The government has moved to regulate the flow of foreign aid being channelled to non-profit groups.
The cabinet approved Monday the draft 'Foreign Contributions (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act-2014' in order to better monitor foreign funds channelled to Non-government Organisations (NGOs).
The proposed draft law will ensure transparency, accountability, proper inspection, monitoring, evaluation and appropriate use of foreign funds by the NGOs.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting at the cabinet division at Bangladesh Secretariat.
"The cabinet has approved the draft law that will make the existing ordinances in this regard more comprehensive and elaborate legal framework to properly regulate foreign-funded NGOs," Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the media after regular weekly cabinet meeting on the day.
He said the law has also the provision not to allow any NGO to undertake any project and implement it by overseas donations without taking approval from the NGO Affairs Bureau.
The source of the foreign donation and its areas of utilisation must be mentioned to the NGO Affairs Bureau.
"No NGO will be able to run its activities without taking registration from the NGO Affairs Bureau. No registration is required in case of individual, but approval has to be taken from the Bureau," Mr Bhuiyan said.
"Under the law, no NGO will be able to undertake any project and implement it with foreign donations without taking approval from the NGO Affairs Bureau," he said.
He said the projects of NGOs must need approval from the NGO Affairs Bureau.
Mentioning the punishment in case of violation of the proposed law the cabinet secretary said, "The proposed law has also a provision for punishment, cancellation of registration and imposition of fines for violating the law".
He said the duration of the registration will be for ten years. But if there is any violation of the law the registration of the NGO might be scrapped.
"In case of violation of the proposed law, the first step is issuing warning, then scrapping the registration and finally imposing fine. And in case of criminal offences like financing or patronising terrorism and militant acts, women and child trafficking and drug smuggling, criminal procedures will be taken," he mentioned.
He said the NGOs must have to keep their foreign contributions in a mother account of a scheduled bank, audit their accounts, publish annual reports and submit those to the Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau.
The council of ministers also approved the draft speech of the President with some observations to be delivered on the first day of the first session of the Jatiya Sangsad next year.
The President in his speech in the Jatiya Sangsad will highlight the country's overall situation, government's achievements in different sectors including socio-economic scenario and success towards implementing Vision 2021 and digital Bangladesh. He will also give the directives for future.
The scenario on local and overseas employment, programmes taken under social security net, progress in the trial of the war criminals, creating investment-friendly environment and other administrative, political, social and economic issues will also come up in the head of state's speech.
The cabinet also approved the draft of 'The Supreme Court Judges (Leave, Pension and Privileges) Ordinance (Amendment) Act, 2014' to raise the rate of gratuity of the judges of the higher court in case of surrender of pension.
The Cabinet adopted two condolence motions at the demise of noted Independence Award recipient artist Qayyum Chowdhury and noted journalist Jaglul Ahmed Chowdhury.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
