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NEW RULES FOR NGOS: NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS CLOSELY MONITORING BILL THAT WOULD CHANGE LEGISLATION
SOCIETY | 25.02.15 | 15:41
http://armenianow.com/society/60949/non_governmental_organizations_in_armenia_armenia_ national_assembly
By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Armenian non-governmental organizations are not of the same opinion
on the government attempt to determine a new order of legislative
regulation of their activities. A group of organizations are convinced
that the new bill about "Non-Governmental Organizations", instead of
improving the working environment of NGOs and providing more liberty
for their activities, in fact limits their possibilities.
Enlarge Photo
Meanwhile, another group, unlike their colleagues, is convinced
that changes will help to regulate numerous legal relations, which
previously had made their work more difficult.
In order to get rid of problematic provisions in the bill about
"Non-Governmental Organizations" formed in 2014, which was causing
concerns among the NGOs, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting
public discussions since last December.
Although the idea of giving NGOs the right to profitable activities,
implied by the new bill, is positive in itself, the suggested
conditions might be dangerous, Transparency International (TI)
representative Heriknaz Tigranyan said.
"In the version provided by the Ministry of Justice it says that
entrepreneurial activity must comply with statutory goals and
objectives. The definition limits the range of the activities which
can be realized. The danger is also that the NGO might be subjected to
administrative charges; it might result in liquidation, if activities
outside the statutory are carried out at least 3 times within a year,"
she said.
According to the new bill, the state also receives tools to control
the NGOs, project manager of Eurasia Cooperation Fund Mikayel
Hovhannisyan says.
"Currently discussions are led toward abolishing those tools. In
general, here, the matter is about a number of problems related
to providing financial stability for NGOs, reporting, regulating
volunteering work, as well as representing interests in courts.
Indeed, there is need to improve the legislative environment, but
the other question is how it will be achieved," Hovhannisyan said.
Zoya Julhakyan, the head of Qaravan 88 NGO, which has been helping
refugees for 27 years, welcomes the new bill because she thinks that
the current law regulating NGO activities is very weak.
"Volunteerism did not develop in our country like in European
countries. Our very organization was penalized for volunteer works -
beneficiaries came, helped us, and the tax office blamed us for hiding
their work."
"NGOs must be given the right for entrepreneurial activities, there
are changes provisioned in the bill, but we do not know whether the
National Assembly will approve them or not. If the concern is related
to NGOs abusing this power, let them control and exclude that,"
she added.
NGO representatives participating in the discussions with the Ministry
of Justice said that discussions are held in a transparent and healthy
manner, and the atmosphere welcomes news suggestions. There is no
guarantee, though, whether the bill will bear significant changes,
because the government seems to want to control the NGO sphere some
participants say.
"The executive body desires to gain power to participate in
NGO activities, to participate in meetings, demand documents,"
David Amiryan, a deputy project director at the Open Society
Foundations-Armenia (the organization that initiated and assisted
the establishment of the observation group) said.
From: Baghdasarian
SOCIETY | 25.02.15 | 15:41
http://armenianow.com/society/60949/non_governmental_organizations_in_armenia_armenia_ national_assembly
By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Armenian non-governmental organizations are not of the same opinion
on the government attempt to determine a new order of legislative
regulation of their activities. A group of organizations are convinced
that the new bill about "Non-Governmental Organizations", instead of
improving the working environment of NGOs and providing more liberty
for their activities, in fact limits their possibilities.
Enlarge Photo
Meanwhile, another group, unlike their colleagues, is convinced
that changes will help to regulate numerous legal relations, which
previously had made their work more difficult.
In order to get rid of problematic provisions in the bill about
"Non-Governmental Organizations" formed in 2014, which was causing
concerns among the NGOs, the Ministry of Justice has been conducting
public discussions since last December.
Although the idea of giving NGOs the right to profitable activities,
implied by the new bill, is positive in itself, the suggested
conditions might be dangerous, Transparency International (TI)
representative Heriknaz Tigranyan said.
"In the version provided by the Ministry of Justice it says that
entrepreneurial activity must comply with statutory goals and
objectives. The definition limits the range of the activities which
can be realized. The danger is also that the NGO might be subjected to
administrative charges; it might result in liquidation, if activities
outside the statutory are carried out at least 3 times within a year,"
she said.
According to the new bill, the state also receives tools to control
the NGOs, project manager of Eurasia Cooperation Fund Mikayel
Hovhannisyan says.
"Currently discussions are led toward abolishing those tools. In
general, here, the matter is about a number of problems related
to providing financial stability for NGOs, reporting, regulating
volunteering work, as well as representing interests in courts.
Indeed, there is need to improve the legislative environment, but
the other question is how it will be achieved," Hovhannisyan said.
Zoya Julhakyan, the head of Qaravan 88 NGO, which has been helping
refugees for 27 years, welcomes the new bill because she thinks that
the current law regulating NGO activities is very weak.
"Volunteerism did not develop in our country like in European
countries. Our very organization was penalized for volunteer works -
beneficiaries came, helped us, and the tax office blamed us for hiding
their work."
"NGOs must be given the right for entrepreneurial activities, there
are changes provisioned in the bill, but we do not know whether the
National Assembly will approve them or not. If the concern is related
to NGOs abusing this power, let them control and exclude that,"
she added.
NGO representatives participating in the discussions with the Ministry
of Justice said that discussions are held in a transparent and healthy
manner, and the atmosphere welcomes news suggestions. There is no
guarantee, though, whether the bill will bear significant changes,
because the government seems to want to control the NGO sphere some
participants say.
"The executive body desires to gain power to participate in
NGO activities, to participate in meetings, demand documents,"
David Amiryan, a deputy project director at the Open Society
Foundations-Armenia (the organization that initiated and assisted
the establishment of the observation group) said.
From: Baghdasarian