Efforts needed for a transparent platform for donations

Donations for quake victims must be properly supervised, said an article in the Beijing News (excerpts below).

The Ministry of Civil Affairs recently sent out urgent requests for donations to be in the form of funds. The donation of goods and equipment can require detailed planning and this may delay the delivery of supplies.

People must be informed of proper channels for donations.

An information platform for disaster-relief materials must be established. Disaster zones are mostly in need of goods and supplies, initially. However, donors do not know the specific needs of the victims.

The distribution of relief funds must also be published. Research in 2009 by the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, shows 80 percent of donated funds for the quake in Wenchuan in 2008 went to financial accounts under the government and over 60 percent of donors had no idea of what their donations were used for.

If we have an open, transparent mechanism for donations, the public will be even more willing to donate.