A charities commission and a register of charities are to be established in Northern Ireland to prevent paramilitaries exploiting "sham" charities to launder money, the North's social development minister David Hanson has announced.
Mr Hanson said the commission would regulate charities to prevent exploitation by republican and loyalist paramilitaries and criminal gangs.
It will have the power to investigate misconduct and the mismanagement of charities and take remedial action, he said.
In future all charities must be registered.
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They will be obliged to submit annual accounts for inspection, and there will also be new permits and licences to govern street collections.
