The Ministry of Social Affairs, for perhaps the tenth time, issued a statement stressing the importance of charitable organizations adhering to the regulations and conditions for advertising licensed projects, both inside and outside the country. This reiterates the ministry’s commitment to promoting transparency and good governance, upholding the integrity of charitable work, protecting donors, and ensuring full compliance with rules when advertising any charitable project, particularly those involving deductions from donation amounts. Yet, despite these repeated warnings, some charitable organizations continue to disregard the ministry’s directives.
They repeatedly announce fundraising campaigns for projects, both inside and outside Kuwait, without a license and often fail to disclose the percentage of funds allocated for administrative expenses. They insist on using misleading advertising phrases and methods, and overlook the requirement that advertising details match the licensing information, including project name, duration, objectives, and other specifications. Clearly, the administrations of these charitable organizations have motivations that encourage them to take such risks.
The main reasons for this are:
1. These organizations may believe that the ministry is ineffective or that it will not exercise its authority.
2. They know that the harshest action likely to be taken is the suspension of the advertisement or project, rather than revoking the license. The phrase “taking the necessary measures against the violator” is vague and subject to the discretion of those enforcing it.
3. These charities are aware that if one project is halted, there are dozens of others that can continue in its place.
4. If a particular charity’s license is revoked, others can take over its work. It is well known where the influence of some charities extends, and these entities have established multiple similar organizations in anticipation of potential closures.
5. The most significant reason is that the amounts raised in any campaign, licensed or unlicensed, are so large that they justify committing violations, even if the penalty could include license revocation.
This explains why these charities repeatedly disregard the Ministry of Social Affairs’ decisions, instructions, and warnings. I have a 42-page document listing the names of charitable projects licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
It details dozens of charities that were previously allowed to collect funds through various channels, take their substantial share, and transfer the remainder abroad, often to entities about which little is known, including the ultimate fate of these massive donations.
This situation persisted for years, during which some of these charities, with records available to the Ministry of Social Affairs, were able to transfer billions abroad without any objection or oversight. Eventually, decisive action was taken to end this chaos, resulting in hundreds of beneficiaries losing tens of millions that had been flowing into their pockets every month.
Firmly dealing with these violations and treating them as crimes is essential to protect Kuwait from slipping back into its previous deplorable state. The United States government recently designated the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as terrorist organizations, thereby freezing all assets belonging to the groups and their officials. Kuwaiti authorities should take note and exercise caution, as these branches are in urgent need of funding that could potentially be sent from Kuwait.
By Ahmad alsarraf
e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]
