There will be no more extension of the SIM card registration process this time, says ICT and Energy Minister, Sam Basil.
Basil noted a spike in registration in December 2017, when the initial deadline was set for December 31st, 2017.
But with almost 1.5 million subscribers yet to be registered, the deadline was extended twice.
The current date is set for April 30.
The state and the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA) have partnered with the PNG Council of Churches to push the registration into the outmost parts of PNG using the churches’ network.
During the launch of this partnership yesterday, Minister Basil encouraged telco operators Telikom PNG, bmobile-vodafone and Digicel to get on board this existing partnership.
According to NICTA:
- Telikom PNG has 100 thousand subscribers, 70 percent of whom are already registered.
- Bmobile-vodafone has 200 thousand subscribers, 60 percent of whom have been registered.
- Digicel has 2.5 million subscribers nationwide and only 50 percent have been registered.
NICTA chief executive officer Charles Punaha said the challenge was with reaching especially the Digicel customers.
PNGCC has submitted proposals to these service providers and hopes to work with them to reach their customers in remote PNG.
Minister Basil said for every unregistered active SIM, each telco company will pay a hefty fine.
Hence, he encouraged them to get on board to fast-track this exercise.
(Minister Sam Basil, left, with Sir John Cardinal Ribat, right, and members of the PNG Council of Churches)