Afghanistan Non-Profit Organization Costs

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Institution

Afghanistan Non-Profit Organization Costs

What are the government regulations that can affect the cost or financial issues of a Non-profit Organization in Afghanistan?

Non – governmental organizations in many countries are controlled and regulated by rules and laws set aside by governments both at the national and local level, and Afghanistan is no exception. Afghanistan as a country has experienced many civil wars fought over along time along different tribes and religious sects of the religions in the country. The relationship between Afghanistan and many NGOs in the past has been challenging bearing in mind that most NGOs in the past had an influence and was related to the west (Humanitarian News and Analysis, 2005). The relationship between Afghanistan and many countries in the middle-East in general with those from the west was poor and full of suspicion. NGOs in some instances were viewed to be spies that pretended to come in the name of NGOs, and this made to stricter and tighter rules to be formulated by the then regimes. However, with the change of the regimes form the early 2000s, many NGOs have been allowed to operate in the various fields and the rules have been changed to a larger extent (Emadi & Palgrave Connect, 2010). These rules and regulations have affected the costs incurred by NGOs operating in Afghanistan.

There are many barriers to entry in the NGOs world, and there are rules that guide the domestic and foreign NGOs. For instance, foreign citizens are prohibited from serving as founders of such NGOs. Foreign NGOs have also to follow a thorough and strict process in registering done by the ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of Economy. This increases the cost and time spent in the process of establishing such institutions. The NGOs are also restricted against participating in political activities or condemning any political process even if it affects the dockets that they are involved in. These are the major barriers and challenges that NGOs in Afghanistan face even though in some areas where they observe strict religious beliefs in the sects and practices, they have incorporated religion as one element that has to be considered before the NGOs can operate within the areas. The country’s legal system has undergone many changes that have impacted both the civil society and the NGO world in the country (NGO Law Monitor, 2013). For instance in the year 2005 June, the president of Afghanistan Karzai signed law on NGOs that regulated the conduct of the organizations.

What are the economic perspectives that can affect the cost or financial issues of a Non-profit Organization in Afghanistan?

Any organizations whether form public or private has to incur economic costs at any process of the development. At the initiation and formulation stage, costs for putting up the required infrastructure and resources prove t be relevant. The costs of the projects intended to be established have to be considered, and the NGOs have to ensure that the costs are sustainable and manageable that will carter for the processes involved in the project that the group intends to establish. Different NGOs are involved in varied fields that try to address different issues and concerns facing the society and community that they work in (Levitt & World Bank, 2011). This, therefore, means that the costs incurred is different since various projects require different costs. For instance, an NGO that is concerned with the health sectors and provisions of health care services has a different cost than that in the education sector or even poverty eradication projects. The operation costs have to be factored in, as well. The decisions and perspectives that reduces expenses in non-essential and focuses most of its resources in addressing the main concerns should be encouraged by the NGOs that prove to be effective and efficient in tackling concerns of the community and society at large.

The costs of materials and resources t can in one way or the other affects the economic perspective of the NGOs in executing their duties and mandates. NGOs should procure for goods and material that they intend to use in a competitive manner that reduce the costs and get them a better deal. This will be subject t the performance of the economy where the NGOs are operating from. Transportation costs have also to be factored in as well that facilitate the operational costs in general. Therefore, projects established by the NGOs have to be able to match to the budget expectations of the organizations that enable them launch and run programs that will impact the society in full positively (Tomsen, 2011). The way and means of financing the projects have to be clear and sustainable over the period that the NGOs intend to run the various projects that they are concerned with. Many issues relating to financial and economic perspective have to be considered for any NGO before, during and after launching of the various projects that they are involved in.

What are the cultural issues that can affect the cost or financial issues of a Non-profit Organization in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is a country that is rich in culture. Culture as a broad concept that touches on many things from what wear to what we eat impacts on both pubic and private institutions in equal measure (Abirafeh, 2009). Religion is a key and part of the culture that has shaped many developments in Afghanistan and the Middle East in general. Religion shape and influence culture in such areas to a great extent such that it can determine as well the kind of dress, food and conduct of individuals in the NGO world and those benefiting from their services. Some NGOs have to incorporate in cultural factors in the communities that they operate in ordered to be received and be accepted t by the communities that they operate from (Levitt & World Bank, 2011). For instance, cultural issues such as education and religion can be incorporated in the NGOs programs to encourage the communities and beneficiaries of such help to accord the NGOs acceptance ad to bond in the community.

For instance, if it is a community that values and considers certain type and dress style, employees of the NGO can result to dressing in a manner that conforms and respects the culture of the host’s community and this it is asserted facilitates positive relations between the NGOs and the community making their goals and objectives to be realized with much ease. Depending on the environment that the NGO operates from, it determines how the cultural factors influence the NGO’s operations. Communities that are perceived to be conservative will require then NGOs to adhere to most of the cultural requirements and concerns of the host community unlike a community that is liberal and free (Reliefe web, 2003). Communities have cultural celebrations and, therefore, they have to incorporate these events in their programs and celebrate alongside the rest of communities. Incorporating such cultural events in some NGOs has proved to be costly and expensive in some instances even though it portrays the NGO in good light in relation to the host community.

What would be approximate start up cost or financial issues be for a non-profit organization to provide needs as:

For NGOs to provide service effectively and efficiently, they have to incur many costs in various areas that end up constituting to the total costs incurred for operation of the enterprise. There are many direct and indirect costs that rare involved and incurred in establishing and coming up with NGOs (Emadi & Palgrave Connect, 2010). The appropriate costs for any NGO in any area to launch an operation will depend on a variety of factors such as resources that the NGO has, the intended number of beneficiary and area to be covered, the costs required for registration among other costs such training of personnel and hiring experienced personnel. For NGOs involved in provision of needs such as food, shelter, education for young boys and girls, education for female students, attracting volunteers, hiring employees, and arranging future employment opportunities for female students

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.tradingeconomics.com/charts/afghanistan-gdp-growth-annual.png?s=afgstangdpate” * MERGEFORMATINET

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1 Afghanistan GDP

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INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.economonitor.com/dolanecon/files/2011/12/P111130-11.png” * MERGEFORMATINET

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 2 Foreign Aid

References

Abirafeh, L. (2009). Gender and international aid in Afghanistan: The politics and effects of intervention. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

Emadi, H., & Palgrave Connect (Online service). (2010). Dynamics of political development in Afghanistan: The British, Russian, and American invasions. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Humanitarian News and Analysis. (2005, March 31). Afghanistan: New code of conduct to regulate NGOs. Retrieved from http://www.irinnews.org/report/28641/afghanistan-new-code-of-conduct-to-regulate-ngos

Levitt, E., & World Bank. (2011). Malnutrition in Afghanistan: Scale, scope, causes, and potential response. Washington, D.C: World Bank.

NGO Law Monitor: Afghanistan (2013, November 4.) The International Center or not for Profit Law. ICNL. Retrieved from http://www.icnl.org/research/monitor/afghanistan.htm

Reliefe web. ( 2003, March 19.) Afghanistan: NGO concern over new regulatory framework. Retrieved from http://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-ngo-concern-over-new-regulatory-framework

Tomsen, P. (2011). The wars of Afghanistan: Messianic terrorism, tribal conflicts, and the failures of great powers. New York: PublicAffairs.