admin
Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter
THE Private Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill has been sent back to the Senate after some clauses passed by the National Assembly last month were omitted from the consolidated Bill when it was passed by the Senate.
Senate Deputy president Sen Mike Nyambuya told Senators this week that the PVO Amendment Bill will be brought back to the Upper House to consider clauses that were not captured when it passed in the National Assembly.
“I want to inform the Senate that in terms of Standing Order Number 147, an omission was noted in the Private Voluntary Organisations Bill where some amendments that were made in the National Assembly were not included in the consolidated text that was brought before the Senate. Accordingly, the Bill will be recommitted to the Committee of the whole House,” said Cde Nyambuya.
The Bill seeks to improve the administration, accountability and transparency of charity organisations in the country and the final version was thought to have passed both Houses last month.
The Bill seeks to provide a more detailed definition and interpretation of terms used in the principal Act.
Clause Two provides for the inclusion of the definition of “funds or other assets”, which is very wide ranging, to include all financial assets and funds or other assets of any kind.
It also amends the definition of “private voluntary organisation” to ensure it covers all relevant organisations that fall under this law, even when the coverage is confined to ensuring an entity is not being used to launder terrorist funds.
“In view of the international dimension of terrorist and proliferation financing through the abuse of charities, a definition for Financial Intelligence Unit of the Reserve Bank is necessary because of the role the unit will play in assisting the Registrar of Private Voluntary Organisations in that regard,” reads the preamble of the Bill.
“The definition of private voluntary organisation excludes from the scope of that term certain activities, for example fundraising for schools or hospitals by or on behalf of the schools or hospitals concerned. However, even excluded activities may come within the scope of monitoring against money-laundering if the activities are carried on by any high risk entity.”
Clause Six repeals the existing section of the principal Act requiring the registration of a PVO and replaces it with a more comprehensive provision that brings within the scope of registration certain trusts that were previously excluded from registration.
It requires organisations not previously within the scope of the PVO Act to now register as PVOs, but in these cases time will be given for compliance.
This means those organisations not registered as trusts, but which receive external funding to pursue objects of a charitable nature, such organisations will be afforded a reasonable period to comply with the Act.
Online Reporter