TIZ monitors COVID-19 donations

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has launched a project to monitor the prudent management Covid-19 donated resources in order to promote transparency. The project is also aimed at promoting accountability and integrity in the management of covid-19 donations. TIZ executive director, Maurice Nyambe, said his organization had been consistently advocating for Government to provide regular updates on the donations from various stakeholders towards the COVID-19 response. Mr Nyambe said the project, whose implementation commenced last month was funded by USAID through the National Democratic Institute (NDI)’s, Zambia Political Participation and Leadership (ZPPL) programme. He said the ultimate goal was to ensure that the COVID-19 emergency response in Zambia was anchored on principles of transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels. He said in statement that in implementing the project, TIZ was focusing on the donations that have been made public through the media and was also engaging the Ministry of Health for any additional donations. “Thus far, we have received good cooperation from the Ministry and our engagement with them concerning the project has been cordial and underpinned by a mutual desire to ensure that all donations made towards the COVID-19 response are managed prudently,” Mr Nyambesaid. Mr Nyambe commended the Ministry for the open-door policy they had exhibited so far as it was cardinal to the successful implementation of the project. “We believe that the Ministry’s openness thus far shows that civil society and government entities can collaborate around common causes such as what our project seeks to achieve. “Our hope is that the Ministry of Health will continue to exhibit this openness even when it comes to other matters that are of public interest,” he said. Mr Nyambe a called on Zambians to take the lead on an individual level and supplement Government’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19. The Sun