Cabinet okays new law forcing NGOs to register with govt
A draft law that will force non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to register with the Interior Ministry was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday.
Currently, only 87 of Thailand’s many NGOs are registered, said government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek. The registered NGOs are organisations that work for the benefit of the public, she added.
However, many others claim to be non-profit organisations but are funded, and do not operate for the public interest as claimed, she said.
Some of these organisations used their funds to benefit their own members rather than the public, so the government found it necessary to create a law to ensure transparency, said the spokeswoman.
Under the draft law, NGOs must be registered with the Interior Ministry’s Department of Provincial Administration. Their actions must comply with the rules prescribed by law and administered by the Interior Ministry.
NGOs must also disclose the sources of their actions and income via an audit report submitted to the Department of Provincial Administration and published in public.