The Government is seeking to raise transparency and accountability standards among Bahamas-based non-governmental (NGO) and non-profit organisations through new legislation that will require them to be registered and publish an annual statement of accounts that have been submitted to external audit.
The proposed legislation, called the Non-Governmental Organisations Act, leaves many speechless as it comes from a government that is internationally known for its corrupt activities and secretive financial practices. It is particularly ironic that legislation is proposed by a political party (PLP) that was allegedly funded by drug dealers in the last election and refuses to allow an open and transparent examination of their own party finances.
The legislation has been prepared by the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, and discussions have been held with the private sector in a bid to fine-tune the Bill before it is presented to Parliament.
More than 200 NGOs are currently registered in the Bahamas, and sources said that if the legislation was passed in its present form, this number would greatly increase.
