NEw Delhi: Seeking to promote transparency in dealings with foreign-funded NGOs, the Modi government on Monday notified the amended Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2015, that require all FCRA services and transactions to be made online.
All applications for registration, grant of prior permission and renewal of registration under FCRA, 2010, will now be accepted online, with fee for various FCRA services to be deposited through a payment gateway.
On its part, the FCRA division of the home ministry will issue digitally signed registration certificates, prior permission sanctions etc to applicants through emails.
As per the amended FCRA rules, all NGOs registered or granted prior permission under FCRA are now required to upload details of foreign contributions received and utilized by them every three months on their website or the FCRA website, fcraonline.nic.in. TOI had reported this proposed reform on July 27, 2015. The original FCRR draft had kept this periodicity at seven days, which was objected to by many NGOs.
The new FCRA rules ensure that the human interface with foreign-funded NGOs is minimized, with all queries and replies to applicants to be made through emails. The number of application/intimation forms has been cut from 10 to six, and the number of documents to be attached with applications also significantly reduced. The list of purposes for which foreign contribution can be utilized has been rationalized.
NGOs now need to file their annual returns online, with the hard copy version dispensed with. The annual returns must be placed quarterly on the NGO's website or the FCRA website maintained by the home ministry.
Launching the revamped website for FCRA services on Monday, home minister Rajnath Singh said it would minimize human interface by making all FCRA services online. Home ministry had earlier this year embarked on the exercise to make FCRA services online to save NGOs the trouble of running around to avail various services and rule out any scope for corruption on part of the FCRA staff to expedite service delivery.
"The new rules are part of the government's endeavour to facilitate genuine NGOs while reining in defaulting ones that form less than 1% of the NGO tribe," said a government officer.
All FCRA designated bank accounts and utilization accounts will now have to be brought on the online platform of public finance management service (PFMS) of controller general of accounts, ministry of finance.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-bid-for-transparency-government-makes-FCRA-services-online/articleshow/50177525.cms
All applications for registration, grant of prior permission and renewal of registration under FCRA, 2010, will now be accepted online, with fee for various FCRA services to be deposited through a payment gateway.
On its part, the FCRA division of the home ministry will issue digitally signed registration certificates, prior permission sanctions etc to applicants through emails.
As per the amended FCRA rules, all NGOs registered or granted prior permission under FCRA are now required to upload details of foreign contributions received and utilized by them every three months on their website or the FCRA website, fcraonline.nic.in. TOI had reported this proposed reform on July 27, 2015. The original FCRR draft had kept this periodicity at seven days, which was objected to by many NGOs.
The new FCRA rules ensure that the human interface with foreign-funded NGOs is minimized, with all queries and replies to applicants to be made through emails. The number of application/intimation forms has been cut from 10 to six, and the number of documents to be attached with applications also significantly reduced. The list of purposes for which foreign contribution can be utilized has been rationalized.
NGOs now need to file their annual returns online, with the hard copy version dispensed with. The annual returns must be placed quarterly on the NGO's website or the FCRA website maintained by the home ministry.
Launching the revamped website for FCRA services on Monday, home minister Rajnath Singh said it would minimize human interface by making all FCRA services online. Home ministry had earlier this year embarked on the exercise to make FCRA services online to save NGOs the trouble of running around to avail various services and rule out any scope for corruption on part of the FCRA staff to expedite service delivery.
"The new rules are part of the government's endeavour to facilitate genuine NGOs while reining in defaulting ones that form less than 1% of the NGO tribe," said a government officer.
All FCRA designated bank accounts and utilization accounts will now have to be brought on the online platform of public finance management service (PFMS) of controller general of accounts, ministry of finance.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-bid-for-transparency-government-makes-FCRA-services-online/articleshow/50177525.cms
