Mandatory SIM registration is in line with international best practice – Communications regulator
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) on Tuesday, 07 June 2022 officially launched the National SIM Registration Consumer Awareness Campaign, which aims to educate the public on the importance of the registration of SIM cards in Namibia.
The campaign will run from 7 June 2022 until 31 December 2022.
The registration process will be carried out in terms of Regulations and License Conditions made under Part 6 of Chapter V of the Communications Act (No. 8 of 2009).
“Mandatory SIM registration is in line with international best practice, with 157 countries in the world currently implementing SIM registration. Namibia is one of two African countries that does not have SIM registration and we are, therefore, delighted to finally reach this milestone,” said CRAN Chief Executive Officer, Emilia Nghikembua
Nghikembua said the six-month-long awareness campaign follows consultation between CRAN and all relevant stakeholders.
The campaign aims to raise awareness and inform the public that as of 01 January 2023, mobile operators will be required to register all their customers’ SIM cards and obtain all relevant information before the sale and activation of SIM cards.
“Operators will have a period of 12 months to conclude the registration of existing customers. The information of new customers must be registered within 3 months from the date of sale. Unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated,” she added.
“The use of mobile phones delivers significant economic and social benefits and plays a key role in enabling digital inclusion and delivering social benefits. There are, however some members of the public who use mobile phones for criminal activities. Through the registration of all active SIM cards, security agencies will be able to track criminals after following the procedures as set out in the applicable laws,” explained Nghikembua.
“We are positive that CRAN’s National SIM Registration Consumer Awareness Campaign shall educate the public on the importance of SIM card registration and debunk misinformation. We invite the public to join and participate in our panel discussions, nationwide roadshow, social media, visual prints, radio, audio-visual and via email enquiries and other activation components during the campaign,” concluded Nghikembua.
