The law creating a legal framework for voluntary organisations is intended to strengthen their operation and does not in any way remove their independence or autonomy, Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina said yesterday.

She said regulations proposed in the draft bill to regulate voluntary organisations and their administration would help these organisations to become accountable and transparent, gain credibility and receive more support.

Introducing the bill – parliament resumed yesterday after the Christmas recess – Minister Cristina spoke at length on the important role of voluntary organisations in Malta.

She said Maltese society would be much poorer were it not for voluntary organisations’ hard work and efforts over the years. She said the draft bill affirmed government’s commitment to stimulate the sector, to create opportunities for them and for those that made use of the services they provided.

Voluntary organisations, she added, have always had a strong influence on society and played an important role in the democratic process of the country.

Civil society was becoming more vocal and involved and the European Union continuously encouraged dialogue and collaboration with voluntary organisations. Mrs Cristina also mentioned the sector’s contribution to the economy and how it generated considerable employment.

So important is their role in society, the minister said, that the government felt the need to provide a legal framework in which the sector could operate.

“The bill we have before parliament today is the result of an ongoing process of consultation that formally started with the publication of a White Paper in July 2004.”

She said there was still room for improvement and insisted the government would continue to consult with the sector so that the final law would be of benefit to people.

She said it was important that a greater level of cooperation and coordination existed between the government, the private sector and voluntary organisations so that better use could be made of resources and to reduce duplication of work.

Giving the historical background to voluntary organisations in Malta, Minister Cristina spoke about the main clauses in the draft bills, such as the appointment of a Commissioner for voluntary organisations, why voluntary organisations – and not NGOs – is the term used in the law, and the process whereby organisations can either register as such or enrol, the latter group enjoying a number of benefits and incentives.

She said the Act consisted of two parts. The first part catered for the specific requirements and needs of voluntary organisations, while the second focused on the necessary legal changes and regulations to be introduced.

The minister said an interesting debate had arose on the title of the bill and the choice between “voluntary organisations” or “non-governmental organisations”. Explaining the rationale behind the government’s choice, she said that although the term NGO emphasises that it is autonomous and independent from the government, it does not define the voluntary nature of such organisations.

On the appointment of a commissioner, she said the government felt that appointing one individual, helped by a council, instead of appointing a commission, was a better option, despite criticism from various voluntary organisations.

However, Labour MP Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, although welcoming the draft bill and acknowledging the need to provide a legal framework for the sector, criticised the government for not really listening to those involved in the sector.

Making reference to concerns raised by an NGO legislation working group made in a press statement, she said the bill contained a number of contradictory clauses.

Questioning the appointment of a commissioner instead of a commission, Mrs Coleiro Preca said it was impossible for an individual to carry out the many responsibilities listed in the bill. She said the commissioner could not be a consultant to and administrator for voluntary organisations at the same time. Neither could the commissioner act as both defendant and judge.

She added that the government said it would appoint a council to help the commissioner: “So why not appoint a commission in the first place,” she asked, adding that it was not right to give one individual such wide-ranging powers in the law.

The Labour MP insisted that the government had to give more consideration to what NGOs with experience in the sector had to say about the bill.

Mrs Coleiro Preca said the government’s arguments were not convincing and she invited the minister to take the bill to the social affairs committee, invite the NGOs working group, listen to difficulties they were mentioning and convince everyone that the draft proposals are correct.

She also criticised the fact that the bill left open the possibility that government-appointed agencies could somehow fall under this umbrella law. She argued that voluntary organisations were those managed by the people who set them up: “if government bodies are included, you are removing the independence of voluntary organisations”.