Safeguards in place for fund-raising activities
We agree with Mr Goh Boon Kai (
- by autobot
- Sept. 20, 2022
- Source article
Publisher object (23)
We agree with Mr Goh Boon Kai ( , Sept 13) and Mr Paul Chan Poh Hoi ( , Sept 15) that we need to uphold the public's trust in Singapore's charity sector and provide avenues for individuals to give safely to causes they support. House-to-house and street collections are still licensed by the police under the House to House and Street Collections Act except for the following groups: registered or exempt charities, and those with existing permits from the Commissioner of Charities for donations to foreign charitable causes. The commissioner will continue to regulate the charities to ensure accountability and good governance. These changes aim to allow bona fide charities to fund-raise under more practical conditions, even as we put in place safeguards to protect and help donors give safely. Under the new regime, charities will be required by law to provide additional disclosures on their fund-raising activities on the Charity Portal, which the public can easily access to verify the legitimacy of collections. There are also SMS and hotline verification services provided by the commissioner. Collectors for charities will also need to carry clear identification during collections. These proposed changes have incorporated earlier feedback from the public and charities. To avoid scams and donate with peace of mind, members of the public should observe the three simple steps of "Ask, Check, Give": We encourage the public to report suspicious charitable fund-raising activities to the commissioner at Members of the public should file a police report immediately if they suspect a fraud or scam. Wrongdoers will be dealt with under the law. Commissioner of Charities Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth