Malawi kicksoff enforcing real-name Simcard registration: All phone users required to register by March 31

Malawi is finally really cracking down on mobile phone real-name registration as  everyone in the country  will be using a real-name registered SIM card in their mobile phone. And Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is saying that everybody needs to register their SIM with their real names before end of March 31 2018.

SIM is an abbreviation for Subscriber Identity Module. A SIM card is a valuable memory card, which stores all the information on phone, like contact numbers.

The mandatory SimCard registration is aimed at preventing the use of mobile phones for criminal activities.

Macra Communications Officer Clara Mwafulirwa said apart from reduction of criminal activity, sim card registration also enables government to monitor and verify the actual tele-density figures and active lines in the industry thus ensuring that tax revenue from mobile service providers correlated with the data presented by mobile operators

She said the development is in accordance with the Communications Act of 2016 which outlines, among other things, the obligations of consumers and service providers concerning the registration of SIM cards.

“In corroborating with all phone companies in Malawi, MACRA is therefore calling upon the general public to go to their respective phone service providers to have their numbers registered by 31st March, 2018.

“Any number that is not registered by this date will automatically be barred from its network until registration is done,” statement from Macra seen by Nyasa Times says.

The statement further calls upon new subscribers to register their sim cards upon acquisition of their numbers with the service provider.

This, the statement adds, could be done with the Phone Company, distributor, agent or dealers of the electronic communications licensee, authorized to provide or sell generic numbers of sim cards.

Analysts still contend that if successfully implemented, the benefits of SIM card registration could go a long way in creating a safer environment.