The tax break on donations to the Community Chest Fund should have been extended to voluntary organisations, the commissioner and the council for voluntary organisations feel.

Notwithstanding calls made last year to extend the exemption, the government last week announced it was doubling the financial concession to CCF benefactors.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna announced in his Budget Speech that companies that donated more than €2,000 to the CCF would save tax on 100 per cent of the amount given – up from 50 per cent last year.

It was “unfortunate” that the tax break was not extended to voluntary organisations and the sector, the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, Kenneth Wain, said.

Prof. Wain said the CCF was not itself a voluntary organisation as defined by the Voluntary Organisations Act (2007) because it was not autonomous of the State as required by law.

“I am disappointed that the sector or, more accurately, those voluntary organisations enrolled and compliant with the law and, therefore, subject to regulation, have not been rewarded for their enrolment.

“Once more, despite last year’s protests and the efforts of the Council for the Voluntary Sector, they have been excluded from this tax benefit, small as it is,” Prof. Wain said.

The council’s chairman, Nathan Farrugia, yesterday reiterated that the break was a positive step and it should be turned into an even greater idea by expanding it to voluntary organisations.

Over the past months, the council continued pushing for a level playing field and voiced its concerns with the government. Such a level playing field would help voluntary organisations, especially those surviving on donations, to remain sustainable, he said.

The concern was expressed by other NGOs contacted by this newspaper.