Regulatory compliance: Group call for reduction in operational environment burden on CSOs in Anambra

By Cyprian Ebele, Oniitsha

Global Rights has identified what it termed burdensome nature of operational environment and ignorance as major hindrances to Civil Society Organizations’ (CSOs) compliance to regulations.

Program Officer at Global Rights, Damilola Decker revealed this at a two-day training on Nonprofit Regulatory Compliance for members of the Community of Practice on Civic Space Strengthening in Anambra. 

The event themed “Strengthening a Community of Practice to improve the CSO Regulatory Environment in Nigeria” was organized with support of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS (EU Commission). 

Decker lamented multiplicity of various forms of regulations with their accompanying financial burdens, calling on government to lighten the burden to enable CSOs carry out their responsibilities seamlessly.

He said, “We’ve observed through our research that many CSOs, NGOs, and other non-profitable organizations, after registering with CAC, are ignorant of the regulatory burdens and regimes they have to keep up with.

“Not that they don’t want to comply, but the knowledge gap remains a challenge. Hence, Global Rights saw the need for the training in furtherance of our projects to strengthen their operational environment with support from EU.

“Again, while trying to improve operational environment, we realized its burdensome nature, making it difficult for CSO to comply. There are multiplicity of all forms of regulations, especially at the state level.

“Worse still, these registrations come with financial burdens and to a large extent hinders the CSOs from their good work of bridging gap between government and people. 

“We keep pushing for policies that enhance CSOs operational abilities, including streamlining the regulatory processes as well as improving the CSOs knowledge to their responsibilities.”

Member, National Steering Committee, Community of Practice on Civic Space Strengthening, Nonso Orakwe said the training was opportunity to deepen CSOs’ understanding of the laws.

Orakwe said it was also necessary for CSOs to know the policies and best practices guiding their operations.

One of the resource persons, Alfred Iortyaver, Associate member, Chartered institute of Taxation of Nigeria who spoke on Nonprofit Taxation raised the challenge of incivility approach of tax administrators especially at the local government level.

He stressed the need for capacity building for tax administrators, particularly on mode of tax collection as a way of curbing the uncivilized approach.