The object of this Bill is to amend the Non-Governmental Organisations Registration Statute, 1989 to provide for the following---
(a) to modify the functions of the National Board for Non-Government Organisations to include monitoring the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGO) and developing policy guidelines for Community Based Organisations;
(b) that a duly registered NGO should possess a valid permit issued by the Board;
(c) that the requirements under the Statute does not apply to organisations which elect to register under the Trustees Incorporation Act or the Companies Act;
(d) that upon registration under the Statute an Organisation shall become a body corporate with perpetual succession and with power to sue and be sued in its corporate name;
(e) to empower the Minister in an emergency situation to exempt an organisation from any of the provisions of section 2 (Application for registration) other than payment of fees as opposed to exemption from the provisions of the Statute as the law now stands;
(f) to recompose the Board to make it more representative and to provide gender balance in the composition of the Board.
(g) to make it possible in the absence of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson at any meeting of the Board for the members present to elect one of their number to preside;
(h) to expand the Minister’s power to make regulations to include prescribing the manner in which organisations shall be wound up when they cease to operate and also prescribing the duration and form of a permit issued to an NGO when it is registered;
(i) to introduce currency point to represent financial amounts stated in the Bill;
(j) to provide for other matters incidental to the foregoing.