The National Assembly adopted the package of amendments to the RA Law on Non-Governmental Organizations and the related draft laws in the first reading.
99 deputies voted in favor of the project, there were 2 abstentions.
When representing the law at the National Assembly, Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan had previously noted that with the adoption of the new law the Government would set a fundamental balance between the issues presenting interest both for the public and the civil society.
“Many principles of the draft law are entirely acceptable for non-governmental organizations and that is the most crucial thing for us”, highlighted Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan in her speech.
According to the Minister, first of all, a number of logical provisions are to be amended in the Law, which will result in a diametrical change of the draft law in terms of its writing coherence and spirit. “It is stipulated by the law that both individuals and legal entities can affiliate with NGOs. Non-governmental organizations are given a chance to engage in entrepreneurial activity. At the moment, an NGO can only set up a for-profit organization and exercise that function. The new law, however, stipulates that organizations will be entitled to engage in entrepreneurial activity in accordance with their statutory rules,” she said.
Besides, according to the new amendments, if the NGO changes its location it will not be obliged to change its statute as well, which was the case before. It will merely have to notify the Agency of the State Register of Legal Entities about the change. It is also stipulated by the amendments that NGO will have not only members but also beneficiaries.
However, the innovations are not limited to the above-mentioned. After the break the Minister will continue representing the new law at the National Assembly.
