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                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              PUBLIC COLLECTIONS ACT, 1961 (ACT 
                                              59)</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              1.&nbsp; Public appeals for donations 
                                              in money or in kind restricted</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              2.&nbsp; Application to collections 
                                              begun before the commencement of 
                                              this Act</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              3.&nbsp; Exemptions</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              4.&nbsp; Registration of Public 
                                              collections</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              5.&nbsp; Method, effect and duration of 
                                              registration</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              6.&nbsp; Power of the registration 
                                              authority to call for books of 
                                              account</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              7.&nbsp; Collectors</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              8.&nbsp; Proceeds&nbsp; of collection deemed 
                                              to be received for stated objects</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              9.&nbsp; Offences and penalties</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              10. Legal proceedings</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              11. Regulations</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              12. Interpretation</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              13. Repeal</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              14. Commencement</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              THE FIFTY-NINTH</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center"></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              ACT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE 
                                              REPUBLIC OF GHANA</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              ENTITLED</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              THE PUBLIC COLLECTIONS ACT, 1961.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              AN ACT to consolidate the law 
                                              relating to public collections of 
                                              money or in kind.</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              DATE OF ASSENT: 29th May, 1961.</span></p>
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                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              BE IT ENACTED by the President and 
                                              the National Assembly in this 
                                              present Parliament assembled as 
                                              follows:&#8212;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 1&#8212;Public appeals for 
                                              donations in money or in kind 
                                              restricted.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) Subject to the provisions of 
                                              this Act it is unlawful to make 
                                              any appeal to the public or any 
                                              part or class thereof for 
                                              donations in money or in kind for 
                                              any object whatsoever, except 
                                              where registration of such public 
                                              collection has been effected in 
                                              accordance with this Act.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) A payment of money in exchange 
                                              for a token or any article of 
                                              token value only, or for any 
                                              article or benefit the value of 
                                              which is substantially less than 
                                              the value of such payment shall be 
                                              deemed to be a donation for the 
                                              purposes of this section.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (3) In any case where an appeal 
                                              for donations to be applied to a 
                                              particular object is made to five 
                                              or more members of the public, the 
                                              burden of proving, in any criminal 
                                              or civil proceedings taken in 
                                              relation to such appeal, that it 
                                              was not an appeal to the public 
                                              within the meaning of this section 
                                              shall be upon the defendant in 
                                              such proceedings.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 2&#8212;Application to 
                                              collections begun before the 
                                              commencement of this Act.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              An appeal for donations made 
                                              before the commencement of this 
                                              Act which would, if made after the 
                                              commencement of this Act, be 
                                              subject to the provisions of this 
                                              Act shall, if donations continue 
                                              to be solicited or made after the 
                                              commencement of this Act, be 
                                              deemed to be public collection to 
                                              which the provisions of this Act 
                                              apply.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 3&#8212;Exemptions.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              This Act shall not apply to&#8212;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (a) any collection made at divine 
                                              service in a place of public 
                                              worship for charitable, benevolent 
                                              or philanthropic purposes;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (b) requests made by or on behalf 
                                              of the committee of any club, 
                                              association or trade union to 
                                              members of such club, association 
                                              or union for subscriptions;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (c) collections of a purely 
                                              parochial character made in good 
                                              faith for the benefit of a local 
                                              church, school, sport club or 
                                              charity, or a project in the 
                                              interests of local public welfare;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (d) collections made in good faith 
                                              among a limited class of persons 
                                              for the purposes of making a 
                                              presentation to any person on any 
                                              special occassion;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (e)&nbsp; collections in respect of 
                                              customary ceremonial rites; or</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (f) any person or class of person 
                                              exempted by order of the Minister 
                                              in relation to a collection for an 
                                              object specified in such order.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 4&#8212;Registration of public 
                                              collections.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) Any person who desires to 
                                              promote a public collection shall 
                                              make application for registration 
                                              in the prescribed form to the 
                                              registration authority for the 
                                              area within which the collection 
                                              is to be made, and the application 
                                              shall, in addition to such other 
                                              particulars as may be prescribed, 
                                              contain a full and accurate 
                                              statement of the objects to which 
                                              the proceeds of the collection are 
                                              to be applied (hereinafter 
                                              referred to as &quot;the stated 
                                              objects&quot;).</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) The registration authorities 
                                              for each Region shall be such 
                                              persons as the Minister may 
                                              appoint.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (3) The registration authority 
                                              shall not refuse registration, or, 
                                              where registration has been 
                                              effected, shall nor revoke it, 
                                              unless it appears to him&#8212;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (a)&nbsp; that any of the stated 
                                              objects is illegal;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (b) that the applicant or the 
                                              promoter is not a fit and proper 
                                              person to be registered by reason 
                                              of the fact that he has been 
                                              convicted of any offence the 
                                              conviction for which necessarily 
                                              involved a finding that he acted 
                                              fraudulently or dishonestly;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (c)&nbsp; that the applicant or the 
                                              promoter, in promoting a public 
                                              collection, has failed to exercise 
                                              due diligence to secure that 
                                              collectors authorised by him to 
                                              assist in making the collection 
                                              were fit and proper persons, to 
                                              secure compliance on the part of 
                                              collectors with the provisions of 
                                              this Act or to prevent 
                                              certificates of authority being 
                                              obtained by persons other than 
                                              duly authorised collectors;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (d) that the applicant or the 
                                              promoter has been convicted of any 
                                              offence against the provisions of 
                                              this Act; or </span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 36.0pt">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (e)&nbsp; that remuneration which is 
                                              excessive in proportion to the 
                                              total amount likely to be 
                                              collected is to be or has been 
                                              retained or received out of the 
                                              proceeds of the collection by any 
                                              person.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (4) If the registration authority 
                                              refuses registration, or if he 
                                              revokes registration, he shall 
                                              forthwith give written notice 
                                              thereof to the applicant or 
                                              promoter, stating the grounds upon 
                                              which registration has been 
                                              refused or revoked, and informing 
                                              him of the right of appeal given 
                                              by this section, and the applicant 
                                              or promoter may thereupon appeal 
                                              by petition to the Minister 
                                              against the refusal or revocation 
                                              of registration, as the case may 
                                              be, and the decision of the 
                                              Minister shall be final.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (5) The appeal shall be brought 
                                              within twenty-one days from the 
                                              date on which notice is given 
                                              under subsection (4).</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (6) If the Minister decides that 
                                              the appeal should be allowed, the 
                                              registration authority shall 
                                              forthwith effect registration or 
                                              cancel the revocation, as the case 
                                              may be, in accordance with the 
                                              decision of the Minister.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 5&#8212;Method, Effect and 
                                              Duration of Registration.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) Except where registration is 
                                              refused under section 4 of this 
                                              Act, the registration authority 
                                              shall cause the prescribed 
                                              particulars (which shall include 
                                              the stated objects) to be entered 
                                              in the register, and thereupon the 
                                              promoter may make a public 
                                              collection for the stated objects 
                                              within the area in which 
                                              registration has been effected.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) A registration effected under 
                                              this section shall, unless sooner 
                                              revoked, remain in force until the 
                                              31st day of December in the year 
                                              in which it is effected.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 6&#8212;Power of the 
                                              Registration Authority to call for 
                                              Books of Accounts, Etc.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              The registration authority may, by 
                                              notice in writing, call upon the 
                                              promoter of a public collection to 
                                              produce, to the person named and 
                                              at the time and place specified in 
                                              the notice, the books of account 
                                              and all other documents relating 
                                              to such collection for examination 
                                              or audit.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 7&#8212;Collectors.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) Any promoter may authorise any 
                                              number of fit and proper persons 
                                              to assist him in making a public 
                                              collection for the stated objects.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) Each collector shall be 
                                              supplied by the promoter with a 
                                              certificate of authority which 
                                              shall specify fully and accurately 
                                              the stated objects of the 
                                              collection, and a collector shall 
                                              produce his certificate of 
                                              authority on demand to any police 
                                              officer in uniform or to any 
                                              person to whom he has made an 
                                              appeal for a donation.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 8&#8212;Proceeds of Collection 
                                              Deemed to be Received for Stated 
                                              Objects.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) The proceeds of any public 
                                              collection shall, for the purposes 
                                              of any civil or criminal 
                                              proceedings whatsoever, be deemed 
                                              to be received by the promoter and 
                                              collectors for the purpose of 
                                              applying them to the stated 
                                              objects.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) Where a reasonable proportion 
                                              of the proceeds of any public 
                                              collection is applied to the 
                                              expenses of administration of such 
                                              public collection, it shall be 
                                              deemed to have been applied to the 
                                              stated objects.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (3) For the purposes of subsection 
                                              (2), the determination of what is 
                                              a reasonable proportion shall be a 
                                              question of fact in each case.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 9&#8212;Offences and Penalties.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Any person who contravenes any of 
                                              the provisions of section 1 (1) of 
                                              this Act or with any of the terms 
                                              of a notice given under section 6 
                                              of this Act or who makes an 
                                              application for registration under 
                                              section 4 of this Act knowing it 
                                              to be false in any material 
                                              particular, shall be guilty of an 
                                              offence under this Act and shall 
                                              be liable, upon conviction, for a 
                                              first offence, to a fine not 
                                              exceeding fifty pounds or to 
                                              imprisonment for a term not 
                                              exceeding six months, or to both, 
                                              and, for a second or subsequent 
                                              offence, to a fine not exceeding 
                                              one hundred pounds or to 
                                              imprisonment for a term not 
                                              exceeding twelve months, or to 
                                              both.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 10&#8212;Legal Proceedings.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              No prosecution for an offence 
                                              against this Act shall be 
                                              instituted except by, or with the 
                                              written consent of, the 
                                              Attorney-General.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 11&#8212;Regulations.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              The Minister by legislative 
                                              instrument may make regulations 
                                              for carrying into effect the 
                                              provisions of this Act.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 12&#8212;Interpretation.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) In this Act, except where the 
                                              contrary&nbsp; intention appears&#8212;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              &quot;collector&quot; means a person duly 
                                              authorised under section 7 of this 
                                              Act to assist in making a public 
                                              collection;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              &quot;Minister&quot; means the Minister of 
                                              the Interior;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              &quot;promoter&quot; means a person duly 
                                              registered under section 5 of this 
                                              Act as the promoter of a public 
                                              collection.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) For the purposes of sections 
                                              1, 2 and 7 of this Act&#8212;</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              &quot;appeal&quot; means a request or 
                                              invitation however conveyed, 
                                              whether by actions, in words, 
                                              pictorially or in writing, and 
                                              whether made in public, through 
                                              the press, in conversation, by 
                                              house to house visiting or through 
                                              the post.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 13&#8212;Repeal</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial">.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (1) The Public Collections 
                                              Ordinance (Cap. 45) is repealed.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              (2) Every statutory instrument 
                                              made under the repealed Ordinance 
                                              and in force immediately before 
                                              the commencement of this Act shall 
                                              continue in force as if made under 
                                              the corresponding provision of 
                                              this Act.</span></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <b>
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              Section 14&#8212;Commencement.</span></b></p>
                                              <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify">
                                              <span style="font-family: Arial">
                                              This Act shall come into operation 
                                              on such day as the Minister by 
                                              legislative instrument may 
                                              appoint.</span></td>
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