SIM card registration suspension lifted
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Nicholas Dausi on Wednesday announced the suspension of the SIM card registration has been lifted.
Addressing Parliament, he said the ministry, which held consultations with various stakeholders including the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), was satisfied with how the concerns of the public have been addressed.
“The ministry would like to inform the general public that the suspension of the implementation of the SIM card registration which was imposed on 13th February 2018 has been lifted with immediate effect,” Dausi said.
He said among other measures that needed to be addressed, Macra has complied with the extension of the deadline which would be announced in due course.
The minister also said there is enough civic education by mobile network providers who will also allow people that have no national IDs to register.
Government announced in Parliament the suspension of the mandatory SIM card registration following a public outcry that the exercise was inconveniencing for people remote areas, among other reasons.
The mandatory SIM card registration is provided for under Section 92 of the Communications Act which parliament passed in 2016.
