The Foreign Ministry has denied breaking any law when it presented Overseas Development Aid to a number of charities.

The Ministry was reacting to a statement by the Commissioner of Voluntary Organisations, Kennath Wain, who said that seven organisations from the 28 recipients of development aid are not enrolled with his Office in breach of the Voluntary Organisations Act.

He said the unregistered organisations are The Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, the Daughters of the Sacred Heart – Phillipines, the Aldea Infantil Sagrads Familis – Peru, Segretarjat Missjonijiet Agostinjani, Mother Margherita De Brincat Catholic School, Small States Network for Economic Development (SSNED) – Lesotho and Joseph De Piro Middle School for Girls – Pakistan.

Prof. Wain also noted that the recipients included four individuals in spite of complaints with the Foreign Affairs Ministry over the past years.

The Foreign Ministry replied that it had accepted requests made by a number of Maltese missionaries working abroad and it also accepted all requests made by NGOs.

The Ministry had also accepted a request from the Ministry of Justice and Public Constutions to help the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who are building a school in Kenya, the Daughters of the Sacred Heart, who are building a Centre for young people in Bataan, The Philippines, Aldea Infantil Sagrada Familia of Peru who are building a farm, the Augustinian Sisters for a school in Mozambique, Mother Margherita De Brincat Catholic School for an educational project in The Philippines, Small States Network for Economic Development (SSNED) - Lesoto for a climate change study,  and Joseph De Piro Middle School for Girls - Pakistan for a school project.

The beneficiaries submit quarterly project reports including pictures and video footage, receipts and proof of payment, and details of the projects as they evolve. Their claims are verified by the ministry through various ways to ensure that the funds are used for the purpose they were donated.

The same process is used in the case of funds handed out by the Community Chest Fund.

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