The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Peya Mushelenga, says the policy, mandating SIM card registration, was adopted to mitigate security concerns, address crime, and enable the application of digital services.
In 2022, Namibia recorded more than 2.7 million cyberattacks.
This is one of the reasons why the Namibian government complied with an international framework that mandates Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration.
By December 31, 2023, all SIM cards should have been registered, but the government allowed for an extension of three months up to the end of March.
By Thursday, January 26, only 71 percent of active SIM cards were registered.
Namibia has more than 2,38 million active SIM cards, but just over 1,6 million cards have been registered so far.
"I must clearly state that a grace period cannot be further extended. The date of March 31, 2024, is final. I therefore encourage all citizens to go and register their SIM cards, as there will not be any further extensions."
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology will finalise Namibia's National Digital Strategy and Table Access to Information regulations, as well as the Data Protection Bill.
The Ministry also intends to conclude consultations on the Cybercrime Bill and finalise a consolidated national ICT policy.
"The government is committed to achieving a digital future. Access to information will become more meaningful if data costs remain affordable. To that end, the government is exploring the possibility of a state-level connection positively impacting broadcasting, data, and voice services. In the meantime, the government will continue to roll out terrestrial networks in areas that are most out of reach. Going forward, we intend to mandate that no radio access network is shorter than 60 meters. This will promote infrastructure co-sharing and reduce the number of sites within a location. Furthermore, by April this year, the agreement between Namibia and Botswan that will ensure significant relief for data sharing between the two countries will kick off on April 1, 2024."
The government provides services to Namibians directly through public enterprises. Four public enterprises—the Communications Regulatory Authority, CRAN, the New Era Publication Corporation, NEPC, the Namibia Press Agency, NAMPA, and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation—reside under the Ministry of ICT.
"Our success as a ministry relies heavily on the cooperation between the ministry and the public enterprises. Each enterprise under MICT has a distinct mandate that contributes to the overall tapestry of our national communication and information framework. CRAN's regulatory oversight, New Era's historic integrity, NAMPA's widespread information dissemination, and nbc's dynamic broadcasting content are all important elements in shaping our country's narrative and connectivity."