Culture: To study if the registered organisations were working in line with the Religious Organisations’ Act, 2007, the commission for religious organisations last December temporarily stopped the registration of new religious organisations.

Last year, the commission during a meeting found that some organisations had failed to submit the yearly accounts and assets report to the commission. To address this issue and others, the review began this month.

Deputy Chief Programme Officer with the commission, Phurba Dorji, said the review would take some more time to be completed. “If there are organisations that are not following the Act, we will conduct an awareness program to make them familiar with the Act,” Phurba Dorji said.

There are currently 94 religious organisations registered with the commission. Figures on how many more are waiting to register was not available.

Once a religious organisation is registered, it is exempted from paying tax and is also given trainings to help them run the office. “The members today are well trained in dzongkha Unicode and office management,” Phurba Dorji said.

The commission also prepares syllabus for religious organisations to maintain a consistent comprehension of Buddhist teachings for all the members. “The commission wants to help the religious organisations in all the way possible,” Phurba Dorji said.

Meanwhile, as a part of the 60th Birth Anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, the commission is planning to introduce a new syllabus in June.

By Younten Tshedup

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