The National Center for the Development and Promotion of Non-Profit Associations (CASFL) of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development is working to create a culture of transparency in organizations, with the objective of strengthening the credibility of the sector.
This was stated by the executive director of CASFL, Vielka Polanco, interviewed by journalist Gustavo Olivo, in the program “A partir de ahora”, broadcast by Acento TV.
She specified that there are many valuable organizations that carry out their work with very few resources, “those are the ones we are going to support”. Secondly, he indicated that it is necessary to watch over the taxpayers’ money, since the allocations to ASFL come from the taxes paid by the citizens.
“In order to receive public funds, one must first have management capacity and secondly guarantee that the resources are going to be invested in what the projects presented by the organizations state,” said Polanco.
He reiterated the call to civil society organizations to participate in the call, which closes this May 17, and to comply with the stipulations of Law 122-05 for the request of allocations of funds charged to the General State Budget for 2022.
He specified that the merits, trajectories, background, accountability record, the general work developed by the ASFLs will be evaluated, but above all the objectives and activities defined in the projects; that they be innovative, that they offer an added value, that they complement the Government’s management.
He also mentioned, among the requirements, that the NPOs must have at least one year of incorporation before the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic, have the sectorial authorization of the ministries and be in full compliance with their administrative and fiscal obligations.
Until May 17, 2021
Polanco explained that the deadline for receiving grant applications is May 17 and that applications will be received solely and exclusively through the Integral Management System for Non-Profit Associations (SIGASFL).
He reaffirmed that one of the innovations of the call is the territorialization of public policies and for this “we are reserving 30% of the funds to guarantee that organizations from the border and provinces with a high poverty index have a greater opportunity to participate”. He reiterated that 77% of the funds are concentrated in Greater Santo Domingo and Santiago.
Likewise, Polanco said that they are promoting actions to prevent risks and guarantee a good management of the funds. He maintains that the ASFLs play an important role in the incidence of public policies.
He specified that they also carry out training sessions and workshops to strengthen the ASFLs in project formulation and capacity building. He considered it interesting that there are organizations that develop projects that can be replicated at the national level, such as in the early childhood, agricultural and livestock and environmental sectors, among others.
Polanco recalled that the CASFL is a participatory body because it is made up of civil society organizations and representatives of government institutions such as the General Budget Office, the Comptroller General’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.
He indicated that the CASFL as a governing body has the function of defining and promoting the participation of organizations in the formulation and management of public policies. “What we want is for the organizations to be part of the planning of public policies”.
He affirmed that the subsidies received by the ASFLs are important for project management and they are seeking to make them an instrument for development.
Polanco expressed that they are working so that the projects of the ASFLs are aligned to the Pluriannual Plan of the Government’s sectors. He stated that in this way social impact will be achieved. “We are talking about approximately 34 million dollars a year allocated to organizations, which, when well invested, can contribute to the development of the communities”.
He reaffirmed that the present administration is very committed to ensure that this call for proposals complies with Law 122-05 on the regulation and promotion of the ASFLs and that the projects presented are aligned with the prioritized policies of the government.
