The NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA) has finalized regional level consultations on NGO Regulations during meetings held from 27th January to 3rd February, 2023. The meetings which took place in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Liwonde and Mzuzu were held to ensure that the aspirations of all relevant stakeholders are considered.
CEO for NGORA Voice Mhone told NGOs during the meetings that NGORA aims to ensure that that the sector is accountable and transparent and hence have a good public image. He said that in order to improve accountability in the sector, NGORA will focus on empowering Area Development Committees and NGO Board members whilst adding that NGORA is going to be a predictable, open, and proportionate regulator.
“We will be predictable, what this means is that we will ensure that NGOs know what is going on, its implications and results. We will also be proportionate and therefore NGOs who receive more will be required to give more information,” he said.
The CEO also presented on the background to the development of the regulations and the way forward after the consultative meetings. He further informed the participants that not every suggestion of their input is going to make it into the final regulations.
Executive Director for CONGOMA, Ronald Mtonga thanked all the participants who attended the meetings saying their input will help in the development of regulations that will stand the test of time. Mtonga made presentations during the meetings on the guidelines to regulations, which gave a clear understanding of what a regulation can and cannot do.
The meetings had participants composed of Directors of Planning and Development (DPDs); CSO Network Chairpersons; Network Leaders; Development Partners; Reference Group Members; CONGOMA as well as NGORA Officials.
Input from all the four regions will be consolidated together with what was submitted by the INGO forum, NAP and other individuals. The input will be handled by a technical team composed of NGORA, Ministry of Justice, CONGOMA, Ministry of Gender and an International Consultant. After the consolidation the regulations will be reviewed during the Chair to Chair meeting by NGORA and CONGOMA chairpersons joined by the technical team.
The final draft will then be circulated to CONGOMA members in readiness for validation at the CONGOMA Annual General Meeting. In April, 2023 the draft regulations will be submitted to NGORA board for approval and further submission to the Ministry of Gender for vetting and tabling.
NGORA drafted regulations on Complaints Handling, Registration, Coordination and Operations of International NGOs.
