NTA will prevent people from using other’s SIM card

NTA is known to prevent people from using SIM card registered in other’s name. As known, the regulator NTA has started a new procedure called e-KYC to manage the SIM card registration.

Now there is no limit in the no of SIM cards to register on a person’s name. So, people could take a SIM card on their own name and give it to others. The new generation does not even know that 10 years back, the SIM card was not easily and readily available. They need to wait for months and queue in long lines to get the SIM card of Nepal Telecom. That time, people bought SIM card from random people, shops which were registered in other’s name.

The new process was already in development from some time for the requirement of centralized KYC form for SIM cards. Now Prime Minister’s office complains about the use of SIM card for criminal activities. After which, NTA stepped up their effort to bring in the e-KYC system for SIM card registration.

e-KYC system

The e-KYC system will prevent the use of other’s SIM for illegal activities and also regulate the number of SIM cards to take from a single person. NTA has formulated the first draft of the e-KYC system and started discussing with different stakeholders. They will also limit the no of SIM cards to register on a single person’s Identification.

Another part of the e-KYC regulation is regarding the SIM card registration form. Now the telcos have their own format for such forms which is difficult for customers and also to NTA for integrating the information into the database. So, NTA will digitize the information collection for SIM card registration. The information on fingerprint and a digital photo will also be stored in a central database.

After the implementation, a person needs to visit the shop/counters himself/herself to provide fingerprint and digital photo. Telcos now also say they prevent the SIM card registration without the presence of the person with the identification. But the shopkeepers and employees can be easily fooled to get a SIM card with documentation of another person. With the use of a central database, it will be easy to validate the SIM owner documentation and also identify the no of SIM cards on his/her name.

According to NTA spokesperson Minprasad Aryal, ” Now people can take 10 SIM cards by photocopying the documents of the same person. And those SIM cards could probably go to the hands of criminal people. So, NTA will use the new system to properly identify the SIM user and make such SIM card service reliable”.

After the implementation of the e-KYC process, the old SIM card also needs to register in the new system.

What happens abroad for SIM card registration?

Now let’s discuss what happens in foreign countries for SIM card registration. To take the SIM card, people there need to go to the shops nearby and provide their identification like Social security number or Passport or citizenship ID. They will scan that document, take a photo from camera and a fingerprint instantly to put into the database. After validating the information, they will provide the SIM card. You do not need to make a photocopy of the ID card nor fill a paper form yourselves. Due to strict regulation there, sometimes it may take a longer period just to wait and do the documentation online by the personnel there.

Some countries even have the registration of SIM cards online by themselves. They can validate the provided information as they have the information of all their citizens in a single database. Either the service provider will deliver the SIM card to their homes or you can pick up from nearby stores.

Tell us what do you think of the new e-KYC system, put your comment below.

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