Charities Commission on the way
Charities Commission on the way
Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel announced the members of the new Charities Commission’s Establishment Group, which met for the first time yesterday.
The members are Sid Ashton (Chair), Pat Hanley, Tony Dale, Daphne Rawstorne, Frank Claridge, and Carolynn Bull. Their first meeting covered a wide range of issues including staffing and location of the new Charities Commission. They will meet again next month.
The Minister today also announced the final policy decisions that confirmed the establishment of new Charities Commission, to be set up as a new crown entity by 1 July 2004.
“This initiative announced in May 2002 by the Minister of Revenue, strengthens the government’s commitment to its relationship with the charitable sector, which includes balancing the independence of the sector with the need to safeguard public accountability.
“One of the Commission’s primary tasks will be to support and educate charitable organisations on how to comply with their key regulatory responsibilities. The Commission will also administer a comprehensive registration regime, which will be the defining feature of tax exemptions in the future. The registration requirements are designed to enhance public trust and confidence in the charitable sector, through accountability and improved quality of publicly available information.”
"The Establishment Group will be responsible
for identifying and resolving any outstanding operational
issues necessary to ensure that the Commission is
operational next year. The Group will fulfil a number of
key functions including providing advice on the operational
design of the Commission’s electronic register, and
assisting with the development of the User Requirements
regarding the design and operation of the Registry System,”
Lianne Dalziel said.