Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Executive Director of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Audrin Mathe, has characterized the pace of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration by the public as sluggish.
According to Mathe, only 795,991 out of 2,760,804 cellphone users have heeded the call.
Dr Mathe revealed yesterday that the ministry is concerned about the lukewarm response from the public regarding registering their SIM cards with network service providers.
“The set due date is looming, and he emphasized that it will not be extended,” he warned.
According to the information received from the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) as of 15 June 2023, a mere 29 percent of the subscribers have registered their SIM cards.
“The Minister of Information and Communication Technology has issued the regulations, establishing the deadline for SIM card registration from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.
Despite the time frame provided for this crucial process, the public response has been disappointing.
The Ministry firmly reiterates that there will be no extensions granted beyond the specified date of 31 December 2023,” he cautioned.
Dr Mathe again urged the public to register their SIM cards before the deadline of 31 December 2023, stressing that any unregistered SIM card by the cut-off date will be disconnected.
“It is crucial to underscore the significance of SIM card registration. This process plays a pivotal role in deterring phone-based fraud, identity theft, and other criminwal activities.
Mandatory registration and identification of SIM card users align Namibia with international best practices,” he concluded.
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