Church organisations risk losing l-Istrina funds
Several Church organisations, including Caritas, which have refused to enrol with the Voluntary Organisations Commissioner, may not be eligible to receive funds from this year’s annual charity telethon l-Istrina unless they join in the coming weeks.
This is because the President’s charity that organises the event – the Malta Community Chest Fund – has been recognised as a state entity, meaning it can now only donate money to enrolled NGOs.
NGOs Commissioner Kenneth Wain says this is stipulated in the Voluntary Organisations Act, enacted in 2007, to ensure transparency and accountability.
Prof. Wain had raised the issue of the legal status of the MCCF last year, arguing that as a non enrolled organisation it was illegal for it to receive benefits from the government such as free airtime from state television. Since then, the MCCF insisted it should be recognised as a government entity, according to Prof. Wain. He says this spells the end of his involvement in the issue. But while this may resolve last year’s controversy, other problems have now arisen due to the new status of the MCCF.
As the law stands, state organisations can help each other, meaning the MCCF can now receive free or subsidised airtime from Public Broadcasting Services, another state entity.
But state f unds cannot be given to non-enrolled organisations and more than a third of the organisations which benefitted from last year’s L-Istrina were not enrolled, something Prof. Wain let slide since the status of MCCF was still being negotiated.
The Church has never publicly explained what is holding it from enrolling its organisations.
When questioned last year, the Curia said it was in talks with the Office of the Prime Minister and the NGOs Commissioner’s legal adviser about the issue. Asked recently if the Church had settled the issue, a spokesman said that although there had been “further exchange of proposals”, the matter “is still not finalised”.
When asked, Prof. Wain said the situation with Church organisations had not been resolved.
It will therefore still be illegal for PBS to give free airtime to an end-ofyear telethon organised by nonenrolled organisation Dartal-Providenza, another issue which raised controversy last year.
Last year’s controversy did not seem to perturb ordinary people, who believe the benefits of such telethons override this legal dilemma. But NGOs, which painstakingly brought themselves in line with the law, were angry it was now being ignored by the biggest organisations that should be setting an example.
They were particularly angry because eligibility for state funds is one of the main incentives for organisations to enrol.
Prof. Wain said he “respects and recognises” the MCCF’s decision not to enrol as a voluntary organisation and, therefore, remain “not independent and autonomous of the government”.
Having come under heavy fire from the Office of the President last year, he insisted he had no wish to detract from “the excellent efforts of L-Istrina to collect money for the needy.”
“Following the unfortunate outcome of the debate last year, I think the proper application of the Voluntary Organisations Act is the responsibility of the government, which enacted the law, and not of the Commissioner who has no powers in this regard other than to make recommendations on the better operation and development of the law in support of the voluntary sector, which, of course, he will continue to do to the best of his abilities,” Prof. Wain said.
In his annual report published a few months ago, Prof. Wain pointed out that 30 per cent of direct government grants last year went to one major nonenrolled Church organisation and about 12.5 per cent were distributed to various other nonenrolled Church organisations.
“This is not, evidently, a situation that can continue into 2010,” he said, adding: “This situation with the Church organisations and the MCCF is harmful to the future of the voluntary sector as a whole and requires quick resolution.”
The MCCF has not yet replied to questions sent last Wednesday about its legal status and the fresh dilemmas this brings with it.
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Manuel Mantik
Nov 24th 2010, 15:13
i cant see any problem for the church! for sure they do marvellous work for those who cant do it for themselves, incl. and mostly out of financial reasons. but this is a work one can be proud of and should be as visible and transparent as possible in order to be an example to follow! opting for non-enrolement has the stale aftertaste of concealment for me! why do such funding laws work fine all over europe and by giving one bad example of the UK its proven for malta, that this is a devlish system?
my NGO recieved funds from the EU on several occasions, of course we have to be enroled and of course the spending of the given money has to be proved to the last cent. but in the end its always also a bit of money paid with our taxes and i really wanna know what its used for - at least up to a certain grade!
those who suggest to boycott the MCCF should keep in mind, that NGOs working on childrens rights, art, communication, european citizenship etc. etc. are also important for a healthy and modern nation...
Lawrence Dominic Zammit
Nov 23rd 2010, 12:16
No problem!Lets organise an other STRINA for the Church organisation.
Mark Galea
Nov 23rd 2010, 08:58
Of all the comments made below, the one which makes most sense to me is the one made by Andrew Azzopardi. What starts as simple accountability now will end up as manipulation by government entities of church affairs.
Oscar Cassar
Nov 22nd 2010, 22:10
Il-ligi tal-Volontarjat ghaddiet sabiex tiprotegi ghaqdiet volontari u l-immagini taghhom minn ohrajn li fihom jista jsir abbus. Sakemm certu ghaqdiet ma ghandhomx agenda mohbija, ma narax ghalfejn certu ghaqdiet 'volontaji' ma jimxux mal-ligi li qeda ghamm hal kulhadd.
Albert Cocker
Nov 22nd 2010, 21:15
"The Church has never publicly explained what is holding it from enrolling its organisations."
They want your money.
Hernry S Pace
Nov 22nd 2010, 20:00
It a good decision for all volontary organisation including those under the Church fold to register and regularise their affairs with the Commissioner. Now that the MCCF has been given full recognition as a state entity it would not be obliged to fill in certain formalities with various Departments but is only obliged to submit its Financial Statements for public knowledge as it ever did in the previous years.
Michael Neville Cassar
Nov 22nd 2010, 16:28
There is nothing wrong in giving donations however it is most visible that Malta has become the den of beggars on the Media and by the cemetery and in republic street this is apart from door knocking . Yet we are told that a few cents increase will be sufficient to add to the uncontrolled cost of living.
albert leone ganado
Nov 22nd 2010, 15:57
I am afraid that a number of big egos are involved in this ongoing saga.
The voluntary organisation act I feel should be revisited so that there is an opt out clause for those who feel they do not want to register. The important thing is that the accounts of any voluntary organisation which seeks funds from the public or the state are properly audited by a professionally qualified auditor and are published yearly. Whether they register or not the registrar of voluntary organisations should have the right to investigate whenever the auditor qualifies the accounts or manner of operation of a voluntary organisation.
Personally I have the policy of only donating to organisations which are registered for this gives me better assurance that my donations are being well spent.
Alex Ellul
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:53
No problem at all. I will donate directly to the church orgs, such as Dar tal Providenza, Caritas, etc....
We are on the way of reaching the political correctness (madness) of our friends in the UK, where christian orgs had to get out of the gov's way because of this and because of that.....etc etc..
It's arrived here too..none too soon neither. sic.
Now, Dar tal-Providenza (DtP) will surely have to spend money so as to make itself eligible, money that could have been invested directly on the DtP itself which is in dire and urgent need of money.
I appeal to all and sundry not to wait for the pseudo-charity Christmas shows to donate money to the DtP and other truly charitable institutions.
I appeal to whowever is in charge of MCCF today, to revisit the founders' original thoughts behind it, then come back with ideas.
I believe that this MCCF is now going bonkers. The organisation is more important than its raison d'etre. Hubris comes to mind.
Andrew Azzopardi
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:43
The Voluntary Organisations Act 2007 is grounded in a statist philosophy and seeks to bring all volontary organisations under State control by offering them financial incentives to surrender their autonomy.
Church organisations are rightly being wary of falling into a trap. Once they start becoming dependant on State funding (even though this is derived from donations in this case), they will have to dance to the State tune, even where this may be in contrast with their Christian ethos. A good example is the case of the Catholic adoption services in the UK. Once they had started accepting the State's largesse, they were compelled to start giving children for adoption by gay couples, even if this goes against the Church's teaching, or shut down.
In such cases, one would do well to think well ahead. Nothing ever comes 'free' in the world.
Oscar Cassar
Nov 22nd 2010, 22:18
Mela fil-kas certu maratoni ghandho jkunu mxandra biss fuq l-RTK. Il-ligi qeda hemm biex tipreveni mill-abbus u nafu li kien hawn abbus minn ghaqdiet.
Minn naha l-ohra, jekk il-fondi gejjin bir-rieda tal-istat, huwa ovja li dawn jridu jintafqu f'linja gwida mal-politika tal-Istat. Ezempju ta' dan hija issues ta 'Development' u 'Sex Education' re access u edukazzjoni dwar Condoms ecc. Jekk certu NGOs ma jaqblux ma dan, jisghu liberament ma jitolbu l-ebda forma ta sosten minn l-Istatt. Biss l-Istat hu sovran u dan ma jistax jawweg il-ligijiet skond min jkun il-klijent.
J Farrugia
Nov 23rd 2010, 17:43
oscar taqax ghac-cajt. Ahna kattolici u niftahru li ahna kattolici u rridu li l-istat jimxi mal-volonta' tal-kattolici skond il-kostituzzjoni ta' Malta. Ghax finalment kull poter serju huwa mmexxi minn moralita' u kuxjenza tajba. Kien hawn zmien meta l-gvern bhala stat kien jinghaqad kontra kull moralita' ma' kriminali organizzati u nies innocenti jispiccaw korruti jew maqtula. Dak kien stat dizonest u nittamaw li qatt f'pajjizna ma naraw iktar bhalhu. Niftahru li pajjizna huwa wiehed civili, demokratiku u mmexxi b'mod li jirrispetta x-xewqat tal-maggoranza waqt li jirrispetta wkoll il-minoranzi; IMMA li jwettaq dak li tiddeciedi l-maggoranza tal-poplu .... ghat-tajjeb jew ghal hazin. Imma kull setgha gejja minn Alla u kull stat jaf x'inhu tajjeb u x'mhux tajjeb ghac-cittadini tieghu. Ezempju: l-istat jaf li jekk qatt xi darba jaccetta l-fatt li familja tista tkun maghmula minn zewgt irgiel ikun qed jikkommetti azzjoni moralment u anke civilment hazina u ta' min jistmerra u ta' dannu ghall-istess poplu. Filwaqt illi huwa dover ta' kull stat li jmexxi 'l quddiem l-interessi tal-familja vera u li jara li din tkun b;sahhitha ghax familja mkissra tfisser stat imkisser u mahmug.
Oscar Cassar
Nov 23rd 2010, 19:55
@ J Farrugia Filwaqt li ma nistax nifem il-konnessjoni tieghek bejn il-familja u l-NGO, nixtieq nistaqsi, ghalik xi tfisser familja mkisra. Jekk hix dik li titkisser wara tradiment, vjolenza domestika ecc u li tasal ghas-separazzjoni jew ukoll dik li wara zminijiet koroh tnejn min nies jinghaqdu u jkolloh opportunita ohra f'hajjithom ? Dan l-istat kien ukoll jarresta fuq ragunijiet 'Immorali' lil nies omoseswali. Bhekk ser nergaw immorru lura? Jien li naf hu li l-Knisja Maltija tipriedka hafna fuq il-valur tal-persuna u l-imhabba izda ghandi dubju kemm il-Knisja timpjega (fl-iskejjel ecc li jiehdu fondi minn l-Istat) nies ta religjonijiet ohra jew tal-anqas nies li jaghdu minn certu problemi domestici (familja). Jien ghalija dan huwa sempliciment diskriminazzjoni u nuqqas ta karita minn istituzzjoni li imbghat tipretendi li tibbenefika minn fondi pubblici.
David Buttigieg
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:16
What's wrong with the church being accountable for donations received?
Marcel Dingli
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:27
When one gives, one gives, and it is meant to be from the heart. Those who give from the heart dont account.
I. Cilia
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:45
@Marcel Dingli
eh prosit ghalik kemm int bravu!!!
so you are implying that you do not have the right to request where your donation that you gave from heart ended up... because you gave it from the heart in the first place!!!
get real please..
of course you donate from the heart!!! but you have the right to know that it is being used for a good cause!!! lanqas li ma kienx hemm allegazzjonijiet fil passat ta bad use of donations!!!
david calleja
Nov 22nd 2010, 15:19
@ Marcel Dingli
Sorry i don't follow your line of thought - so a generous person/s - population, is not entitled to have an accounting of how millions of donated euros are spent / used / invested etc???.
Why on earth not ?... what has being generous and giving got to do with not asking for accounting...
we pay taxes (true not from the heart) - but we expect accountability...don't we??
J.Tonna
Nov 22nd 2010, 16:13
I do not want to see a government commissioners check the Church. I have full confidence in the Church's entities, but not in certain, so called, government officials.
If we are not assured that the Church entities will be helped with our donations we will have no option but to give our donation directly to the Church and do not expect outsiders to intervene.
I. Cilia
Nov 22nd 2010, 18:21
Mr Tonna, while of course everyone may believe what he wishes and acts accordingly, I myself would prefer to have a check on where my donations are going. Now be it a government auditor, a church auditor, whoever really, I want to ensure that my donations are going to those charities that really need them. Mhux per ezempju ha nsemmi kaz bla sens... i donate to the church hoping they are passed on to orphanages or entities like Dar tal Provvidenza and end up being used to buy a new fixture for the church such as a new damask or something feast related... that to me is waste of money because personally it means nothing to me.... knowing that my donation, however little it may be goes to a good cause... while i have nothing against the church organisations, definitely not, the fact that they do not want to join the Voluntary commissioner makes me think twice... then again, each one I think is free to decide what his conscience tells him.
J.Tonna
Nov 22nd 2010, 21:01
Mr Cilia - We never heard of a case where donations for institutions were used for church embellishments. Moreso the other way round, I heard ofd a case where a person wanted to make a new statue in his parish church but the parish priest persuaded him to give the money to an institute in the same parish, which he did.
On the other hand, as there might be some doubtfuls the Church itself might order a private and indipendent auditor to check all incomes and expenses in each parish.
N.Cortis
Nov 22nd 2010, 13:32
@ Mr.J.Farrugia
The church gives nothing of her own ------------the chirch gives( part ) of what the Maltese people donate to the church institutions!!!!! Actually,it is the money of the maltese people that helps keep the so called church organisations!!!!
Can somebody from the church authorities tell the maltese people how much money collected from the maltese is sent (yearly) to the vatican????
You made a suggestion to the people not to give donations to the Conunity chest fund !!!!! This might boomerang and people hearing your advice might opt not to give donations to the church institutions!!!!! So be careful what you say!!!
edward.cassar
Nov 22nd 2010, 13:31
Come everbody stop your horses and think. Look at what Prof Wain said
( NGOs Commissioner Kenneth Wain says this is stipulated in the Voluntary Organisations Act, enacted in 2007, to ensure TRANSPARANCEY AND ACCOUNNTABILITY). You can have bad apples even in the church. Good job Profs. Wain.
John Inguanez
Nov 22nd 2010, 13:22
While one could give as usual to MCCF, we donate directly both money and in kind to church organizations, if not, to thank them what they are doing. I am sure the Maltese will give
Alexandra Borg
Nov 22nd 2010, 13:21
@Marcel Dingli..... why are you bad mouthing Istrina??? Do you have the slightest idea how the monies are donated by the Malta Community Chest Fund to persons with disabilities, very expensive medicines that are not on the governments' schedule for serious illnesses, assistance for family members of patients travelling for treatment abroad, people who are helped with food, clothing, education for them and their children and so many other things? You should be ashamed of yourself for writing in this manner.
Of course one can donate any time of the year to any organisation. But the monies collected for the MCCF are given to individuals and organisations.... this is something very few people seems to know check with Dar tal-Providenza, check with the Little Sisters of the Poor, check with Fra Diegu Home, check with Angela House, check with Caritas, check with Inspire, check with L-Arka Foundation, check with Puttinu Cares, check with Equal Partners Foundation, check with the Blind Dogs Assocation, check with St Jeanne Antide Foundation and many many other organisations. Apart from the individual applications too
Marcel Dingli
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:08
You donate where you like, i donate where i like.
Marcel Dingli
Nov 22nd 2010, 14:13
Seems quite a few wont be benefiting. Do you know how to read ?
Anthony Farrugia
Nov 22nd 2010, 13:17
I am afraid I will not be contributing to l-Istrina this year but my donation will go direct to Caritas, Dar tal Providenza and other unfairly excluded Church charities.
Marcel Dingli
Nov 22nd 2010, 11:11
We dont need l Istrina to donate. Everybody knows where the Sisters of Mother Theresa are. Everyone knows Dar tal Providenza and Caritas. Everyone knows where the Ursuline Sisters and others are.Everyone knows where the Franciscan Friars are. And many give their donations all the year round. We dont need l Istrina to be generous and help the needy.
J.Tonna
Nov 22nd 2010, 12:04
I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU. I DONATE ALL THE YEAR ROUND ACCORDING TO MY MEANS. I KNOW WELL TO WHOM I SHOULD DONATE.
Ramon Casha
Nov 22nd 2010, 11:01
Clearly the Voluntary Organisations Act is doing far more harm that good, and it should be scrapped immediately.
I myself will not contribute a cent to any charity that discriminates against entities that opt to remain independent of direct government control. By definition, every organisation that registers itself under the VO commission relinquishes its status as "non-governmental".
m.farrugia
Nov 22nd 2010, 10:28
Nistaqsi jekk VSO tikkontrollax il min jinghataw flus mill-good causes fund ukoll. Jekk Iva dawk kollha li ircivew flus minn dan il-fond huma kollha membri tal-VBO jekk le x'se taghmel il-VSO. Nispera li xi hadd jghidilna dwar dawn il-fondi. Hafna huma l-ghaqdiet, clubs tal-football, u gruppi volontarji oħra li jibbenefikaw min dan il-fond.
Ernest Vella
Nov 22nd 2010, 09:58
Il-Profs Waine nahseb mhux konxju li mnalla kienet il-Knisja ghal dan il-pajjiz....l-istituzzjonijiet tal-Knisja mhumiex NGO's imma istituzzjonijiet fi hdan il-Knisja Kattolika li ilhom jaghmlu hidma, hafna drabi b'telf mijiet ta snin. Il-Profs Waine mhux jifhem li l-Mission Statement tal-Knisja huwa dan, u li l-Knisja hija maghmula minn nies li jaghtu flus lil dawn l-istituzzjonijiet.
Jiena nsaqsi...mhux ghax il-Knisja taghmilha...imma kieku l-Knisja tieqaf il-hidma kollha ghal gimgha shiha x'tahsbu li jigri minn pajizna...hawn min jghid li mmorru ahjar...dak ma jkunx jghix f'realta...li ccahhad airtime lid-Dar tal-Providenza ikun stand kontra il-poplu malti li huwa l-uniku sovran ghax hu jhallas biex dan l-istazzjoni ikampa.
Is-separazzjoni bejn Knisja u Stat ma jfissirx li nahdmu kontra xulxin ghax fl-ahhar mill-ahhar l-istat minghajr il-Knisja ma jkampax. Il-Knisja ghanda rwol determinanti fis-socjeta u l-ligi trid titranga u mhux l-istituzzjonijiet tal-Knisja
Oscar Cassar
Nov 22nd 2010, 22:23
Profs Waine qijad jimxi mal-ligi li ghamel il-legislatur u li ma jistax jinterpreta b'modi differenti skond min tkun l-NGO. Din il-ligi sarer biex ma jkunx hawn min aktar jabbuza taht l-isem tal-Volontarjat u darba saret il-ligi (fl-ahhar) din ghanda tkun ghal kulhadd l-istess. Min imbghad ma jridx jimxi mar-regoli tal-loghba jista ma jilabx.
A Attard
Nov 22nd 2010, 09:40
Because of this outcome, should I again hesitate from contributing, donating?
I remember another instance when I was led to act likewise; this was when the government legalized that that any donation to philanthropic organizations should not be exempted from paying tax on it. I think during E.F.A administration.
Mark Galea
Nov 22nd 2010, 09:34
@Kenneth Wain.
I agree 100% that MCCF should never be under the rule of the Voluntary Organisations Commissioner. MCCF should refuse airing on PBS and use other stations only. As a result, I will refuse to view PBS for that whole day.
Joseph Dimech
Nov 22nd 2010, 09:30
One solution could be for the Church organisations to be recognised as state entitites too. After all, in Malta, many argue that there's no distinction between Church and State.
D Cardona
Nov 22nd 2010, 09:00
kif tista ma ccempilx .....
J Farrugia
Nov 22nd 2010, 08:46
Unless the Church organisations get the aid from the MCCF, I will suggest to all catholics not to donate to L-Istrina and boycott the event and to give donations to church institutions. I will start for one to donate to the Dar tal-Providenza and to the Ursoline sisters. And I hope many catholics will do the same. Give your donations to the Church so that church organisations will benefit from your help. And these churrch institutions are doing wonders with the little they get from our pockets. They are doing what irresponsible parents should be doing - taking care of their own children and not leaving them at the institutions. Be generous and unless the MCCF changes its tack, dont donate to the community chest fund. But donate to the church institutions which need your help. At least my donations wont be handed to the animals. But towards people in need.
J Brincat
Nov 22nd 2010, 08:40
Goes on to show that in this country bureaucracy reigns supreme!