The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has received a significant donation of ICT equipment from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) under the Enabling Access to Justice, Civil Society Participation and Transparency (EnACT).

The equipment which includes,2 servers,22 tablets,14 laptops with bags,4 desktop computers, and 2 heavy duty All-in-one (scan, printer, and photocopier) meant for the Department of Registrar of NGOs marks a substantial step forward in the Ministry’s efforts to enhance its technological capabilities and improve service delivery.

Speaking when she received the equipment, Permanent Secretary Ms Angela Kawandami expressed profound gratitude for the technical support provided by GIZ and disclosed that the Government is ensuring that the operations of NGOs in Zambia are well and effectively managed.

She explained that the Ministry currently undertakes the registration of NGOs including compliance regulations using a manual system which is inefficient and costly to both NGOs, stakeholders, and the government.

“The donated ICT equipment is expected to streamline operations within the Ministry, enabling better data management, communication, and overall NGO registration and information management”, she said.

Ms Kawandami is therefore grateful to GIZ for supporting the process of developing the online NGO registration and information-sharing system.

And GIZ representative, Ms Promita Sengupta, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the Ministry’s initiatives, emphasizing that digitalization remains one of the core areas of GIZ hence the continued partnership with the Office of the Register in developing a system that will not only assist the efficiency of service delivery but also promote transparency in the management of NGOs.

She said GIZ is looking forward to the official launch of the E-Registration system envisioned for September once all the testing has been finalized.