*** Only four charity fundraising requests turned down in two years | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Only four charity fundraising requests turned down in two years

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Only four applications to raise money for charitable causes were turned down in Bahrain over the past two years, with the Ministry of Social Development approving 425 requests during the same period.

The figures were shared by Social Development Minister, His Excellency Osama bin Saleh Al Alawi, in response to a question from MP Basema Mubarak, who had asked how fundraising licences are issued and what procedures are followed.

In 2023, 215 licences were granted and one application was rejected.

The following year saw 210 approvals and three refusals.

Licences are issued under Decree-Law No. 21 of 2013, which gives the ministry 30 days to respond to a request.

Decision

That decision is made after seeking input from other government bodies depending on the purpose of the fundraising.

By the end of January this year, 207 licences remained active. All had been issued to civil society organisations registered with the ministry.

Applicants must begin by opening a separate bank account to hold the collected funds.

Application

The next step is to file an application through the ministry’s online portal, including all required documents such as confirmation from the bank that the account has been opened.

“Once the application is submitted, we check the details against the rules and consult the relevant authorities. If all is in order, a ministerial decision is issued,” Al Alawi said.

The ministry keeps records of each licence, including those refused, along with the reason for any rejection.

Applicants are informed in writing, and the bank is contacted to activate the fundraising account.

Scrutiny

Al Alawi said the process includes several layers of scrutiny. The ministry works with financial and security bodies to confirm that the source and use of the funds are lawful.

Once a licence expires, the organisation must submit a full audited financial report. This is reviewed by the relevant department at the ministry.