Privately funded charities could face stronger oversight after the Charities Amendment Act 2025 was moved through the House of Assembly.

The amendment would give the Register General the authority to request a copy of the service agreement between privately funded charities, or PFCs, and their licensed corporate service providers.

Tinée Furbert, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, explained that charities had to be publicly registered to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.

PFCs were exempt from this registration if they were managed by a licensed corporate service provider and instead were listed on a private registry.

However, Ms Furbert said that this private registry was deemed to have an insufficient level of oversight and did not guarantee “ongoing due diligence”.

PFCs must now notify the Register General of any changes in their relationships service providers within 30 days or else be subject to penalties.

She added: “The Charities Amendment Act 2025 is our commitment to improve upon the legal framework for oversight of charities by introducing measures that ensure compliance with standards and that the local NPO [non-profit organisation] sector remains low risk for terrorist financing.”