Errant NGOs’ days numbered?

The NGO Secretariat set up in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster, when the country was literally swamped by them and they virtually came to be a law unto themselves, has yet to bring them under proper supervision. Though much of the international emergency assistance at the time was channeled into the country through them, some of these self-proclaimed do-gooders decamped without accounting for any of those funds.

According to NGO Secretariat sources though 1221 NGOs are registered with it, its stipulation that they submit their audited reports for 2006 by August 15, 2007 has resulted in less than 170 submitting them even by January 2008. Even its stipulation that they submit their Action Plan for the current year by December 15, 2007 too has been ignored by most with only 112 having bothered to send it so far.

The Secretariat made these requirements known to everyone through newspaper advertisements. Sources, however said that the days of errant NGOs were numbered as the issue of visas and work permits of their employees now depend on them submitting these details to the Secretariat.

Meanwhile Immigration and Emigration Controller P.B. Abeykoon too is expected to issue new visa issuing guidelines to close whatever existing loopholes in the system. The biggest drawbacks holding back the Secretariat so far from carrying out its tasks has been the severe shortage of infrastructure and staff. The Secretariat functioning under the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare at Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla has only a staff of seven, including its Director and an Assistant Director. In addition it has been able to recruit 17 from the 2006 graduate intake as NGO coordinators to function from Divisional Secretariats around the country to oversee their work at grass root level under the respective GAs.

Sources said the seven functioning at the Secretariat were hardly enough to carry out the work involved in issuing work permits, visas, attending to registration work, analyzing and approving annual Action Plans and audited reports. It also requires at least eight more NGO coordinators.

It is estimated that even though only 1221 NGOs are registered with the Secretariat, there could be as much as thousands of other NGOs operating in the country with foreign funding, but due to lack of staff and required legislation, the Secretariat has yet to even scratch the surface.

Interestingly it is still functioning under an ad hoc Presidential decree issued in 1999.