NGOs flop on compliance

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country have performed poorly on compliance with just 37 percent submitting their technical and audited reports to the NGO Board, it has emerged.

The revelations were made in Blantyre yesterday on the sidelines of an orientation on NGO law and regulations for board chairpersons of NGOs in the country.

NGO Board corporate and service committee chairperson Martha Mkandawire said out of 602 registered NGOs operating in the country, only 228 have submitted their audited reports, representing 37 percent.

However, the figure is an improvement on last year’s financial reporting, where compliance was at 27 percent.

But Mkandawire said this year’s compliance figure is still not impressive.

She said: “We are targeting over 90 percent of the NGOs to comply. NGOs are the third sector, providing checks and balances to government.

“So, they need to be beyond reproach and be exemplary through transparency, accountability and respect of the rule of law. They cannot be watchdogs if they are not complying with the three.”

Mkandawire said NGOs control a lot of financial resources estimated at about a third of the country’s annual budget; hence, the need for them to be transparent in their operations.

In an interview, Human Development Services (HDS) board chairperson Caleb Ng’ombo, whose NGO is among those yet to comply with the requirement, cited among other reasons, lack of funds to conduct a financial audit.

He said: “Covid-19 pandemic has affected the NGOs in terms of funding in such a way that developing of reports has not been a priority.

“My organisation has not been funded for two consecutive years. But we appreciate that this is indeed an obligation, and we pledge to comply.”

The orientation aimed at raising awareness among the NGOs that have not complied with the requirement in the NGO Act.

The board is currently reviewing the act to incorporate penalties for non-compliance.