Page 36 - 2023 OUTLINE OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Cooperatives And Civil Associations

I. Cooperative and Civil Associations Administration

To collaborate in the organizational transformation process of the central government, the
Ministry of the Interior (MOI) transferred the administration of social welfare affairs to the Min-
istry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) on July 23, 2013. Meanwhile, the Social Associations Sec-

tion, Occupational Associations Section, Cooperatives Administrative Section, and Cooperative
Enterprises Counselling Section, which had been traditionally overseen by the Social Welfare
Department, MOI, was re-organized under the Cooperatives and Civil Associations Preparatory
Office, MOI (hereinafter referred to as the “Preparatory Office”) to take charge of the planning,

implementation, guidance, and supervision of civil associations and cooperative enterprises
nationwide.

At present, the responsible authorities for civil associations and cooperatives are the MOI at the
central government level, and the municipal and county (city) governments at the local level. Howev-

er, the scope of duties of these civil associations and cooperatives shall be under the purview of the
corresponding responsible authorities.

In order to realize the MOI’s administrative goal of “promoting civil participation, thereby fulfill-
ing the spirit of democracy,” the Preparatory Office has devoted itself to strengthening relevant laws

and regulations of civil associations in recent years. Its aim is to create a free civil society and assist
cooperative enterprises to promote regional revitalization, so as to achieve a balanced development
for both urban and rural areas. In 2022, due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil

associations encountered obstacles due to risks brought forth by physical meetings and assembly.
Following the guidance of the Central Epidemic Command Center, the Preparatory Office permitted
civil associations and cooperatives to hold meetings via videoconferencing to assist in the promotion
of epidemic prevention measures by each competent authority of the specific businesses. In addi-
tion, to reduce the amount of paper documentation, improve efficiency of civil services and make

cooperative enterprises work more convenient, the Preparatory Office is continuously enhancing the
information system functions for civil associations and cooperative enterprises to provide more con-
venience to the public.

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