Bill on associations: Ministry of Finance representatives heard by Committee on Rights and Freedoms

Tunis: Representatives of the Ministry of Finance, heard on Monday by the Committee on Rights and Freedoms of the Assembly of People's Representatives on the draft organic law on associations, suggested that the draft law should stipulate that "associations must open a postal current account and submit all financial transactions to a financial audit carried out by the Central Bank, with notification to the Tunisian Financial Analysis Committee". According to the Parliament, representatives of the Ministry of Finance stated that the Ministry controls the transparency of funding for associations with limited budgets, and that with regard to associations receiving foreign funding, Article 102 of the Organic Law on the Fight against Terrorism and the Suppression of Money Laundering regulates this issue. With regard to financial transfers from abroad, they pointed out that the Minister of Finance could, on the basis of the aforementioned law, require prior authorisation for associations suspected of having links with persons, groups or activities condemned under the anti-terrorism law. In response to questions from MPs, they considered that there was no need to set up a fund within the Prime Ministry to support associations and voluntary work, as public funding is regulated by decree. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse