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A total of 117 organisations out of 215 applications received have been approved to hold flag days to raise funds for their charitable projects on 50 Saturdays and nine Wednesdays which fall on school or public holidays in 2014-15. Flag sales will be conducted from 7am to 12.30pm on the approved flag days.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (March 28) that, in order to allow more organisations to conduct flag sales, 29 flag days had been assigned as regional flag days in 2014-15. On each regional flag day, three organisations will sell flags to solicit donations concurrently, one each on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories.
The spokesman said that for easy identification, the flag day organisers are required to put on the money collection bags the name of the organisation and mark "This flag day has been approved by the Social Welfare Department". Furthermore, some approved flag day organisers would also use Octopus card readers on their allocated flag days with the pouches bearing the name of the respective organisation and the statement "This flag day has been approved by the Social Welfare Department".
The spokesman appealed to flag day organisers to take precautions against any possible fraud. They should inform the Police of any loss of property and seek their help if fraudulent acts such as tampering with collection bags or unauthorised fundraising are found.
Members of the public can visit the SWD's homepage (www.swd.gov.hk) and the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising) if they wish to check information on flag days. They are also welcome to call the SWD hotlines on 2343 2255 or, during office hours, on 2832 4311.
The spokesman also said that the Government has promulgated the "Reference Guide on Best Practices for Charitable Fund-raising Activities" to assist the charities in improving the transparency and accountability of their charitable fund-raising activities. The best practices of the Reference Guide cover areas on donors' rights, fund-raising practices and financial accountability. The Reference Guide is accessible from the SWD homepage.
Attached is a list of designated flag days and the respective organisers in 2014-15.
Ends/Friday, March 28, 2014
Issued at HKT 10:01
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