Kazakhstan, Astana, 15 November / corr. Trend D. Mukhtar /
Kazakhstan, toughen control over religious groups. In particular, those that is financed from abroad will have to submit a report on the use of these funds, chairman of Kazakhstan Agency on Religious Affairs Kairat Lama Sharif said at the second forum of religious scholars of the country on Thursday.
"A religious association, which carries out its activity through funds provided free of charge by international and foreign organizations, foreigners and stateless persons must submit a report on the use of these funds to the tax authorities in accordance with the laws of Kazakhstan," Kairat Lama Sharif said.
He noted that there are cases when the representatives of religious organizations are involved in questionable, even criminal activity.
"Transparency of the financial activities of a number of religious groups is under the question. Therefore it is necessary to clean up the field of financial and economic activities of religious organizations," the Chairman of the Agency for Religious Affairs said.
He noted that the initiative is based on foreign experience.
"International experience is also based on the transparency of financial activities of religious organizations," he said.