Last week, the Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs for Chengdu issued an official notice (通知) entitled “eight measures to promote the normal operations of social organizations in order to respond to the epidemic effectively” (有效应对疫情促进社会组织正常运转8条措施).
The notice is divided into three areas: support, projects and management. A summary of the eight measures is provided below:
a) Providing care and condolences. For those infected and treated after participating in the epidemic control work, a one-time “care and sympathy” payment will be issued. The related funds will be paid into a special fund for the development of social organizations in Chengdu.
b) Offering preferential policies. Social organizations participating in the epidemic work will be given priority consideration under the same conditions as when they participate in the government’s purchase of services, appraisal, and rating evaluation in 2020.
c) Promoting project execution. If a contract for the purchase of social organizations’ services has been suspended due to the epidemic, adjustments can be made to the content and timing, and funds should be paid in full and on time. .
d) Establishing an institutional development fund system. Institutional development funds can be used for non-limiting expenditures such as salaries, travel expenses, office rents, office fees, and consulting fees for project executive agency managers.
e) Supporting the implementation of epidemic-related projects. Chengdu’s special fund for social organization development plans to arrange one million RMB to support post-epidemic health care, the construction of an epidemic control system and the care of medical workers.
f) Optimizing annual inspection procedures. For 2020, it will be possible to carry out the annual municipal inspection of social organizations entirely online.
g) Relaxation of the annual inspection conditions. An application for extension of the annual inspection may be submitted to the registration management authority for a maximum of no more than three months.
h) Extending the time-limit for expired certificates. Social organizations whose certifications are about to expire can apply for extensions until three months after the end of the epidemic.
