Charities compelled to disclose records to increase public trust

The Civil Affairs Ministry has launched an internet platform where the public can find out information about charitable organizations in a bid to increase confidence in the sector.

Today is the annual Charity Day of China. Philanthropy has been a heated topic within China in recent years with a series of revelations about misconduct leading to a lack of trust in charities. These problems have been blamed on a lack of transparency.

Charity organizations are required to release their annual work reports and financial statements. Any ongoing campaigns should publish its fundraising details every three months. Charities should also reveal the details of the whole fundraising process and fund spending within three months of the end of a campaign, according to the ministry.

"Anyone can report problematic conditions to us or to charity organizations, to make sure we get to know and handle problems as soon as possible," Zhan Chengfu, director of the ministry's non-government organizations administration bureau, said.

"If they don't make this information known and we find non-transparency in our spot check, annual inspection or in reports, they will be punished," Zhan said.

The newly-launched platform will also publicize a list of legitimate charitable institutions and disclose their registration details and tax preferences they get in specific projects, CCTV News reported.

The platform has released information about 2,131 charities across China. More than 500 of those disclosed are permitted to raise donations from the public. These charities have publicized 837 fundraising campaigns and 1,570 charitable programs.