NATIONAL 4 - (Spotlight Weekly)

‘INGOs Should Work In Areas That Are Of Interest To The Country’

—Dr. TIKA POKHAREL

Dr. TIKA POKHAREL is the member-secretary of the Social Welfare Council (SWC). The council is responsible for giving affiliations to non-governmental organizations (NGO) in the country. Dr. Pokharel spoke to KESHAB POUDEL and SANJAYA DHAKAL on various issues concerning the NGO sector. Excerpts:

How many NGOs are currently affiliated to the SWC and which areas are they involved in?

There are 12,600 NGOs and 103 INGOs presently affiliated to the SWC. They are the real NGOs. The council gives affiliation to only real NGOs, not to spurious ones. There is one big problem with the act. The act does not give us the right to register such organizations. They are registered by the District Administration Office (DAO). The DAO registers any type of organization — profit-making institutions, clubs and all. This has led to confusion among the people that all these organizations are NGOs. But these are not, we simply cannot term profit-making institutions as NGOs. Take for instance boozing clubs, which have no other objective than drinking alcohol. We cannot call them NGOs. We have certain criteria to define NGOs and we give affiliation to only those that conform to them.

What is the definition of an NGO, then?

Four things determine whether the organization is an NGO. First, the institution should not be profit making. Second, it should be aloof from political activities. Third, it should be development-oriented. Fourth, it should be fully democratic, that is, it should run according to democratic norms. Any organization that does not fulfil these four criteria cannot be considered an NGO.

What contributions have NGOs made to the country’s development?

The NGOs have lent real and visible contributions to the country’s development. There is a misconception among the masses that all NGOs are bad or corrupt. They have reached this conclusion by comparing the behavior of some DAO-registered organizations that are involved in bad practices. But if one looks at the grass-root level, if something good is happening there, that is because of NGOs. Whether it is vegetable farming — now there are many pockets in the country where this is growing tremendously — or community forestry, public awareness-raising campaigns or the loan/saving programs, NGOs have seeped into villages with their noble programs. If one studies the health sector, out of the 17 eye hospitals, 16 are run by NGOs. Look at the Dhulikhel hospital and the Banepa children hospital, they have set high standard. So, it is necessary to look at the grass-roots level to get an idea of how NGOs are helping in the country’s development.

Which sectors are most NGOs concentrated on?

Community development seems to be the sector on which most NGOs are concentrated. We have divided it into 10 sector for our convenience, including community development, women, children, HIV/AIDS and so on.

It is charged that most NGOs limit their work in and around cities and do not venture into rural areas. Is that true?

It is not true. People level this charge because most NGOs are registered in Kathmandu or other cities. But they work in rural areas. In fact, NGOs only get money if they agree to work in, say, Humla or Jumla. Nobody gives them money to work in cities. So, this is a false charge.

While one set of NGOs affiliated to the SWC may be doing their job well, there are others who are not under the umbrella of the council and who are wasting resources by organizing seminars in five-star hotels on topics that may not be of priority to the country. Is there any way they can be controlled?

We have started to regularize them. A few years ago, when the SWC was not active, people from such organizations were pleased. They used to receive money in the name of some NGO or say child welfare, and ended up riding sleek vehicles and engaged in business. But this practice has been stopped now, leading many people to criticize me. They think the council is obstructing them. The council is on its way to managing the sector. Now no INGO can give money directly to an NGO without seeking permission from the council. This will ensure transparency on how much money has come from different sources and where it is going to be utilized. Besides, NGOs have to fulfil such requirements as submission of annual reports and audit reports to be able to receive money from INGOs. This is ultimately going to make the NGO sector run in accordance with the law. And this very thing has irked a section of NGOs, which, like you pointed, are busy only organizing seminars in hotels. But real NGOs working at the grass-root level have welcomed these provisions.

What is the level of financial contributions of INGOs to the country?

The budget commitment of the INGOs, as per their agreement with us, stands at Rs 2.4 billion for fiscal year 2057/58 as compared to Rs 1.45 billion for the year 2056/57. It is increasing.

Do you think INGOs should spend their resources here in accordance with their interest or should they do so in sectors that are of interest to Nepal?

They should do it in the sector that is of interest to Nepal.

Do you think this is happening?

It is not happening to a certain extent. Of late, the major part of the resources that come here through INGOs is being spent in the areas or our interest. That is because, since last four years, they have not been allowed to go directly in the field. Previously, they used to work on their own here and it was not always clear which areas they were involved in. Now, they have to go into implementation with local partners only. Furthermore, local NGOs have to submit their proposals at the SWC to receive such help. So, we can study their proposals and ask them to go ahead if it is in our interest. If the proposal is not in our interest, we tell them so. As far as NGOs that are not affiliated to us are concerned, the council can do nothing. They are in the field as per the agreements with different ministries. I don’t think the ministries are in position to minutely probe how they are working.

How many INGOs are working outside your framework and in accordance with agreements with the ministries?

I guess there are 15 to 20 INGOs still working based on their agreements with the ministries. There is a stark need to bring all NGOs under a single umbrella of the SWC. The SWC Act also envisages this and so does the Ninth Plan document. This kind of uncoordinated approach will only invite anarchy in the sector. I have asked the government from time to time to take necessary steps to develop the SWC as the single umbrella organization to handle NGOs/INGOs. We have not been able to run the SWC as per the act or as per our policy. If the SWC is made the umbrella, we will be in a position to provide records and increase accountability of all NGOs/INGOs working in the country. Right now, we know only about the 12,600 NGOs and 103 INGOs.

So many seminars are held on different issues so often. Is there any policy to encourage INGOs/NGOs funding low priority sectors to do so in the more pressing areas?

I agree that the NGOs should organize seminars or workshops but only when they have reached a certain point and do not know where to proceed from that point. Seminars will help identify their further destination. We, at the SWC, always advocate seminars only during such circumstances.

In the present context of liberalization, how can you ensure that NGOs are allowed to work on their own and at the same time be monitored?

The SWC does not control NGOs. We only regulate them. But if one talks about NGOs that are, say, misusing funds, they have been controlled. The council has only asked NGOs to run in accordance with the law of the land and in accordance with their own internal constitution. If somebody still says that the SWC is controlling or obstructing them, one should understand the malafide intention behind such allegations.

Do civil society organizations also come under the SWC?

No, civil society is a very broad term. It includes everything outside the government — the political parties, NGOs, commercial enterprises and so on. NGOs are only those that fulfil the aforementioned four criteria.

But so many NGOs are working in the name of civil society?

When people work with good intentions, they do so remaining within the realm of the NGOs’ definition. But for the vested interest groups, there will always be room for exploitation. I differ with many people regarding this. I ask them to be forthright. If they want to run an NGO, then they have to run it like an NGO, not like some profit-making institution or political organization.