Macra to introduce house identification numbers
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has said it will introduce housing identification numbers and names for roads, streets and avenues even in rural Malawi to help the Malawi Police Service (MPS) detect criminal activities.
Director General for Macra, Daud Suleman, disclosed this on Monday in Lilongwe during the opening of a two-day workshop for police public relations officers (PROs) drawn from the Central West and Central East regions under the theme “Policing in the digital era”.
He added that the programme which will roll out in February in the northern region will help to enhance security of people’s property.
“This programme is very important. Every road and every area must have a name. Every house must have a number. This will help to develop our economy and help security agencies to easily locate citizens when in need of their services,” explained Suleman.
Suleman again highlighted that Macra has partnered with the Malawi Police Service in forming the Mobile Fraud Task Force comprising the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), Airtel Malawi plc, TNM plc, Malawi Prisons Service and the National Registration Bureau.
Inspector General of Police, Merylne Yolamu, hailed Macra for its technical support in setting up a digital forensic laboratory expected to enhance the ability by the Malawi Police Service to detect criminal syndicates.
She said the support has come timely when police are struggling to adequately combat cybercrimes in the country.
“The world is migrating from analogue to digital, and so are crimes. This support comes at a time when we are struggling to adequately combat cybercrimes in the country, including electronic money fraud, as well as cyber-abetted crimes such as human trafficking and irregular migration, which put our country at risk of harbouring terrorists,” said Yolamu.
President for Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM), Benson Linje, said the two-day workshop will touch on various areas including campaign planning, effective communication and particularly how the police can proactively communicate to their audiences.
