PITB develops portal for NGOs registration

Step taken to check money laundering through charity organisations

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to address complaints of money laundering in the name of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by changing the procedure of their registration on the instructions of international financial institutions.

The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has developed a charity registration web portal where NGOs working in the province can be registered online. Earlier, registration of NGOs was done manually and several departments were involved in the process.

According to sources, a system of strict monitoring of NGOs is being devised on the advice of the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) to eliminate money laundering.

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In the first phase, thousands of inactive NGOs have been de-registered and their record has been audited. About 20,000 NGOs in the province were inactive and they had not opened their bank accounts. Their registration had not been renewed by the departments concerned.

The sources said that in the second phase, the government had decided to change the registration system of NGOs in the province.

The NGOs will apply online for registration on the portal developed by the PITB. The relevant departments will be able to get information about the NGOs through the portal.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2020.