Only eight weeks left to register SIM cards
Almost eight weeks before the deadline for registering SIM cards expires, less than half have been registered.According to the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, by September it stood at almost 30 percent.
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technology Emma Theofelus said in the National Assembly that the ministry is closely monitoring the ongoing registration process and will review the measures implemented by CRAN.
She encourages all SIM card holders to register them within the next two months to avoid deactivation of the cards.
Theofelus made this known on Thursday in response to questions from PDM MP Maximilian Katjimune. Katjimune had asked why the CRAN did not set up registration centres at municipalities and regional council offices for registration. He also wanted to know whether the deadline set for 31 December could not be extended.
Theofelus replied that CRAN had identified resistance from city administrations to possible support for mobile operators, as well as reluctance from certain sections of the public. She gave no further details.
There was resistance from the public after the mobile operator this year began taking biometric data such as fingerprints and portrait photos of customers who wanted to register their SIM cards, as well as asking them to provide their home address.
At the end of May, after several complaints to CRAN, the regulatory authority ordered mobile phone providers not to do this.