Recently, the State Administration of Religious Affairs launched the "Measures for the Financial Management of Venues for Religious Activities", which will come into force on June 1.
The "Measures" were jointly formulated by the State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, with ten chapters and fifty-five articles, "improving the financial management system for religious activity sites", according to the WeChat of United Front Work Department.
The "Measures" stipulate that religious activity sites shall establish and improve internal financial management systems and financial management institutions, and major matters shall be decided after study by the venue management organization. The sites should implement the accounting system for non-governmental non-profit organizations, setting up accounting books in accordance with the law, with accounting files established and properly kept. It requires the sites to formulate an income budget and an expenditure budget, to deposit all kinds of income into the bank settlement account of the unit, rather than into personal accounts, and to use the income for the site activities, instead of for distribution or for fields and activities prohibited by national laws and regulations. It says the venues should formulate an asset management system to strengthen the management of their current assets, fixed assets, intangible assets, cultural relics and cultural assets. The "Measures" clarify the supervisory responsibilities of religious affairs departments and financial departments, as well as the supervisory rights of financial personnel, religious clergy, donors and religious people.
Article 21 states, “Religious activity venues should generally formulate an annual budget for the venue, which ought to be reported it to the registration management authority for the record, and be notified to local religious believers in an appropriate manner.”
Article 26 reads, "The donation box in a religious activity site should be managed by three designated people and be opened when three people are present at the same time. The amount of donations should be counted and registered on the spot and be handed to the financial persons for entry. ”
The "Measures" mentions that the land used for religious activities and the real estate should be applied for real estate registration in accordance with the law, and a real estate certificate should be obtained. Religious activity sites shall provide the registration management authority with the financial and accounting reports of the previous year, as well as the acceptance and use of donations, within the first three months of the second year.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
