Tanzania plans to launch biometric SIM registration nationwide on 1 May, in a bid to improve security in the country, reports The East African. The exercise follows a pilot project in seven regions, namely Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Coast, Singida, Tanga, Iringa and Zanzibar, launched by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) in March 2018. The new system requires customers to provide their fingerprints, as well as proof of identity, to register their SIM card.
‘The information obtained from registered SIM cards will be directly linked to a subscriber’s national identification card ensuring there is no more misinformation or forgery of the documents; no one can forge fingerprints,’ commented Semu Mwakyanjala, acting corporate communication manager at the TCRA. In addition, the number of mobile phone lines an individual can own will be limited to one per network operator, unless permission for multiple ownership is received from the TCRA.