The Ministry of Finance has just completed a draft decree related to the mobilisation and distribution of charitable donations, in which it is proposed that organisations and individuals must make public and transparent these revenues.

Illustration. Source: Internet. 

Clearly spending contents are from voluntary contributions

In 2008, the Government issued Decree No. 64/2008/ND-CP on mobilisation, receipt, distribution and use of voluntary contributions to support people to overcome difficulties caused by natural disasters, fires, serious incidents and patients with fatal diseases.

After more than 10 years of implementation, this decree has contributed to reducing difficulties for the State budget, at the same time, mobilised social capital resources to help people urgently overcome consequences of natural disasters, fires, and serious effort, getting the response and high consensus from the people.

However, up to now, a number of limitations from the organisation of mobilisation, receipt, distribution and use of voluntary contributions have appeared, leading to a need to revise regulations.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the draft alternative decree will clearly and specifically stipulate contents from the scope of regulation, the subjects of application, the agency calling for mobilisation, the time of mobilisation, reception, to the spending content from voluntary contributions, creating favourable conditions for ministries, branches, localities and people, avoiding overlaps in the implementation of mobilisation, receipt, distribution and use of these resources.

In addition, the draft will stipulate for publicity, transparency, and effective use of voluntary contributions from organisations and individuals.

For individuals participating in the mobilisation, receipt, distribution and use of voluntary contributions, the drafting agency has two options.

First, when an individual wishes to mobilise, receive and distribute voluntary contributions to support natural disasters, pandemics and incidents, they shall notify the local authority of the residence of the purpose and scope of the voluntary contribution method, form of movement, receiving account (for money), receiving location (for kind) according to a form to be issued together with the decree.

When distributing this source, individuals need to inform the local authority where the assistance is received about scope, level, and duration of the support in the form that will be issued together with the decree, to be coordinated and guide the distribution of voluntary contributions as well as ensure safety and social order.

Voluntary contributions mobilised, received, distributed and used by individuals to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, pandemics and incidents must ensure publicity and transparency. Individuals have a responsibility to report and publicise the mobilisation, receipt, distribution and use of voluntary contributions when requested.

Secondly, when natural disasters, pandemics or incidents occur, causing damage to people, property or affecting people's lives, individuals are allowed to mobilise, receive, distribute and use voluntary contributions to support people to overcome difficulties. Individuals must comply with relevant laws.

Publicity of distribution results

The use of voluntary contributions by organisations is also clearly specified in the draft decree. Specifically, based on the voluntary contributions received and the level of damage caused by natural disasters, incidents or the impact of the epidemic, People's Committees at all levels coordinate with the advocacy board, receive and distribute with organise meetings with members and related agencies to agree on support contents, support levels and forms of support.

Expenditures from voluntary contributions include: In addition to support from the State budget according to regulations, additional support from voluntary contributions to support: seriously injured people, relatives who are missing; subjects lacked food, drinking water, medicine; households rebuild their houses that collapsed, collapsed, floated and completely burned.

Where the voluntary contribution has a specific address, such as repairing, restoring, upgrading and building new essential infrastructure works (traffic, irrigation, drinking water, schools, infrastructure radio - broadcasting) must agree with the local authority on work design and in accordance with local socio-economic development planning.

Organisations that mobilise, receive, distribute and use voluntary contributions must make public the results of mobilising contributions, distributing voluntary contributions; beneficiaries, policies and levels of assistance for overcoming consequences of natural disasters, pandemics and incidents.