New Delhi, April 20 -- The Centre is set to direct central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and government agencies to mandatorily route payments to MSMEs through the Trade Receivables Discounting System, aiming to accelerate the release of pending dues. CPSEs and government agencies together owe around Rs 1 lakh crore to MSMEs, while private sector dues stand at nearly Rs 7 lakh crore. Routing payments through TReDS is expected to significantly reduce settlement timelines, even where dues are not yet overdue. Under provisions of the Income Tax Act effective April 1, 2024, buyers must clear MSME payments within 45 days (or 15 days without a contract), though enforcement has remained weak due to concerns over business relationships, rep...