MACRA Suspends Biometric SIM Registration Rollout
Published on July 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM by Edgar Naitha
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has suspended the rollout of biometric SIM card registration, which was initially scheduled to take place between July 1 and September 2025.
According to MACRA’s Deputy Director of Legal Affairs responsible for Consumer Affairs, Kelious Mlenga, the decision follows a request from the Association of Telecommunications Operators (ATO), which cited the need for more time to prepare both technically and financially. In response, MACRA has granted an eight-month extension to allow service providers to address the identified challenges.
Mlenga further explained that the Ministry of Information has yet to officially enact the SIM Card Registration Regulations, which are essential for providing a legal framework to enforce the new registration process.
In the meantime, the President of the ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM), Clerence Gama, has urged mobile network operators to use the extension period to ensure full readiness, stressing the importance of the exercise in curbing the growing number of mobile money fraud cases.
Under the proposed guidelines, individuals will be permitted to register up to 10 SIM cards, while institutions will be allowed a maximum of 30, in a bid to enhance consumer protection and prevent the misuse of mobile numbers in criminal activities.
