The Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister has issued four ministerial orders, published in the Official Gazette, regulating the collection of funds for religious purposes.
The first order provides for the establishment of an office to register applications for licences to collect funds for religious purposes and sets out its terms of operation.
The office will receive applications and details of how the funds are intended to be spent, carry out monitoring and follow-up duties, and review whether the proposed spending of licensed funds complies with the law.
The office may also withdraw or place under precautionary custody funds collected and allocate them to public-benefit purposes it considers appropriate.
The second decision specifies violations that carry administrative fines in relation to fundraising for religious purposes.
Fines ranging from BD10 to BD10,000 will be imposed on anyone who collects funds without a licence or violates the conditions and regulations set out in the approved fundraising forms and applications.
Fines ranging from BD10 to BD3,000 will also apply to anyone who fails to maintain records, financial documents or other documentation related to fundraising; fails to submit financial reports within the specified deadlines; or prevents the application-registration office to carry out its monitoring, follow-up and review of the legality of how the funds are spent.
The minister also issued a decision approving the forms and applications for licences to collect funds for religious purposes, as well as the procedures and methods for withdrawing funds from the bank account of a licensed fundraiser, the amount allocated for the activity and the estimated administrative expenses.
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