Malawi News

NGO Regulatory Authority tough on partnerships

NGO Regulatory Authority tough on partnerships
ATTENTIVE—NGO sector players

The Non- Governmental Organisations Regulatory Authority (Ngora) has said all international organisations working in Malawi will now be required to partner local NGOs in implementing projects.

Ngora Chief Executive Officer Edward Chileka Banda said this in Blantyre Tuesday.

He was speaking at a working breakfast that was organised to update stakeholders on new developments in the NGO sector.

“This follows the government’s gazetting and publishing of new regulations which make it a requirement for all international organisations to be using at least 30 percent of their resources through local players in the sector,” Chileka Banda said.

He said this would help build the capacity of local actors in the sector and ensure sustainability of projects.

“There was an observation that there was dominance by international organisations, which was affecting capacity building for local NGOs as well as sustainability of programmes. This was evidenced in times when there were natural disasters, with local NGOs unable to participate in response and recovery programmes,” Chileka Banda said.

The new regulations also stipulate that all local NGOs will have to register with Ngora directly.

“In the past, local NGOs would have to register through the Office of the Registrar General or the Ministry of Justice but, now, NGORA is the sole authority to register local NGOs,” Chileka Banda said.

Responding to the issue, Gift of The Givers Foundation Country Director Sharifa Mia said they have, all along, been partnering local organisations when implementing projects.

“As such, the regulations will ensure that projects are being implemented in a systematic and transparent manner,” she said.