A newly issued decree approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung willafford international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating inVietnam more benefits.
The new law, based onreadjusting regulations in monitoring the activities of NGOs in Vietnam,takes effect on June 1 and will replace the older version issued in1996.
It was first compiled in 2007 after therelease of ministerial, industry and locality reports on NGO operations,said Don Tuan Phong, director of the People's Aid Co-ordinatingCommittee (PACCOM) run by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations(VUFO).
As part of new proceedings, administrativeprocedures in issuing operating licences for NGOs will be simplified,Phong added, saying such licences will be valid for three years insteadof the initial one year.
Organisations will be ableto apply for operating licences by directly submitting paperwork to theCommittee for Foreign Non-governmental Organisation Affairs, who willreply within 45 days.
NGOs will be encouraged toimplement long-term projects of at least five years, in terms ofhumanitarian and development initiatives, Phong said, adding thatorganisations will be allowed to set up representative offices in thethree big cities of Hanoi , HCM City and Da Nang .
Organisations will be prohibited from conducting political orreligious activities and such operations deemed unsuitable to nationalsecurity, defence and solidarity.
Duong Viet Hong,communications officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), said,"Administrative procedures are simplified under the new decree, it'sgood news for WCS and other international NGOs in Vietnam ."
It will help us save money and time so we can focus more on our long-term projects, she said.
"We are aware of the Vietnamese version of the newly-issued decree andare awaiting the official English version," said Sven Coppens,programme director of Plan International Vietnam.
"As a non-political organisation, we always co-operate with theGovernment in implementing projects centred on humanitarian aid anddevelopment," said Tran Thu Quynh, communications co-ordinator at Plan.
According to Phong, around 900 international NGOs currently operate in the country.-VNA
The new law, based onreadjusting regulations in monitoring the activities of NGOs in Vietnam,takes effect on June 1 and will replace the older version issued in1996.
It was first compiled in 2007 after therelease of ministerial, industry and locality reports on NGO operations,said Don Tuan Phong, director of the People's Aid Co-ordinatingCommittee (PACCOM) run by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations(VUFO).
As part of new proceedings, administrativeprocedures in issuing operating licences for NGOs will be simplified,Phong added, saying such licences will be valid for three years insteadof the initial one year.
Organisations will be ableto apply for operating licences by directly submitting paperwork to theCommittee for Foreign Non-governmental Organisation Affairs, who willreply within 45 days.
NGOs will be encouraged toimplement long-term projects of at least five years, in terms ofhumanitarian and development initiatives, Phong said, adding thatorganisations will be allowed to set up representative offices in thethree big cities of Hanoi , HCM City and Da Nang .
Organisations will be prohibited from conducting political orreligious activities and such operations deemed unsuitable to nationalsecurity, defence and solidarity.
Duong Viet Hong,communications officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), said,"Administrative procedures are simplified under the new decree, it'sgood news for WCS and other international NGOs in Vietnam ."
It will help us save money and time so we can focus more on our long-term projects, she said.
"We are aware of the Vietnamese version of the newly-issued decree andare awaiting the official English version," said Sven Coppens,programme director of Plan International Vietnam.
"As a non-political organisation, we always co-operate with theGovernment in implementing projects centred on humanitarian aid anddevelopment," said Tran Thu Quynh, communications co-ordinator at Plan.
According to Phong, around 900 international NGOs currently operate in the country.-VNA
