By Clifton Movirongo.
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has expressed concern over low public turn-out in SIM card registration on Thursday, with the mandatory SIM card registration deadline only three months away.
As of June, just 795,991 of Namibia’s 2,760,804 active SIM cards have been registered across all licenced networks, representing a registration rate of about 29%, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).
Both CRAN and the ministry are urging the public to actively participate in SIM registration to avoid having their SIM cards deactivated.
Dr Audrin Mathe, the information ministry’s Executive Director, said that despite the time frame provided for this critical process, there had been a poor public response to this imperative. “The ministry firmly reiterates that no extension will be granted beyond the specified date of 31 December 2023,” he stated.
“The public is therefore encouraged to register their SIM cards before the deadline of 31 December. Any SIM cards not registered by this cut-off date will be disconnected,” he added
“It is essential to underscore the significance of SIM card registration, as the process plays a significant role in deterring phone-based fraud, identity theft and other criminal activities. Mandatory registration and identification of SIM card users aligns Namibia with international best practices. The Minister of Information and Communication Technology has issued the Regulations, which set the deadline for the registration of SIM cards from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023,” Mathe concluded.
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