Revision to Charity Law emphasizes need for transparency

Individuals in need of help should provide true information when launching or collecting donations through internet platforms, instead of fabricating or concealing incidents to conduct donation fraud, said an official from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Zang Tiewei, spokesman for the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, told a news conference on Friday that the requirement on donation cases launched by individuals has been clarified in a draft revision to the Charity Law, which is scheduled to be reviewed at a session of the NPC Standing Committee next week.

The draft revision emphasizes that online platforms for individuals to seek donations should be designated by the country's civil affairs departments, and the authenticity of information released on the platforms also need to be checked, he said.

"In recent years, with the development of internet information and technology, many people have preferred to ask for help online, bringing forth a rapid growth of relevant service platforms," he said.

He lauded the positive role of the platforms in helping patients with serious diseases collect medical fees, but shared that "the service providers are sometimes disordered in management, causing negative effects to the credibility of the entire industry and even the development of charity."

Therefore, the NPC Standing Committee planned to add the content regarding the calls for donation launched by individuals online in the draft revision, he said.

He added that more specific provisions regarding such donation situations will be formulated by civil affairs departments, along with cyberspace as well as industry and information technology agencies.

In addition, the draft has also optimized measures to improve the transparency of donation. For example, it requires that within three months of the end of public fundraising activities or charity projects, organizers should disclose details of fundraising, project implementation and the use of the raised funds or goods, he said.

He also cited the draft as saying that how much money or how many materials are collected and how they are distributed or used to cope with major emergencies should be made public at least once every five days during the emergency and rescue period.