Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/706995
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 6 News TIM DIACONO THE Church's missionary or- ganisation has agreed to start publicly auditing its finances, following a proposed new law to regulate NGOs. A Curia spokesperson con- firmed with MaltaToday that Missio Malta – which col- lected over €1 million in do- nations last year – is in the process of registering itself as a voluntary organisation. Church organisations have traditionally been exempted from registering with the Com- missioner for Voluntary Organi- sations, which requires NGOs to submit to financial scrutiny, de- pending on their income. How- ever, a recent White Paper has proposed that organisations will not be allowed to fundraise or receive state funding unless they enroll with the Commissioner. Since Missio earns more than €200,000 a year, it will be sub- jected to an annual audit. "There is a fatal problem in the current law, in that it allows non-registered NGOs to ben- efit from state funding through ministerial exemptions," volun- tary organisations commissioner Kenneth Wain told MaltaToday. "Such exemptions eventually be- came the norm, creating a non- level playing field for NGOs." Wain is optimistic that the amendments will pass into law before the end of the year, and said that a number of Church or- ganisations besides Missio have already started the process of registering themselves. When asked by MaltaToday whether the Church currently keeps financial accounts that detail on what Missio spends the money they collected, a spokesperson responded with a breakdown of the €1,072,696 in collected funds that Missio will distribute to mission countries this summer. The majority, €613,683, will be sent to the Society for the Propa- gation of the Faith, that provides assistance for priests and nuns in bishop areas, while €260,972 will be sent to the Society of St Peter the Apostle, the Catholic Church's fundraising body for the training of clergy in mission dioceses. €198,041 was collect- ed through donations by Mal- tese children, towards the Holy Childhood Association that pro- vides aid to children in impover- ished countries. However, Missio director Mgr. Salvino Micallef confirmed with MaltaToday that it sends 85% of the total funds collected to the missions, and no details were provided by the Curia on what the remaining 15% (€189,299) – dedicated to administrative ex- penses – were spent on. Sources close to Missio have told MaltaToday that they are keen to see the impending audit scrutinize Micallef's frequent long-haul flights, which are paid for through the 15% in charity funds dedicated to administra- tive expenses. Indeed, past editions of Mis- sio's monthly magazine Malta Missjunarja show that Micallef makes frequent long-haul flights, often to visit the Maltese-funded missions. Since 2008, he has vis- ited India (three times), Peru (twice), the Philippines, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Malawi, Ethi- opia, Brazil, Bolivia, Ghana, and he is currently in Rwanda. However, Micallef defended his use of charity funds to travel, arguing that he doesn't earn a salary for his position as director and that his flight expenses don't exceed €2,000 a year. "As director, my job involves speaking to the Maltese public about the missions, and there are some things in life that you just have to experience to speak about," he said. "The alterna- tive would be speaking about the missions based on what I'd have read about online or in a book," he told MaltaToday. "Those visits to the missions aren't holidays but are part of my work. I don't stay in hotels or in the rich parts of town but with the missionaries in rural areas where the projects are car- ried out." He said that his role at the annual visits involves bring- ing clothes and stationery to the missions, ensuring that the funds are being spent appropri- ately, and giving courage to the Maltese missionaries. "I would have no problem with having my travel expenses au- dited. I publish all the details of my trips in Malta Missjunarja, so I surely have nothing to hide." tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt Operational Programme I – European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 "Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges" Advert part-financed by the European Regional and Development Fund Co-financing rate: Public Eligible (80% European Union; 20% National Funds) ANNOUNCEMENT – 13 th July 2016 Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges The Measures and Support Division within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, designated by the Managing Authority as the Intermediate Body responsible for administering aid schemes for enterprises under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the 2014 – 2020 programming period, would like to announce the following calls: • Call 1 – SME Growth Grant Scheme Priority Axis 3 – 'Enhancing Malta's competitiveness through investment in SMEs' Investment Priority (IP) 3d – Supporting the capacity of SMEs to grow in regional, national and international markets, and to engage in innovation processes. • Call 1 – Start-up Investment Grant Scheme Priority Axis 3 – 'Enhancing Malta's competitiveness through investment in SMEs' Investment Priority (IP) 3a – Promoting entrepreneurship in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators. These calls will close on Friday, 30 th September 2016 at noon. Information sessions will be organised for prospective applicants. Dates and venues will be notified in the coming days. Further information on these calls including the respective Guidance Notes and the Guidelines for Implementation, as well as on the information sessions may be obtained from https://businessenhance.gov.mt. Operational Programme I – European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 "Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges" Advert part-financed by the European Regional and Development Fund Co-financing rate: Public Eligible (80% European Union; 20% National Funds) ANNOUNCEMENT – 13 th July 2016 Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges The Measures and Support Division within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, designated by the Managing Authority as the Intermediate Body responsible for administering aid schemes for enterprises under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the 2014 – 2020 programming period, would like to announce the following calls: • Call 1 – SME Growth Grant Scheme Priority Axis 3 – 'Enhancing Malta's competitiveness through investment in SMEs' Investment Priority (IP) 3d – Supporting the capacity of SMEs to grow in regional, national and international markets, and to engage in innovation processes. • Call 1 – Start-up Investment Grant Scheme Priority Axis 3 – 'Enhancing Malta's competitiveness through investment in SMEs' Investment Priority (IP) 3a – Promoting entrepreneurship in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators. These calls will close on Friday, 30 th September 2016 at noon. Information sessions will be organised for prospective applicants. Dates and venues will be notified in the coming days. Further information on these calls including the respective Guidance Notes and the Guidelines for Implementation, as well as on the information sessions may be obtained from https://businessenhance.gov.mt. Operational Programme I – European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 "Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges" Advert part-financed by the European Regional and Development Fund Co-financing rate: Public Eligible (80% European Union; 20% National Funds) ANNOUNCEMENT – 13 th July 2016 Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges The Measures and Support Division within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, designated by the Managing Authority as the Intermediate Body responsible for administering aid schemes for enterprises under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the 2014 – 2020 programming period, would like to announce the following calls: • Call 1 – SME Growth Grant Scheme Priority Axis 3 – 'Enhancing Malta's competitiveness through investment in SMEs' Investment Priority (IP) 3d – Supporting the capacity of SMEs to grow in regional, national and international markets, and to engage in innovation processes. • Call 1 – Start-up Investment Grant Scheme Priority Axis 3 – 'Enhancing Malta's competitiveness through investment in SMEs' Investment Priority (IP) 3a – Promoting entrepreneurship in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators. These calls will close on Friday, 30 th September 2016 at noon. Information sessions will be organised for prospective applicants. Dates and venues will be notified in the coming days. Further information on these calls including the respective Guidance Notes and the Guidelines for Implementation, as well as on the information sessions may be obtained from https://businessenhance.gov.mt. Stricter law heralds scrutiny on Church's donation baskets Money collected for Catholic missionaries comes with considerable 'administrative costs' Church organisations have traditionally been exempted from registering with the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations