(Ecofin Agency) - The last SIM verification campaign was due to end on January 31, but the government extended the deadline to February 13 to allow all citizens using telecom services to get comply with the rules.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has deactivated  970,046 unregistered SIM cards, Semu Mwakyanjala, the regulator's chief communications officer, announced over the weekend.

The telecom subscribers' identification campaign ended at midnight on February 13 with 60.47 million SIM cards verified out of 61.44 million. Telecom operators immediately began suspending telecom services for all lines that had not yet been identified in accordance with TCRA guidelines. Suspended lines can be reactivated within 90 days if owners complete the verification procedures.

The Tanzanian telecom regulator has been trying to enforce the SIM card registration laws since 2019. The first telecom subscriber identification operation took place from May 1, 2019, to January 20, 2020, followed by a massive crackdown that resulted in millions of SIM cards being deactivated.

The Tanzanian government's efforts to have telecom subscribers' SIM cards verified are justified by the increase in mobile fraud in the country. According to the TCRA, Tanzania recorded a total of 12,613 fraudulent practices committed using SIM cards between October and December 2022. The practices included SIM box fraud, identity theft, financial scams, etc.

By verifying telecom subscribers, the country expects to combat growing cybercrime and update the databases of active SIM cards to improve reporting on the performance of the Tanzanian telecommunications sector.

Isaac K. Kassouwi