Easy to obtain, easy to abuse

Straits Times, 22 August 2006

CARRYING forth the charity sector, many people react by referrence to the NKF scandal. So what can we Singaporeans do or should do to protect the integrity and reputation of many charity organisations? Here, in this article, Theresa Tan mentions that it is easy to get charity status and that is potentially leading to abuses in the name of charity. All it takes to become a charity is for a society or company limited by guarantee or trust to submit a one-page application form to the Commissioner of Charities (COC). By constrast to England and Wales' Charity commissions, Singapore is rather lenient. Their application form is almost 50 pages long, asking the full details of the organisation that is register. There are many foundations who have been actively raising funds, however, the money is yet to be disbursed. I feel that this whole episode is stirring a huge mismatch between how the public and the authorities perceive charities. At the end of the day, the victims are those who need the money urgently for various reasons. Indeed, charity status is easy to obtain, yet easy to abuse. I feel that the process of ingraining that full-trust needed to contribute to charity once again is going to be tough.