Akwa Ibom Assembly begins work on bill for a single CSO registry
Summarised from reporting by Premium Times. Figures trace to that report; check it before relying on them.
The bill, which passed first reading, would replace multiple registrations and levies for civil society groups with one state registry.
The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has started considering a bill to set up a central registry for civil society and community-based organisations operating in the state, Premium Times reports.
The bill passed first reading at plenary on Wednesday. It is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, KufreAbasi Edidem, who represents Itu State Constituency.
If passed, it would create one framework for registering groups involved in charitable, humanitarian, advocacy, research, human rights and similar public-interest work. It aims to end multiple registrations and overlapping levies across government agencies, shielding groups from fees other than those provided for in the state's harmonised tax laws.
Civil society groups pushed for a single registry at a town hall meeting in July, and also called for online registration and an independent registry board. Global Rights, which supported the process, welcomed the first reading. The bill must still pass further legislative stages before it can become law.
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