IN EVERY country, local authorities are important because they are responsible for a range of vital services for people and businesses in defined areas.
These services include social care, schools, housing and planning, waste collection, licensing, business support, and registrar services.
In addition, local authorities are responsible for coordinating emergency support, and liaising with central and regional government departments, among others.
Local authorities or councils, as they are referred to sometimes, also cater for provision of public services such as waste disposal, police and fire protection, water supply, and public health awareness.
Further, councils deal with maintenance of city facilities such as play parks, street lights, and public libraries.
Councils also organise and plan for the economic, social and environmental development of their territories, construction of facilities required for municipal progress, and regulate civic and commercial activities.
In Zambia, the main revenue streams for councils include licensing of liquor outlets, bars and nightclubs, parking fees, and levies collected from markets and bus stations.
However, despite all these revenue streams, local authorities in Zambia have been struggling financially, to an extent where most of them fail to pay salaries to their workers.
This has mainly been the case for years because councils have been transacting with their clients manually.
Manual transactions always leave room for corruption and theft of public funds due to lack of transparency and accountability.
However, councils are now poised for a fresh start, which will enhance transparency and accountability in their operations and improve deliver of public services.
Government has embarked on a project that will soon see local authorities nationwide have their operations digitalised thanks to Smart Zambia Institute.
The institute has started installing information and communications technology infrastructure in local authorities in all provinces.
So far, 83 councils have benefited from the project, whose goal is to improve people’s access to digitalised services in local authorities.
“The electronic infrastructure installed in the 83 councils is under the first phase, while the remaining ones will be installed in the second phase,” Smart Zambia national coordinator Percy Chinyama shared.
The project’s goal is to enable the public to access services from local authorities electronically from anywhere and anytime.
With the digitalisation programme, councils are poised to significantly improve their operations, maximise revenue, and provide public services efficiently.
Digitalisation is the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities.
For decades, Zambia’s public sector has lagged behind the curve when it comes to the take-up of technological advancements, and local authorities have not been an exception to this.
In a constantly changing world, digitalisation has been that muchneeded anchor which has helped businesses build resilience, and councils in Zambia cannot be left behind.
Given how digital-savvy today’s customers are, it has become critical for councils to embark on a digital transformation journey for them to improve service delivery and their financial standing as there will be no loopholes for theft or corruption.
Therefore, the importance of the councils’ digitalisation project cannot be overstated.
This is because digitalisation is not only associated with increased efficiency and performance, and better service delivery, but also with greater transparency and accountability.
Councils digitalisation project timely
IN EVERY country, local authorities are important because they are responsible for a range of vital services for people and businesses in defined areas.
These services include social care, schools, housing and planning, waste collection, licensing, business support, and registrar services.
In addition, local authorities are responsible for coordinating emergency support, and liaising with central and regional government departments, among others.
Local authorities or councils, as they are referred to sometimes, also cater for provision of public services such as waste disposal, police and fire protection, water supply, and public health awareness.
Further, councils deal with maintenance of city facilities such as play parks, street lights, and public libraries.
Councils also organise and plan for the economic, social and environmental development of their territories, construction of facilities required for municipal progress, and regulate civic and commercial activities.
In Zambia, the main revenue streams for councils include licensing of liquor outlets, bars and nightclubs, parking fees, and levies collected from markets and bus stations.
However, despite all these revenue streams, local authorities in Zambia have been struggling financially, to an extent where most of them fail to pay salaries to their workers.
This has mainly been the case for years because councils have been transacting with their clients manually.
Manual transactions always leave room for corruption and theft of public funds due to lack of transparency and accountability.
However, councils are now poised for a fresh start, which will enhance transparency and accountability in their operations and improve deliver of public services.
Government has embarked on a project that will soon see local authorities nationwide have their operations digitalised thanks to Smart Zambia Institute.
The institute has started installing information and communications technology infrastructure in local authorities in all provinces.
So far, 83 councils have benefited from the project, whose goal is to improve people’s access to digitalised services in local authorities.
“The electronic infrastructure installed in the 83 councils is under the first phase, while the remaining ones will be installed in the second phase,” Smart Zambia national coordinator Percy Chinyama shared.
The project’s goal is to enable the public to access services from local authorities electronically from anywhere and anytime.
With the digitalisation programme, councils are poised to significantly improve their operations, maximise revenue, and provide public services efficiently.
Digitalisation is the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities.
For decades, Zambia’s public sector has lagged behind the curve when it comes to the take-up of technological advancements, and local authorities have not been an exception to this.
In a constantly changing world, digitalisation has been that muchneeded anchor which has helped businesses build resilience, and councils in Zambia cannot be left behind.
Given how digital-savvy today’s customers are, it has become critical for councils to embark on a digital transformation journey for them to improve service delivery and their financial standing as there will be no loopholes for theft or corruption.
Therefore, the importance of the councils’ digitalisation project cannot be overstated.
This is because digitalisation is not only associated with increased efficiency and performance, and better service delivery, but also with greater transparency and accountability.