Wang Yong: Stronger govt oversight for charities

Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong vowed stricter government supervision and more complete laws governing charitable activities while addressing China Charity Award winners on Thursday.

Wang said philanthropy has seen great development over the last few years and has made significant contributions to the country's economic and social development.

More efforts will be made to boost the development of the sector so as to help combat poverty and benefit the public, he added.

He was speaking at the award ceremony of the 10th China Charity Award held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Present were individuals, charities and enterprises that won the award, as well as government officials from several departments including the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The award was established by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in 2005 to honor those who have made prominent contributions in philanthropy, and it is the highest award given by the Chinese government in the sector.

The prize was previously an annual event, until in 2014 when the ministry decided that it be held every two years, with the winners reduced from 100 to 50 and selection rules changed.

The changes include publicizing lists of nominees online, and designating the numbers of votes each candidate receives from netizens as an important reference for the judging panel.

Public donations to charities have climbed in the past few years, reaching an estimated 155.8 billion yuan ($22.6 billion) last year, according to the Annual Report on China's Philanthropy Development 2018.

But fraud involving people who amass money in the name of charity has undermined the reputation of the sector.

To enhance credibility, the Ministry of Civil Affairs released a regulation in July that aims at improving the transparency of charities.

The new rules – which followed the Charity Law that took effect in September 2016 – laid out the specifics of what must be disclosed and the punishment for lack of transparency.