Pakistan’s NGO sector is facing exciting new challenges. The availability of funding from donors and a gradual recognition of the place for civil society among both the public and private spheres has seen tremendous growth in the number and scope of NGOs in the country. Yet, they face many obstacles. Limited access to resources often poses challenge to sustain their organizations and program benefits.

NGO Resource Centre has initiated a ‘Capacity building for NPO Tax Exemptions Program’ that aims at capacity building of NGOs to seek tax exempt status from Central Board of Revenue (CBR). This program is part of Institutional Management & Certification Program (IMCP) supported by USAID and Aga Khan Foundation (USA).This capacity building program consists of three major components: information sharing; training; and follow-up, will bring many benefits to partner NGOs and citizen sector as a whole.

As a part of this program NGO Resource Centre conducted a 3-day capacity building training workshop for Karachi based NGOs .from September 21-23, 2004. Thirty three participants from 17 major NGOs participated in the training workshop. The workshop was facilitated by Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, Project Officer IMCP, NGORC.

The workshop aimed at enhancing capacity of partner NGOs to meet the necessary requirements for certification / Tax exemptions as a non-profit organization (NPO) set by the Government of Pakistan (GOP), the Central Board of Revenue (CBR), or other certification agencies.

NGORC plans to hold about 8-10 training workshops all over the country over the next 6 months to built the capacity of the NGOs so as to enable them to obtain tax exempt status from the Commissioner of Income Tax / Central Board of Revenue, and any independent Certification Agency.

At the end of the workshop Qadeer Baig, Deputy Director, NGORC distributed certificates amongst the participants and assured NGORC support to NGOs for getting Certification / Tax exemptions. Next such workshop has been planned for Baluchistan NGOs in Quetta on October 4 -6, 2004.

The three day workshop was unique experience for the participants and has made a substantial contribution to the sustainability of NGOs. The participants of the workshop agreed that the tax incentives will enhance access to indigenous philanthropy and international support and thus help in sustaining their organizations and programmes. The participants appreciated NGORC for initiating this useful programme.