PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Social Welfare in collaboration with a non-governmental organization (NGO) organized a training workshop on legal compliances for nonprofit organizations working in District Haripur, Abbottabad, Batagram and Manshera.

During the session, non-profit organizations were given oriented about the legal compliances required for a nonprofit organization to legally operate in the province. The participants were oriented on the National and provincial legal backgrounds, policy and legislative frameworks available to regulate the work and funding of NPOs who receive international funding and charities.

The participants received step-to-step guidance on how to complete the online registration with KP Charity Commission and documentation required no objection certificate (NOC) from Home and Tribal Affairs.

The nonprofit organizations were also informed about the legal requirements and procedure to obtain “Foreign Funding” and the recently introduced online mechanism. The representatives of the nonprofit organizations expressed concerns over delay in issuance of Certificates by the Charity Commission KP and demanded that rules for the legislation should be framed mentioning time frame for the issuance of such certificates. The participants also demanded that the law should be amended and the Charity Commission should be placed at Social Welfare or the law Department KP.

Ms. Nadia Shah Deputy Director Social Welfare Department said that the department will make all efforts to support nonprofit organizations and on the other hand organizations should work to build their capacity to attain the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity, so they may more effectively and efficiently advance its mission into the future.

Qamar Naseem Manager Strategic Engagements Blue Veins said that trust building and partnership between government and NPOs is a pre-requisite for the sustainable development and aching SDGs. He asked the NGOs to adopt self-regulation and improve compliances to the existing laws and called on the government to adopt the necessary measures for development and human rights NGOs to operate in an enabling environment that complies with international standard.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022