A meeting of the NGO Federation, CDF and INAFI with the Director-General of the NGO Affairs Bureau held on 02 January drew the attention of the Bureau to one of the conditions of its recent Notice requiring a partner NGO of a foreign funded project to be registered by the Directorate of Social Welfare/Ministry of Women’s Affaires under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration & Control) Ordinance 1961. The Notice, the networks pointed out, deprives those organizations which are registered under other Acts like the Societies Registration Act, 1860 of becoming partners of such projects. Since the Notice was in accordance with the ‘Poripotro’ (Circular) of the Bureau the Director-General, after a threadbare discussion, gave the assurance that the relevant clause will be reviewed and the suggestions of the networks will be considered.

A joint petition by NGO Federation, CDF and INAFI suggesting amendment to the Poripotro/Notice has been submitted on 13 January 2011.