Charities see progress
( 2003-11-10 16:39) (Xinhua)
China's charities have seen
progress in organization, service, public awareness, government support and
international cooperation since the opening-up policy was adopted, a leading
charity official said Sunday.
Fan Baojun, president of China Charity Federation (CCF) said here at the
opening of the Business and Civil Society Forum that in recent years, charity
organizations had boomed and formed nationwide networks.
Membership of the CCF had increased to 137 since it was first established in
1994, and CCF members covered almost all provinces,regions and large and
medium-sized cities, some even stretching tocounty-level areas and residential
communities.
In the meantime, he said, fields of charity service were enlarged and
charitable organizations had played an irreplaceable and supplementary role in
solving social problems. In 1998 when much of China suffered from serious
flooding, charities collected billions of yuan in donations from home and
abroad.
Fan said public awareness of charities was growing and the government's
support in law and policies was stronger. In 1997, China for the first time
regulated donor companies and enterprisesenjoyed tax breaks, which were written
into law in 1999.
The government was developing charities as part of the social security system
during the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005),which fundamentally positioned
charities in the national economy and social development.
In September, the government further regulated tax breaks for donors. "This
policy will greatly help charitable causes," Fan said.
He said Chinese charity organizations had rich experience of cooperation with
foreign organizations and companies in administration, fund management, and
legal support. The "Smile Train" project, jointly launched in 1999 by CCF and
the US-based CA company, has offered free operations to 48,900 cleft lip
sufferers from 30 provinces and regions, with a total investment of 123 million
yuan (14.8 million US dollars).
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