Voluntary Organisations Commissioner Kenneth Wain will not be resigning despite the government’s intention to grant Church organisations a ministerial exemption to benefit from state donations.
Most of the Church’s voluntary organisations are not enrolled with the NGOs Commissioner and by law they cannot receive donations from state entities, such as the Malta Community Chest Fund.
However, the ministerial exemption neutralises the law’s effect and will make Church organisations eligible for donations from the annual charity telethon L-Istrina, organised by the MCCF.
“No, it is not a good idea,” Prof. Wain said when asked whether he would resign after a government spokesman announced ministerial discretion could be used. “The law gives the minister discretion to issue an exemption,” Prof. Wain said.
Earlier this year, in the wake of a controversy about the legal status of the MCCF, Prof. Wain had threatened to resign if his authority continued to be undermined. Eventually, a solution was found with the MCCF now being considered a state organisation.
President George Abela last week denied that unregistered Church organisations would not benefit from this year’s L-Istrina. He was reacting to comments by Prof. Wain a week earlier who pointed out that state entities could only donate money to registered organisations.
A government spokesman later said voluntary organisations were urged to enrol with the NGOs Commissioner but the government would not hinder their work until a final decision regarding their status was taken.
The ministerial exemption for Church organisations elicited harsh criticism from Alternattiva Demokratika with chairman Michael Briguglio describing the situation “a farce” and “untenable”.
Enrolling with the commissioner brought with it certain rights and duties, and various NGOs and voluntary organisations, he added, took the option.
“Certain organisations which are choosing not to enrol generate a lot of revenue, yet are refusing to be transparent. This is unfair on voluntary organisations which are transparent in their activities and how they are financed,” Mr Briguglio said, urging the government to back Prof. Wain’s call for equal treatment of all voluntary organisations.
Mr Briguglio said it did not make sense for the government to pilot legislation and then encourage organisations to ignore it by leaving Prof. Wain “to carry the can on his own”.
The reasons for the Church’s objection to enlist its NGOs are not clear despite a year of discussions with the government and the NGOs Commissioner to find a solution.
Asked to comment on the topic, Archbishop Paul Cremona said the Curia would be issuing a statement in the coming days.