The Sunday Mail
Richard Muponde
THE Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill will go for public hearings next month after it went through Parliament for the first reading when it was retabled in the National Assembly recently.
Last year, President Mnangagwa withheld his assent after the Bill was passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo has since retabled the Bill.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda said the Bill will go for public hearings and then return to Parliament.
“As it is, after the President refused to assent to it, it means that the Bill collapsed and we have to follow the procedure of a new Bill. The Bill is going for public hearings, probably in April,” Mr Chokuda said.
“After that, it will be brought back to Parliament for the second reading and go to the committee stage. The committee stage is chaired by the Deputy Speaker or Deputy President. Amendments proposed by oversight committees are discussed at this stage.”
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ms Dorothy Mashonganyika confirmed that revisions had been made to the draft law.
“The PVO Bill has been corrected on concerns raised by the President,” she said.
One of the proposed changes provides for the inclusion of the definition of “funds or other assets” to cover all financial assets and funds or other assets of every kind.
It also amends the definition of “private voluntary organisation” to ensure it covers all relevant organisations that fall under this law, even when the coverage is confined to ensuring an entity is not being used to launder terrorist funds.
Clause 6 repeals the existing section of the principal Act requiring the registration of a PVO.
The new provision prescribes that organisations not registered as trusts but which receive external funding to pursue objects of a charitable nature will be afforded a reasonable period to comply with the Act.
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