Caritas, Church organisations may not receive l-Istrina funds

Since the Malta Community Chest Fund has been recognised as a state entity, organisations must join the Voluntary Organisations Commissioner in the coming weeks to benefit from the funds

NGOs Commissioner Kenneth Wain said that as stipulated in the Voluntary Organisations Act, to ensure transparency and accountability, NGOs must be enrolled to receive such benefits.

Wain has long been raising the issue of the legal status of the Malta Community Chest Fund (MCCF). He had argued that since it was not an enrolled organisation, it was illegal for it to receive benefits, such as free airtime, from government. Wain claimed that since then, the MCCF has called to be recognised as a state entity.

However, this is now causing problems to the non-enrolled organisations which add up to more than a third of the organisations who benefit from the charity marathon. On the other hand, the Church never commented on why it has not enrolled its organistions. Whilst there have been talks between that Church and the Office of the Prime Minister, the matter is yet not finalised.

Another issue which raised much questioning amongst enrolled NGOs was that of Dar tal-Providenza, not enrolled, being given free airtime by the national broadcasting station, PBS.

The enrolled NGOs complained that whilst they were adhering to the law, much bigger organisations have chosen to ignore it whilst still benefitting from state funds. The enrolled organisations explained that one of the main reasons which have moved to enrol was in fact the state funds.

A report published by Wain reads that 30% of direct government grants went to one of the largest non-enrolled Church organisation last year. Another 12.5% were given to several other non-enrolled Church organisations, with Wain describing the situation as “harmful to the future of the voluntary sector as a whole and requires quick resolution.”