The law would allow organisations to apply to become registered charities. This will allow them to continue to use the word ‘charity’ as a description and entitles them to tax relief beyond 2019.
Charities which currently receive tax benefits will continue to receive relief until the end of the 2019 tax year.
Assistant Chief Minister Paul Routier said: ‘Following the appointment of Jersey’s first Charity Commissioner last July, the opening of the publicly accessible Charity Register is the key step in promoting public confidence in the charitable sector, helping it to develop and flourish.’
Charity Commissioner John Mills added that the charity register was important in ensuring Islanders have ‘trust and confidence’ in the work they do and that a properly regulated charity sector is a ‘key element’ in Jersey society.
He said: ‘I welcome this final step towards bringing the Charities Law into force.
‘The transparency enabled by the new Charity Register will not only allow people to see for themselves the main governance and financial arrangements of charities but also, for the same reason, will afford charities of all descriptions, once registered, a much greater degree of credibility as they seek to raise funds to pursue their work.’
The proposition is due to be debated on Tuesday 6 March.
