No Efficient Monitoring of NGOs

Some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are flouting the existing laws because Ghana's Department of Social Welfare lacks efficient and effective monitoring system to supervise their activities.

Mr Sampson Adjei, NGO Desk Officer at the Department, who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday said, "though NGOs in the country are supposed to be independent they are to work within the confines of laws."

He attributed the main problem to inadequate logistics, which has made it very difficult for the office to carry out investigations into improprieties that are reported to them.

He said offending NGOs could have their licences revoked. "Cases that are not within our confinement are referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for investigations," Mr. Adjei added.

He said so far a total of 1,300 NGOs have registered with the Department and are performing diverse services in the fields of agriculture, community and rural development, health, human rights and environment among other spheres.

Mr Adjei said the concept of NGOs is not for profit making and, therefore, any profit generated must be used for the benefit of society at large.

He said, through the healthy partnership that has been created between the government and NGOs, the Department would soon come out with a national policy to govern NGO activities.

Mr Adjei further said the department of social welfare is also in the process of updating the records of NGOs to assess and better enhance their activities in the country