A new mobile application, OshCity, allows Osh residents to send appeals, complaints and recommendations directly to the Mayor’s Office or 25 municipal services, which will greatly simplify communication between citizens and the Mayor’s Office. In addition, the app enables citizens to upload photos, track other messages and read the news of the Mayor's Office.

OshCity was designed by Youth of Osh, a non-government organization, in partnership with the Osh Mayor’s Office and support from the USAID Collaborative Governance Program which seeks to improve interaction between city residents and municipalities in addressing various issues.

According to Youth of Osh CEO Akmaral Satinbaeva, the mobile app is an addition to the online tool to report on city issues (www.map.oshcity.kg) launched last year. “Almost every citizen of Osh has a smartphone, and I would like to encourage everyone to download the OshCity app and participate in developing the city” she said.

The app OshCity is now available on App Store and Play Market in Russian and Kyrgyz.

At the presentation, Osh Mayor Aitmamat Kadyrbaev noted that the Osh Mayor’s Office is open for such new ideas and innovations in liaising with the citizens and addressing their problems. “In the first year of operation, the online platform has proven its efficiency. All issues faced by the city residents and responses given by the Mayor’s Office and municipal services are available online for the public. It is very convenient for us to monitor problems that concern citizens most, and respond to them promptly” noted Mayor Kadyrbaev.

The project is supported by the Collaborative Governance Program (CGP), which promotes effective collaboration among civil society, the private sector, and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. The Program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), and is implemented by East-West Management Institute (EWMI).