Labour promises to cut down costs for voluntary groups

The Government will lower operating costs for NGOs, faith societies, and community groups, Robert Abela said on Thursday.

The pledge is one of several proposals Abela unveiled on Thursday targeting NGOs.

The proposals build on what Labour described as a record of support for voluntary groups, citing €30 million already spent to save 15 band clubs from eviction.

That support, Abela said, would continue so that income generated by those clubs could be directed towards larger projects run by musical societies.

Labour said it would support the Band Clubs Federation in renovating its Floriana premises and equipping it for administrative work.

He said the party is aware of the processes that feast organisations must go through to continue playing an important role in strengthening our identity, and that under a Labour government, the issuing of permits will be simplified and the double processes eliminated

Additionally, he said a draft law, drawn up after consultations with voluntary groups, would go before parliament at the start of the next legislature, simplifying reporting duties and introducing tailored support tailored to each group’s needs.

In the pledge, the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations would serve as a single point of contact, eliminating the need to repeatedly submit the same documents to different regulators.

The utility bill incentive, currently available only to groups working in disability and animal welfare, would be extended to all voluntary organisations, he said, with further help offered for renewable energy installations to cut bills entirely.

Part of the pledge would be that groups not using government property receive financial assistance to cover rental and purchase costs.

The daily allowance under the Youth Volunteer Overseas scheme would also rise, and NGOs applying for EU funds would receive both training and direct financial support to help them manage application and project delivery costs.

He said that public sector workers would be able to serve in voluntary organisations for a set number of days rather than full-time, and private companies would be encouraged to adopt similar arrangements as part of their social responsibility commitments.

Lastly, Basic health and safety training would also be introduced for volunteers, with the Occupational Health and Safety Authority available to assist groups carrying out risk assessments for larger activities.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​