Azay Guliyev: "Allegations on NGOs sound true"

"We conducted a research in 2004 and it turned out that only 33 NGOs informed about the grants whereas 300 NGOs concealed grants that year," the president of National NGO Forum, parliament member Azay Guliyev told APA exclusively while commenting on the Justice Ministry's allegations on non-transparent activity of NGOs.

Mr.Guliyev said that the miserable situation is going on. Guliyev reported that according to the law "On grants", NGOs are to inform the JM about the grants they receive. "NGOs are to blame for this strained situation," he said.

"On the other hand, bureaucratic obstacles are causing these problems. This obstacle is that, the signed grant project is submitted to the Justice Ministry only after confirmed in notary. I think this procedure is needless. Juridical persons mainly sign grant project. So, it is waste of time to confirm the contract in the notary," Guliyev said.

Guliyev noted that a state organization should be established in order to regulate the activity of NGO sector. It is also necessary for establishing mutual cooperation between NGOs and state organizations. This state organization should ensure the problems of NGOs as well as state participation in reinforcing of civil society.
"The state organization can generally control NGOs' compliance with laws, and spend of grants. We have come to an interesting conclusion after researching the international experience. Thus, charitable foundations in England are controlled by a state commission. This commission submits annual report to the parliament about these foundations. In France, there is a social and economic board on parliamentary level that is dealing with public issues in the country. A state board for NGOs is functioning in Czech Republic. I mean to say that such mechanism can be applied in Azerbaijan too. The first project concerning this has been made, and submitted to relevant organizations," reported Guliyev.

Guliyev also said that 7000 people receive money in NGO sector. 225 thousand 150 people work voluntarily. The projects carried out by NGOs serve1,5 million people. NGO sector carried out a project in the amount of $38 million 694 thousand in the past five or seven years. Totally, 1733 projects and programs have been implemented.