Social Affairs Ministry creates digital display screen to supervise charities and donations

KUWAIT CITY, March 20: Assistant Undersecretary for Social Development Sector Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs Salem Al-Rashidi revealed the creation of a digital display screen that will supervise Charitable Societies and Foundations Department during the 20th fundraising project to be implemented in the coming month of Ramadan, reports Al-Jarida daily.

Through the digital display screen, he said, it is possible to impose strict, momentary control over donations collected by the charitable bodies participating in the project.

Al-Rashidi told the daily that “this digital screen, which is the most prominent advantage and positive of the automated systems that the ministry recently launched and linked electronically to public benefit associations, ensures a timely follow-up of every dinar collected within the Ramadan donations project, and also provides an unprecedented speed in checking the total sums collected throughout the holy month.

He pointed out that 6 teams have been formed to monitor and remove fundraising violations during the 20th project, which will be entrusted with field work to monitor and remove donation violations in mosques, markets and commercial complexes.

This is in addition to removing booths designated for collecting worn-out clothes, and all forms of in-kind donation, as well as monitoring and removing collection via money boxes, indicating that there is a team that will be assigned to follow up on social media sites to monitor violating donation advertisements and take legal measures against their publishers, irrespective whether they are individuals or institutions and referred to the Public Prosecution.

Al-Rashidi stressed that the Ministry of Social Affairs, based on its keenness to fight intruders into charitable work, who call for collecting donations in illegal ways that are far from the eyes of the state, and without obtaining prior approval from the concerned government agencies, will be referred directly to the Public Prosecution.

Unlicensed and illegal public fundraising process will be dealt with immediately and necessary measures against those involved will be taken.

He explained that one of the most important controls for collection is that donations are allowed to be collected throughout the holy month, through bank deductions and “KNet” devices only, and it is strictly forbidden to collect cash donations in any form by representatives of charitable societies.

It is also strictly prohibited to place piggy banks and money incubators in mosques, indicating that in the event of any violations of the applicable rules and regulations, people are requested to send a “WhatsApp” message or call the hotline No. 66027725 of the Ministry of Awqaf.