MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti) - The deputies who initiated a controversial bill on non-governmental organizations in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, have removed a clause on financial control of NGOs from the bill, an MP said Wednesday.
The first draft of the bill included a clause allowing the body registering the NGO to exert financial control over it, the State Duma public associations committee head Sergei Popov said.
"The right to request financial and economic documents has been removed," Popov said.
The registering body will retain the right to request confirmation of information from authorities overseeing NGO operations, he said.
The bill's initiators said a single procedure for registering all NGOs should be introduced. "There will be a general notifying procedure for registering with the Justice Ministry," a deputy said.
Currently 40% of foreign NGOs are accredited with the Foreign Ministry, and 60% with the Justice Ministry, he said.
