forum on
Electronic Invoicing on behalf of the United Kingdom and the UKNeF
are;
· Gary Benson, Tungsten
· Lois Devey, CCS
The UKNeF continues to promote the benefits of e-Invoicing to the
UK Public Sector and the wider UK economy, meeting regularly in
Westminster and engaging with MPs and Cabinet Advisors.
The EU e-Invoicing initiative forms part of the EU Digital Single
Market programme and contributes much reduced administration costs
for government and businesses, more transparent tax audits, reduced
carbon footprint, and easier access to working capital for SMEs.
Its benefits are mentioned in the March 2011 study by the Office of
Fair Trading: Commissioning and Competition in the Public
Sector.
Ref. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/files/com712_en.pdf