Charity oversight receives overhaul
By Lu Feiran |
August 28, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DOMESTIC charity organizations will be placed under the direct supervision of the Department of Social Welfare and Charity Promotion under the Ministry of Civil Affairs in an effort to rebuild public trust after a scandal involving the Red Cross Society of China earlier this year, The Beijing Times reported yesterday.
In the past, different government bodies had oversight of charities, which often led to poor management and confusion, officials said.
"We'll issue a series of laws in the near future," Xu Jianzhong, deputy director of the department, told the newspaper. "Most donors on the Chinese mainland are enterprises rather than individuals, so we'll issue a regulation especially for them."
Donations to Chinese charities dropped nearly 90 percent this summer compared to the March-May period after the Red Cross Society of China lost the public's trust.
Donations from June to August stood at 840 million yuan (US$131 million), compared with 6.26 billion yuan in March to May, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
The Red Cross Society of China was accused of malpractice in charitable work and corruption after Guo Meimei, a 20-year-old woman, claimed she worked for the organization. Guo was known for flaunting her wealth and luxurious possessions online, sparking accusations that she was embezzling money from the Red Cross.
Although the Red Cross denied any links with Guo, its lack of supervision and transparency made the public skeptical.
The ministry also said that although the media exposure is beneficial to the country's charity development, it can go too far at times.
"People have little confidence in charity organizations right now," Xu said. "So if the media continues reporting such negative affairs, they will hurt all charities."
Liu Youping, an official with the China Charity Donation Information Center, told the newspaper: "When people lose faith in these organizations, the biggest victims will be the ones who need help. The government should urge charities to be more transparent."
In the past, different government bodies had oversight of charities, which often led to poor management and confusion, officials said.
"We'll issue a series of laws in the near future," Xu Jianzhong, deputy director of the department, told the newspaper. "Most donors on the Chinese mainland are enterprises rather than individuals, so we'll issue a regulation especially for them."
Donations to Chinese charities dropped nearly 90 percent this summer compared to the March-May period after the Red Cross Society of China lost the public's trust.
Donations from June to August stood at 840 million yuan (US$131 million), compared with 6.26 billion yuan in March to May, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
The Red Cross Society of China was accused of malpractice in charitable work and corruption after Guo Meimei, a 20-year-old woman, claimed she worked for the organization. Guo was known for flaunting her wealth and luxurious possessions online, sparking accusations that she was embezzling money from the Red Cross.
Although the Red Cross denied any links with Guo, its lack of supervision and transparency made the public skeptical.
The ministry also said that although the media exposure is beneficial to the country's charity development, it can go too far at times.
"People have little confidence in charity organizations right now," Xu said. "So if the media continues reporting such negative affairs, they will hurt all charities."
Liu Youping, an official with the China Charity Donation Information Center, told the newspaper: "When people lose faith in these organizations, the biggest victims will be the ones who need help. The government should urge charities to be more transparent."
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