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| Buddhist dignitaries and followers attend a ceremony to mark Lord Buddha's birthday in Ho Chi Minh City's Vietnam Quoc Tu pagoda__Photo: VNA |
From March 30, fund raising activities of belief and religious establishments will be put under stricter control to ensure publicity and transparency, according to Decree 95 recently issued by the Government.
Worthy of note, the new regulation requires fund raising for belief and religious activities to be carried out by domestic organizations and individuals on a voluntary basis.
Representatives or management boards of belief establishments, religious organizations and dependent religious organizations are required to notify in writing competent state agencies of the fund raising, clearly stating its purpose, location, method and duration as well as how donated assets will be managed and used.
The new Decree clearly states that donated assets must be managed and used for announced purpose(s) to serve belief and religious activities, stressing that any acts of using names of belief establishments, religious organizations and dependent religious organizations for raising funds for self-seeking purposes or for purposes other than those specified in this Decree are prohibited.
As for belief and religious activities of foreigners lawfully residing in Vietnam, if such foreigners wish to change representatives of their religious practicing groups, they are required to submit registration dossiers to the provincial-level People’s Committees where their group practice their religions.
Within 30 days after receiving such a dossier, the provincial-level People’s Committee will issue a written reply.
In case of change of the religious practicing location, the group’s representative will also have to submit a dossier to the provincial-level People’s Committee. In case the new place is located in a different province, the dossier will be submitted to the People’s Committee of such province.
Within 10 days after getting approval for relocation, the group will have to stop its activities in the former place and notify such in writing to the local People’s Committee.- (VLLF)
