The President of Malta is to be commended for announcing  that, as from next year, only organizations registered with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations under the VOA will be eligible to receive funds from the Community Chest Fund (TMIS 4 October).

The reason given was to ensure transparency. However, it appears that merely registering with the VOA is not ensuring the level of transparency envisaged when the legislation was enacted in 2008. I say so because the CVO himself, Kenneth Wain deplored the fact in his 2014 report published last June that no less than 43 per cent (about 400) registered organizations had not yet submitted their audited accounts as required by law.

Prof. Wain lamented that the percentage remained the same as in 2013 notwithstanding the pressure exerted by his office on the defaulting organizations to come in line with the law. He called on the government to address the situation by giving more powers to the Commission to strike off registered organizations that fail to comply with all the requirements set out in the VOA 2008.

Seven years have passed since the law was introduced. Clearly an update is necessary as otherwise the transparency which the President wishes to see being attained will not be achieved.

 

Anthony R. Curmi

 

St Julian’s