BANGLADESH GOVERNMENT LAW FOR NGO... Cabinet okays draft law for Bangladesh NGO regulation.... DHAKA, June 2, 2014 (BSS)- The cabinet has given approval in principle to the draft of the Foreign Contributions (voluntary Activities) Regulation Act 2014 for regulation of the activities of the non-government organization receiving foreign contributions. The approval was given in the regular meeting the cabinet held at the cabinet room of Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said, It will be a comprehensive and wide legal instrument for giving support and regulation of the NGO activities. NGO\s are working for socio-economic development of the country alongside the government. The new law will ensure GO-NGO partnership for sustainable development, he said. The cabinet secretary said, the draft has been prepared integrating two previous legal instruments- The Foreign Donations Voluntary Activities Regulation Ordinance-1978, and The Foreign Contributions Regulation Ordinance-1982,- both were passed during the period of the military regimes, and all executives orders were issued in this regard. The draft also accommodated the opinions and recommendations of the concerned ministries and departments, stakeholders of the NGOs and civil society members, he said, adding that a preliminary opinion of the legislative wing of the law ministry on legal aspects of the law was also taken. The cabinet secretary said, the new law stipulated the registration and renewal of the NGOs. It will ensure more transparency in receiving foreign contributions by NGOs as well as their activities. It will also strengthen mutual cooperation between the government and NGOs and will have a very positive role in the poverty alleviation activities, he said. Musharraf Hossain said, till last April, 2013, a total of 2303 NGOs were registered with NGO Bureau since its commencement in 1990. Out of those, 2070 NGOs are local and 233 are foreign. Total amount of disbursement by these NGOs is about Taka 50,000 crore, he said. The cabinet secretary said, the law has 22 sections. It clearly mentioned that no NGO can function before registration with the NGO Bureau. In case an individual, registration will not be required, but approval is essential. In the application for registration, an organization must clearly mention the source of the fund and areas of spending. The registration will be given for ten years, but the government can cancel the registration anytime in case of any violation of the law. Besides, without approval of the NGO Bureau, no NGO can take or implement any project. A NGO can appoint foreign expert or advisor taking security clearance from the home ministry. The law prohibited receiving foreign contribution for political parties, judges of the Supreme Court, parliament members, officials and employees of the government and semi- government organizations and local government candidates. The NGOs must maintain its accurate accounts and all foreign contributions should be deposited in a single account in a bank. Later, it could be transferred to the account of the project. Statement of the accounts of the foreign contributions must be sent two times a year to Bangladesh Bank, NGO bureau and ERD,the law said. NGO Bureau will have the power for inspection, monitoring and evaluation of the activities of the NGOs. Annual statement should be submitted by every NGO to the Director General of the NGO Bureau. Any violation of the law would be considered as offense and punishment will be applicable depending on the nature of the offense. Warning, cancellation of the registration, penalty would be punishment for any administrative irregularities. But, any offense of criminal nature like terror financing, women or child trafficking, drug smuggling will be dealt under the existing criminal law of the country. The cabinet also approved the draft of the National Insurance Policy, 2014 and a proposal for signing Agreement for Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of I
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 14:50:17 +0000
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