The Ghana Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP) has dismissed a claim it plans to reregister all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the country.

There is a claim on social media and some online platforms that the ministry, through its Nonprofit Organisation Secretariat (NPOS), will blacklist NGOs who do not register under the Premises Traceability Code (PTC).

The ministry, in a statement, asked the general public to disregard any such information as it is false.

The ministry also noted that fraudsters were urging all NGOs to pay $ 275.00 to a purported mobile money number, claiming to be coming from the Department of Social Welfare.

Development Diaries gathered that although the NPOS has the responsibility of regulating and empowering nonprofits in the country, it is not currently reregistering NGOs.

‘MOGCSP is therefore using this medium to advise the general public not to engage with any person or group of persons claiming to be reregistering NGOs on behalf of the Ministry’, a statement from MOGCSP read.

‘Those who deal with such individuals or groups do so at their own risk. We further wish to state that the ministry does not request for payment of mobile money for its transactions. The general public should kindly take note and be guided accordingly’.

Cybercrime and fraud contributed to Ghana being blacklisted for money-laundering by the international watchdog, the global Financial Action Task Force in 2012.

Photo source: WACSI