Report states charitable legislation lags behind; every year over 300 billion yuan of donations are obstructed
报告称慈善立法滞后 每年阻碍3000亿元以上捐赠
By: Liu Yinghua 刘映花, July 14, 2014
Source: Beijing Morning Post 北京晨报
Link: http://cdb.org.cn/newsview.php?id=9389
On April 26, Tsinghua University and Peking University jointly launched a program of salon discussions called, “charitable legislation bimonthly talks.” These talks have since been held approximately every two weeks, providing open academic discussion on a range of issues including the tax system and NGO related legislation.
The deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Social Policy Research Center, Yang Tuan said, “Until now, we have kept these discussions only within a small circle. We need dialogue in the public interest sector and in the media. Once or twice a month, these issues need to be brought to the public to let everyone know that this legislation concerns every citizen’s actions and rights.”
The infamous case of the failed Charity Law looms heavily over the development of the philanthropic sector. Insiders say it is not the legislative system itself that caused the law to repeatedly fail to pass in the last ten years, but rather the supervision and intertwined interests involved. A draft of the law was created this year, but it will not be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for consideration. However, if things continue to develop smoothly, the draft may be submitted during the first half of 2015.
According to a report by the China Philantropy Research Institute, charitable legislation has lagged far behind. Tax incentives need improvement, the management system is flawed, and over 300 billion yuan of donations and 30 million jobs are obstructed every year. For the successful and healthy development of philanthropy in China, the legislative difficulties need to be appropriately and swiftly addressed.
Translation by Kelly McCarthy
