Ethiopia issues new rules to monitor NGOs operations
Nov 22, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian government is putting in place a new system to regulate the activities of the NGOs working in the country, in order to closely control and evaluate their activities.
According to the new regulation, the NGOs operating in the country have to deal with the relevant governmental institutions in order to monitor their activities.
The Ethiopian minister of Justice Asefa Kesito said there are more than 3,000 local and international NGOs operating in the country, out of which some have been breaching their declared objectives, the pro-government WIC reported Tuesday.
He said the NGOs used to secure licenses without first signing implementation agreements with the concerned authorities. He further said that licenses could now be issued, if NGOs only fulfil the requirements set by a committee established last September.
Though there was a system through which the NGOs can be evaluated by submitting an audit report, the monitoring and supervision system was very loose, according to the minister.
Asefa elaborated that it was also very difficult to find out the type of work, amount of capital and place where the NGOs were operating, while the new system enables the relevant federal and regional offices to follow up their activities.
The new system will inform ministries in each sector about the activities to be undertaken by the NGOs and open their door for the monitoring and evaluation works, he added.
The number of NGOs that operated in Ethiopia from 1951 to 2005 stood at 1,656, whereas 1,567 NGOs were registered during the last three years alone.
Out of the 3,737 NGOs currently operating in the country at present 1,681 are local,262 foreign development organizations and the rest being faith based, professional, civic and others organizations.
(ST)