The government’s plan to regulate the activities of NGOs has apparently bitten the dust with no visible progress being made to introduce the draft Voluntary Social Organisations Registration Act of 2010 or form the proposed inter-ministerial committee headed by the finance minister which was proposed later.
The act was finalised three years ago by the social welfare ministry but the cabinet is yet to approve it and allow its tabling in the parliament for endorsement. The officials who were involved in drawing up the draft law have no idea for the delay in its implementation or where it lies in its passage to be made a law.
An initiative was later taken to form a regulatory body constituting of representatives from ministries of finance, commerce, health and family welfare, youth and sports, social welfare, women and children affairs, LGRD and Cooperatives and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). That too went nowhere.
The ministry’s State Minister Promod Mankin told the Dhaka Tribune: “I have seen no activity to finalise the new law since joining the ministry 10 months ago.” He also said he has no idea why it’s passage is being delayed.
The step, initiated in the tenure of the caretaker government in 2008, aimed to enact a new law and constitute a new regulatory body for the NGOs to stop the bodies from being involved with militant groups, taking finance from them and banning illegal commercial activities.
The draft law was sent to the cabinet division, which, instead of placing it in the cabinet or forwarding it to the law ministry for vetting, sent it to the secretaries committee on administrative reform. Later, it was sent to the finance and public administration ministry for their opinion to confirm that whether there is anything that conflicts with existing laws or not.
The social welfare minister has not found any further steps after sending the law to those ministries, the officials said.
According to the draft law, a ‘Social Safety Net Protection Authority’ will be constituted under the law to control and monitor the activities of NGO’s of the country which were registered or obtained licenses from different registration authorities.
“Some NGOs get registered with various bodies using the same name. If an NGO is found guilty of any anomalies, it can continue its operation using the license received from another authority,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
“If an organisation, registered with Department of Social Welfare under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration and Control) Ordinance, 1961 is found guilty of irregularities and anomalies, the department cancels its registration. But the same organisation can continue activities using its registration under the Company Act,” he explained.
A source in the social welfare ministry said provisions were included in the draft law allowing the cancellation of registrations or licenses and punishment for violating the law. It also suggested the banning of commercial activities for the NGO’s and keeping them away from militancy and financing terrorists.
There are about 250,000 NGOs that are operating across the country.
Of them, about 80,000 NGOs have multiple registrations or licenses from different registration authorities using similar names, according to the information of the social welfare ministry.
Of those, 10,000 NGO’s are registered with the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, 501 with Micro-Credit Regulatory Authority, 152,000 with Department of Cooperatives, 16,030 with Department of Women and Children Affairs, 55,000 with Department of Social Welfare, 100,000 with Department of Youth Development and 2,479 with NGO Affairs Bureau.
A social welfare ministry official, requesting anonymity, alleged that since most bureaucrats get involved with NGOs after their retirement, they are lobbying to stall the new law in a bid to protect the interests of NGO owners. “Maybe, it’s the main reason behind the process being held up.”