Head of the Welfare Committee Reports Fraud by Some Charitable Institutions

The head of the Welfare Committee has announced that there is no oversight over the activities of charities and public benefit institutions, and has reported fraud by some of these institutions. Parviz Fattah stated on Friday (November 5) to the 'House of the Nation' news agency that he is 'worried' about the lack of oversight over these institutions and that the Welfare Committee has proposed a plan to organize the activities of charities and public benefit institutions in the sixth development plan. In this interview, Mr. Fattah spoke about the necessity of passing comprehensive legislation to organize the activities of charities and public benefit institutions and expressed hope that the parliament would approve the organization plan for these institutions. He mentioned that there are several thousand charitable institutions in Iran, some of which have reports of violations and cases being formed in courts. According to the head of the Welfare Committee, these institutions have either failed to provide public assistance to those in need or have engaged in 'fraud.' He added, 'It must be acknowledged that after the issuance of a license, there is no oversight for the affairs of charities and public benefit institutions.' This official also announced that 'many charities and public benefit institutions are unwilling to exchange and harmonize information about the needy individuals under their coverage.' Yahya Rahim Safavi, one of the advisors to Ali Khamenei, also stated on Friday during the fifteenth gathering of benefactors of the 'Aid Workers of Ashura' charity that 'the key to the success of charities lies in transparency, sustainability, and creativity.' According to IRNA, Mr. Rahim Safavi added, 'Benefactors must know where and for what purpose their donated money is spent.' According to Mohammad Hassan Khairkhah, the director of the Office for Development and Supervision of Non-Governmental Charitable Institutions at the Welfare Organization, in Iran, 'the only legal authority to issue licenses for the establishment of non-governmental charitable associations and institutions is the Welfare Organization.' Mr. Khairkhah stated that 'any parallel work by other government agencies' in issuing licenses for these institutions is 'illegal and will be pursued seriously.' In Iran, thousands of charitable institutions are active, a significant number of which are affiliated with religious and governing bodies, and there is no accurate report of their financial turnover and activities. Numerous reports and news have been published regarding embezzlement and financial corruption in various institutions in Iran. Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General of the country, reported on November 6 about a 1200 billion tomans embezzlement case in two banks, Bank Melli and Bank Mellat, and stated that five individuals have been arrested in connection with this case. Additionally, reports related to an '8000 billion tomans embezzlement' in the Cultural Reserve Fund and the issue of the publication of salary slips of some managers known as 'astronomical slips' have also made headlines in recent months.