Nepali Times

Real story on PM Relief Fund

Funds sent to NGOs for earthquake relief will not be seized and will be re-routed to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

The Brief
From the archive blog: The Brief

In times of crisis, accurate information is as essential as it is elusive. It was thus quite unfortunate when rumors around the Prime Minister’s relief fund started to spin out of control. Rules placed by the government around the influx of funds to non-registered NGOs or personal accounts were misinterpreted on both international news media and on social media.

Firstly, let us be clear: registered NGOs can receive funds from outside the country. The government has declared that any funds sent from outside the country to NGOs who were created solely for earthquake relief will be re-routed to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. NGOs with existing registrations prior to the earthquake are unaffected by this rule. Funds to these NGOs will not be seized.

Local community-based organisations with ties to the affected villages are those that are affected the most by these rumours. These smaller organisations can leverage even relatively small donations incredibly well because they understand Nepal, are run by Nepalis, and are committed to taking care of their own communities. These organisations need and can utilise quickly small donations provided by the Nepali diaspora and other supporters.

It is vital that these rumours are put to rest, funds can flow without interruption, and aid can reach some of the most neglected and affected communities.

(Clarification in the public interest.)

Category:The Brief
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Comments (Archive)

  • David Simmons

    Namaste Kundit. Thanks for the clarification. We do not need confusion among donors. Kia Kahn from New Zealand

  • Daniel

    "A lost good name can never be retrieved." -goes the saying.

  • Avidit

    The fact that there have been false rumors going around about the PM relief fund policy does not mean that the actual policy is a good one. There are many reasons why it is not, but one stands out: the fact that the seizure of funds applies *retroactively* to accounts created after April 25. This has the appearance of expropriation and reduces trust in the government. If the policy has to be applied, it would be better to apply it starting at some future date. The government should, at the very least, reverse this aspect of the policy and return the funds that were expropriated from these accounts. The government policy attempts to centralize authority over relief work too much, and there are better ways for the government to get involved. For example, it could create a single go-to website to update relief organizations on what kind of relief is needed and where, and then to ask all relief organizations to report the details of what they are providing, how much of it, where etc. It could also ask trusted NGOs and INGOs to help update information on the exact needs in different areas. Allocation is a major issue. Some areas might be receiving a surplus of certain kinds of help, others might be getting a shortage. If it is easy to see these shortages and surpluses on the website, then it becomes easier to address the allocation problem. I know that some organizations, like Kathmandu Living Labs, are already doing work that might help with this. The point is that a good policy is one that centralizes information gathering and dissemination, but keeps the actual relief work largely decentralized to local authorities, relief organizations and private individuals. The government should work with the private sector and NGOs and INGOs rather than doing things separately or trying to do everything on its own.

  • Tashi Lama

    It was very sad and frustrating to know that government of Nepal rejected the relief and help from Taiwan, who the hell on this earth can do such silly things on such tragic days in Nepal. In the badly effected remote parts people are badly in need of help but in Kathmandu government is rejecting the help that is on the way, what a shame on the part those government officials doing such silly things to bow before the Chinese autocrat regime. Very disgusting to know this, those responsible in rejecting the help in need must be sacked out of the post.

  • Yalam

    Agreed!! The Govt must also be held accountable for transparency of the PM Relief Fund, its effective and efficient disbursement (no string attached) to all devastated by the earthquake.

  • David Seddon

    crucial that the donations and disbursement are equally monitored - can the UN please audit NOW

  • Nirmal Ghimire

    Defence! Still sounds gag-rule!Why isn't there any freedom to form new NGO and get aid? WHY?

  • Jeet Joshee

    The government is not holding any organized and regularly scheduled press conference for the national and international press and its people. So instead rumors take over. Press conference should be held for all matters and most importantly to give updates on relief efforts in all villages. The ministers who are appearing in TV interviews are ill prepared, ill advised and thus utter words they should not be saying at this time of crisis. The country is going through one of the worst natural and now a humanitarian disaster and the government is not giving out proper and accurate information. Schedule a daily or even two a day press conference and let people know exactly what is happening, how all relief efforts are being coordinated and so forth including any new policies you introduce.

  • Paco

    But...how many NGOs were working before the earthquake? Please, be serious: the biggest ones, as Medecins sans Frontieres, are arriving because the Earthquake, with a lot of funds. But that money is for the people, not for the Prime Minister. NGO: Not Governmental Organisation. So, not under Govern control. If Nepal's Primer Minister want to control the non-registered NGOs, there are other ways to do, or to accelerate the process of registration, or to make a good coordination authority for the intervention for disaster. Summarising: it smells bad.

  • Ravi Raj Kaur

    Under rule of Dr Baburam Bhattarai we would not have these problems it is a lack of intelligence.

  • Ravi Raj Kaur

    The extremely long experience of a weak government while youngsters vandalised the country, now having to love the chinese helps and so on and any time if quake had not happened the hardliners declare band several generations are uneducated. Even nepalese with mothers had to live in orphanages because of their own. so called business. Then foreigner again and again is blamed, India for killing, China is not blamed because they are seen as money. Meanwhile I need tents in Dholaka blabla. Get your act together government and if aid agencies have to buy expensive tents if they cannot carry it on their back from Amsterdam, put another vacancy for mental health consultation. Psychiatric solution needed.

  • Dinesh

    Biralo Lai dhoodh Ko saachi banay ra ni huncha ra?