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THE ELECTRONIC AND POSTAL COMMUNICATIONS (SIM CARD REGISTRATION) REGULATIONS, GN. No. 112 OF 2020.

The electronic and postal Communication (Sim CardsRegistration) Regulation GN. No. 112 of 2020 that became effective on 7th February 2020, imposes new regulation and procedures relating to sim cards registration in Tanzania. This regulation reflects the initial changes which was brought by Written Laws Miscellaneous Amendment Act No. 5 of 2019, which amended the Electronic and Postal Communication Act [CAP 306] by imposing the condition that all sim cards must be registered biometrically.

The regulation requires that, any person who owns, control or intends to use a detachable sim cards must register biometrically and the registration must be in the manner set out by the regulation (GN No. 112 of 2020) i.e. the registration must bear the name of an individual approved by National Identification Number from NIDA and in case of a company bare the registered name replicated by Tax Identification Number (TIN).

A licensee is not allowed to activate a customer’s sim card unless he/she has registered such customers details, likewise in deactivation process, a licensee is not allowed to deactivate the blocked sim cards unless the customer has submitted a fresh request for registration of the same number subject to the availability.

Sale of sim cards is required for the authorized licensee only or their agents. In case of changes of information already registered, the law is clear that, any changes of information submitted for a purpose of registering a sim cards be registered within fifteen (15) days from the date of the occurrence of such changes, this includes changes of ownership.

The regulation reflects the users of sim cards and the mobile sim cards network operators together with their licensed agents.

Lost or stollen sim cards must be reported to the police station within seven (7) days from the date of loss or theft and before requesting for a replacement.

A person is required to own only a single registered sim cards from each licensed mobile network operator. And in case of a company not more than thirty (30) sim cards from each mobile network operator.

N.B. This regulation imposes punishment for anyone who will contravene any provision of this regulation, the punishment includes fine or imprisonment or both depending on the nature of an offence reflected.

Author

Mkama Kalebu

Knowlege and information is effective when shared

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