Transparency International Zambia launches Action for Transparency App

Yesterday, 8th of May, 2014, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Zambia Institute for Mass Communication (ZAMCOM) launched a new app called Action for Transparency, an initiative that allows you to report  corruption much easier.

Citizens, civil society activists  and over 2000 journalists will be trained on the use of the app and help them become familiar with it.

Apart from that, the app mainly shows allocations of government funds to various schools and health centres in the city so if through the numbers do not match, you are free to report suspected corruption.

The Action for Transparency app runs on Android and iOS supported devices. You can find it in your app store. Once downloaded and opened, you will be able to see all the schools and health centres in your locality and how much government has allocated to each.

If you find that that the amount that’s been allocated to one place is not the actual situation on the ground, you can lodge a complaint/inquiry within the app itself. Your report will be published immediately on the Action for Transparency website, on Facebook and possibly on the TIZ website as well.

Action for Transparency projects are being carried out in Lusaka and in the Wakiso region in Uganda.

You can also participate in the online debates about the allocation and air your grevances as to whether funds are being misapplied.

Speaking at the event were TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu, Deputy Auditor General Ron Mwambwa and Lars Tallert from FOJO Media Institute and Irene Lamba, Deputy Director of the ACC.

Goodwell Lungu – TIZ Executive Director : “The Action for Transparency app will help to examine factors that lead to leakages and misuse of public funds in schools and health centres.”

Ron Mwambwa – Deputy Auditor General:  “Transparency is a fundamental right of every Zambian and the proper allocation of funds is important to the Auditor General for purposes of auditing and accounting every year.”

Lars Tallert – Team Leader, Action for Transparency, FOJO Media Institute:  “Transparency and technology will not change anything by itself. It’s the people who use this technology that will make a difference. We can develop all these tools for people but they are only efficient when people actually use them.”

Irene Lamba – Deputy Director Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC):  “We should all take interest in activities that support proper use of resources, safeguarding them from selfish authorities. ACC is partnering with  everyone supporting the cause. ACC and TIZ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding where they share information about corrupt activities to better handle situations.”

We hope Zambians do make use of the app and report any cases of suspected/actual  corruption to make the country more transparent in its dealings when it comes to the education and health sectors. Hopefully, there will be similar apps for other provinces and government sectors.

Logo Credit: ZAMCOM