Voluntary organisations are being charged “exorbitant” fees by the Malta Business Registry for not being listed in a registry of beneficial owners, a commission responsible for the sector has noted.

The matter is now being investigated by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, who in a statement on Saturday said that he was “disappointed” that the MBR was considering voluntary organisations on the same footing as Limited Liability Companies, or LLCs. 

Sources within the sector told Times of Malta that organisations were facing bills running into four figures as a result – bills which volunteer-run not-for-profit organisations could ill afford to pay. 

The MBR is responsible for registering new commercial and legal entities and keeping a register of all companies and partnerships, as well as collecting registration fees.

Its register of beneficial owners lists who ultimately owns and controls Maltese commercial partnerships, in line with EU anti-money laundering directives. 

According to an MBR document, failure to keep a record of beneficial owners is punishable by a €5,000 fine and €100 daily penalty. 

In a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations said his office had received a number of complaints about organisations being charged “exorbitant” fees for not being included in the register. 

The matter is now being investigated with the aim of understanding where the problem stems from and what can be done to resolve it. 

“The Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations is committed to safeguard all voluntary organisations and the voluntary sector in general,” the commissioner’s office said.