The Ministry of the Interior yesterday announced that non-profit organizations should apply for authorization from the government's social department before collecting donations for typhoon disaster relief.
Any donation should be given to authorized organizations, the interior ministry said.
The ministry's Secretary of Social Services said that any donation campaign initiated by non-profit organizations should be conducted under the Unified Fundraising Activities Act.
Applications to establish up national donation campaigns should provide an application letter, and the minutes of any conferences and their proposal for the use of funds to the Ministry of the Interior.
No public donation can be collected before authorization. Local donation campaigns at the city and county level can apply to local social service departments.
According to the Hualien County Government, prospective donors who believed media reports that the government is not reliable and have sent money to disaster areas in person were causing hold-ups in Hualien and Nantou, affecting rescue and recovery work.
Secretary-General of the Hualien County Government Chung Wen-chin (鍾文欽) claimed yesterday that donations to NGOs are not secure as they are not being monitored.
To encourage donations to legitimate organizations, the Hualien government will release a report on recovery work every day, ensuring donations are spent on people in disaster areas.
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