As from 31 October 2023, all existing SIM card Holders in the Republic of Mauritius will be required to re-register their SIM cards. The deadline to complete the re-registration exercise is set for 30 April 2024, failing which all SIM cards that have not been re-registered will be automatically deactivated. The re-registration of SIM cards is, in fact, in line with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Drug Trafficking Report of June 2018. Further to these recommendations, the Information and Communication Technologies (Registration of SIM) Regulations 2023 to control the sale and use of SIM cards, will be effective as from Tuesday 31 October 2023.
This was the gist of a press conference, organised by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), today at The Celicourt Building, in Port Louis.
The Chairperson of the ICTA, Mr Dick Ng Sui Wa; the Officer-in-Charge of the ICTA, Mr Jerome Louis; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Emtel Ltd, Mr Kresh Goomany; the Head Customer Experience of Cellplus Mobile Communications Ltd, Mrs Nishi Munbodh Mohun; and the CEO of Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited (MTML), Mr Shashank Malviya, were present to provide details regarding the modalities put in place for the re-registration exercise.
ICTA’s Chairperson reminded that the main aim of this exercise is to ensure that each SIM card in use is registered in the name of its user in order to protect subscribers against all types of fraud, identity theft and other misdeals. He underlined that the re-registration of SIM cards will be done online through the websites or applications that the operators will make available to the public as from 31 October 2023. For any subscriber who does not have access to the online system, re-registration can be done in person with the respective operators, he stated.
As for the Officer-in-Charge of ICTA, he pointed out that one of the challenges faced was the number of SIM cards already in operation to date, and the number of black phones currently being used. He further stressed that the authorities and operators have put in place an easy process so as to ensure that the re-registration exercise is carried out smoothly. Mr Louis seized this opportunity to indicate that a link is available on the ICTA’s website https://www.icta.mu/simregulation to provide a QR code for each operator’s website.
For his part, Emtel Ltd’s CEO, informed that the company has devised a mobile application, MoEmtel, for its users to perform the re-registration exercise. The application will be available as from 31 October 2023 on App Store, Play Store and Huawei AppGallery. A user can also re-register friends and relatives via the mobile application. He reminded that all data will be stored with the operator and remain secure.
As for MTML’s CEO, he shared that user can download a mobile application from App Store or Play Store and follow the steps to re-register their SIM cards. This exercise can also be carried out at MTML outlets across the Island, he said.
The Head Customer Experience of Cellplus Mobile Communications Ltd, for her part, stated that a link will be available on the company’s website or on the telecom App to allow users to re-register their SIM cards. A hotline, 8900, is also available to provide any additional information a customer may require, she added.
It is recalled that, as is currently the case and in compliance with the Data Protection Act, all data stored with the operators remains secure and under their responsibility.
