The ‘Our Voice’ app was launched on July 28 to allow citizens to comment on public services at the sub-national level. Heng Chivoan
The Ministry of Interior and civil society organisations have jointly launched the “Our Voice” Mobile Application, which will allow citizens to make complaints about public services at the sub-national level.
Jointly developed by the ministry, Transparency International (TI) Cambodia and ActionAid Cambodia, the app is a free, user-friendly, and confidential mechanism for the public to make complaints, seek support, ask for information and evaluate public services in their localities, with the aim of increasing complaint handling mechanisms on public service delivery, particularly gender responsiveness, at the sub-national level.
Pech Pisey, executive director of TI Cambodia, said the application will offer citizens, especially youth, a modern yet simple and easy-to-use platform to interact and communicate their needs and concerns with public service providers, thereby enhancing good governance, and accountable and responsive public service delivery in the country
“The launch of the “Our Voice” application marks another important milestone toward effective provision of public services in Cambodia. Given the high rates of smartphone and internet penetration in the country, the introduction and implementation of the app could not have come at a better time,” he said.
Pisey added that by early this year, the near-final version of the application had been successfully deployed for testing across dozens of sub-national administrative offices in the country. These include three One Window Service Units and Provincial/Capital Ombudsman, eight One Window Service Offices and District Ombudsman and 30 Commune offices.
Ministry secretary of state Ngy Chanphal said at the July 28 event that no part of the public administrative system was perfect – there were always flaws.
He said the government had now provided responsibility and self-reliance to the sub-national administrations, as they are closer to the people and therefore can provide them with necessary services directly.
Chanphal added that the establishment of mechanisms such as the new application contributed to making corrections and would encourage the relevant institutions find solutions to people’s problems more quickly and effectively.
He called on people across the country to download and use the app to report and monitor public service use.
“We formally launched this mobile application to receive people’s opinions of public service provision at the sub-national level,” he said.
“It will contribute to enhancing the implementation of public administrative systems in a more transparent, accountable manner and will be responsive to the needs of the people. This is in line with our policy of decentralisation and deconcentration,” he added.
He said there are now more than 200 One Window Service Units and One Window Service offices providing public services to the public, with more to come.
