The so-called 2% Law is not functional for the reason that a mechanism for implementing it wasn’t worked out, the head of the National NGO Council Iuliana Cantaragiu said in a public debate held at IPN.

The given law allows the private individuals and legal entities to direct 2% of the income tax paid to the state to nongovernmental organizations. In the absence of relevant mechanisms, the NGOs cannot really benefit from this support offered by the people. “We insisted that the public utility certificate should be instituted by the 2% Law, following the logic that this is public money and its utilization should be monitored somehow,” stated Iuliana Cantaragiu.

According to the 2% Law, the certification commission working under the Ministry of Justice performs the inspection function. The commission decides which of the NGOs can benefit from the distributed percentage and has also the power to monitor how the money provided from the income tax to religious organizations is used,” said the certification commission’s chairman Ruslan Berzoi.

Even if there is no mechanism for implementing the 2% Law, the certification commission is obliged to ask for information about the distributed percentage from the NGOs. Even if these organizations didn’t benefit from this percentage, they must provide relevant information. Most of the applicants for public utility certificates do not know the law and come to the commission unprepared, said Ruslan Berzoi.

The adoption of a mechanism that will enable to direct 2% of the income tax paid by a person to a civil society organization was stipulated in the civil society development strategy for 2012-2015.