Non-Governmental Organisations Regulatory Authority (Ngora) is waiting for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to act on proposed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) regulations.
Ngora Chief Executive Officer Edward Chileka-Banda told The Daily Times that the final draft of NGOs regulations has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice through the Ministry of Gender.
He said their hope is that the proposed laws would be sent to Parliament for deliberations on them in the next meeting of Parliament.
Chileka Banda said this in Lilongwe during a meeting with leaders of NGOs at which they discussed Ngora’s plans and initiatives for the upcoming fiscal year and other issues.
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“A well-regulated and empowered NGO community is essential for driving positive change and sustainable development in the country, hence the importance of NGO registration and licence renewal regulations,” Chileka Banda said.
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He said the regulations would foster transparency and accountability within the NGO sector.
Chileka Banda emphasised the significance of compliance with regulations, highlighting the essential role NGOs play in driving the national development agenda.
“There is, therefore, a need to be transparent when reporting about sources of funding, as mandated by law. We, as Ngora, will be ethical when handling sensitive information,” he said.
Chileka Banda also said they have been collaborating with stakeholders such as Council for Non-Governmental Organisations, Financial Intelligence Authority and others in conducting comprehensive NGO Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment processes.
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Meanwhile, the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa has expressed worry over the development.
“This is a worrisome development. There are a number of provisions in the draft regulations that are still problematic for NGOs. One wonders why the authority is rushing the regulations to Parliament when the tricky issues we raised have not been addressed,” Kaiyatsa said.
He cited provisions that penalise NGOs for politicking and electioneering.
“This issue has not been addressed, which means NGOs that work in the governance sector, particularly on elections, run the risk of being penalised because the terms politicking and electioneering have also not been clearly defined.
“As you know, there are a number of NGOs that implement the 50/50 campaign, which involves campaigning for female candidates. And, so, if the draft regulations are approved by Parliament, it will not be possible for NGOs to implement such campaigns during the 2025 elections and beyond,” Kaiyatsa said.
