Building Citizen Demand and Strengthening Government Service Delivery
Your taxes pay for public services: demand that they work, and that the authorities account for them.
In a nutshell
- You pay taxes and fees. That money should pay for your public services.
- A blocked drain, no water at the tap, a broken street light? Report it with GovCheck.
- Your Commune or City answers. You follow the answer until it is fixed.
Why it matters
CERC helps citizens ask for accountability. The goal: better public services. Accountability is simple: the authorities explain what they did with public money.
All citizens pay taxes. So they should demand that this money buys good services. CERC wants to balance both sides: citizens who ask, authorities who answer.
Today, in South Kivu, a lot of public money is lost:
- Taxes are often paid in cash, without a reliable receipt. CERC estimates that up to US$800,000 a month is lost this way.
- Fraud at the province’s borders costs about US$33 million a month (Ministry of Foreign Trade, June 2026; see Corruption and lack of accountability).
- The DRC scores 20 out of 100 in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.
- In Kavimvira (Uvira), no water has run from the taps for over two years, says the burgomaster (report on GovCheck, August 2026).
- Budgets are little known. In 2016, an official survey assessed only Kinshasa; South Kivu has no score (shown on GovCheck).
The budget is the plan of what the Commune will collect and spend this year. Revenue is the money it collects: taxes, fees, charges. With GovCheck, you can follow both.
Citizens first
Citizens take part, observe, document and speak up, while CERC provides the guidance and the credibility of the process.
1. Take part in the budget hearings
- CERC identifies and trains the Local Development Committees in the budget process and in citizen monitoring of budget execution.
- The Local Development Committees and citizens take part in the budget hearings to express the needs and priorities of their communities.
- They follow how their proposals are taken into account in the trade-offs and in the budget finally adopted.
2. Follow the budget execution and visit the projects
- With the GovCheck app, citizens follow the execution of the budget by comparing the revenue actually collected and the spending made by sector with the amounts initially voted.
- They carry out site visits to check the progress of the projects, the quality of the works and their compliance with the commitments made.
- They document their observations with geotagged photographs.
3. Check and publish the results
- CERC checks and validates the quality of the information collected before it is published on the platform.
- It thus ensures that the data available to the public are reliable and credible.
- Each decentralised territorial entity (ETD) also has its own account to view the information on the execution of its budget and on the projects carried out in its territory.
4. Make the findings heard and lead the advocacy
- CERC supports citizens in presenting their documented findings to the elected officials and public services concerned.
- It facilitates the dialogue with the authorities, highlights the gaps between budget commitments and actual achievements, and makes concrete recommendations to improve the management of public resources and the quality of the services provided to the population.
5. Obtain corrections and check the changes
- CERC ensures that the authorities of the ETDs give concrete answers to the problems identified: completion or resumption of works, better revenue collection, redirection of spending or correction of the failures observed.
- It follows up the corrective measures and ensures they are checked in the field.
- The results obtained feed the next budget cycle, in an ongoing dynamic of citizen participation, transparency and accountability.
The dialogue with the authorities, facilitated by CERC
The gaps between budget commitments and actual achievements
Concrete recommendations to improve the management of public resources and the quality of the services provided to the population
Reliable and credible data: CERC checks and validates the information collected before publication; each ETD has its own account
The execution of the budget: revenue actually collected and spending by sector, compared with the amounts initially voted
Site visits: progress of the projects, quality of the works and their compliance with the commitments made
Geotagged photographs document the observations
The results obtained feed the next budget cycle
The corrective measures — completion or resumption of works, better revenue collection, redirection of spending — checked in the field
The budget hearings: citizens express the needs and priorities of their communities and follow how they are taken into account in the budget finally adopted
- Accountability
- Competence
- Ethical behaviour
How it works, step by step
GovCheck is a free CERC website, in French, English and Kiswahili. It connects residents with their ETD, that is, their Province, City or Commune.
Step 1: have your say on the budget
Each year, the Commune prepares its budget in public meetings, the budget hearings. Residents can say what matters for their neighbourhood. GovCheck records who took part and which requests were kept.
As of 6 November 2026, GovCheck follows 24 ETDs in South Kivu: 1 province, 4 cities (Uvira, Baraka, Bukavu and Kamituga), 13 communes and 6 rural communes. The first budgets are being entered.
Step 2: see where the money goes
GovCheck compares the money planned with the money really collected and spent. Trained evaluators visit building sites and take photos. You can also report a problem: rubbish, a drain, a damaged road, a market tax with no receipt.
As of 6 November 2026, GovCheck tracks 9 public projects: 1 planned, 6 under way and 2 finished. They include the RN30 road and the public port of Kalundu. It has received 25 requests from residents (projects, reports).
Step 3: check before publishing
Trained supervisors check the information. CERC validates it, then GovCheck publishes it. Your name never appears. Anyone can read the data.
As of 6 November 2026, no monitoring report has been published yet.
Step 4: make the problem heard
GovCheck sends your request to the right service: the Commune, the City, or a utility such as REGIDESO (water) or SNEL (electricity). CERC supports residents before elected officials and services.
Example: in Kavimvira, the water cut reported in August 2026 was taken up on 5 November 2026.
Step 5: get it fixed
In Mulongwe (Uvira), a blocked drain was reported on 5 November 2026. The City had it cleared the same day (see the report).
As of 6 November 2026, of 25 requests received, 1 is fixed and 24 are in progress. What is learned feeds into next year’s budget.
What you can do today
- Report a problem on WhatsApp at +243 82 733 2229: write the problem and the place, in your own language. Or on the website: report a problem.
- Follow your request with the reference number you receive: track my request.
- Download the Android app, which works even without internet: GovCheck app.
- Become an evaluator to follow your Commune’s budget. Training is provided: become an evaluator.
- Get rain alerts by free SMS: rain alerts.
- Share this page and the residents’ reports with people around you.
What it changes
What we want to achieve, together:
- services fixed faster;
- budgets that everyone knows;
- taxes that really serve the people;
- more trust between residents and the authorities.
FAQ
Is it free?
Yes. Reporting a problem is free for you. So are the rain alerts by SMS. You do not need an account.
Will my name be published?
No. Your name and contact details are never published. Only the staff handling your request see them. The same goes for your photos. You can also stay anonymous.
Who answers?
The staff of your Commune or City, or the service concerned, such as REGIDESO. You see each step of the answer.
How long does it take?
It depends on the problem and the service. You follow your request with its reference. When it is fixed, you confirm it yourself and rate the service.
I have no internet?
Write on WhatsApp at +243 82 733 2229. SMS will be available soon. The Android app works offline: your reports are sent when the network comes back.
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