In a letter addressed to the Uganda Communications Commission executive director, Mr Godfrey Mutabazi, Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda has officially extended the deadline for the ongoing SIM card registration and verification exercise to May 19, 2017, from the initial deadline of April 20 .
“Reference is made to your letter dated 11th April 2017 wherein you directed all telecommunications service providers to verify all SIM card subscriber details within 7 days from Wednesday 12th April 2017. You directed that all subscribers of telecommunications services must update their SIM card registration details using their National Identification Card number, and all Sim cards whose details were not updated and verified by Thursday 20th April 2017 would be deactivated,” Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said on Wednesday. “The government has reviewed the said timelines and taken a decision that the ongoing SIM card verification exercise should be extended to the 19th May 2017.”
“By close of the deadline, we shall assess progress and advise. Make every effort to meet and beat the deadline,” Dr. Rugunda said, in an added statement to the press.
He noted that Government is so far happy with the progress being made and thus calls on the general public to embrace the exercise.
On April 12, UCC issued a seven-day ultimatum within which all subscribers of telecom services had to update their SIM card details using only their national identification card and Passports.
The institution warned that all SIM cards whose details are not updated and verified by service providers before this week, Thursday would be deactivated.
This directive was strongly condemned by several stakeholders including Uganda Law Society (ULS) and Information Communication Technology Association of Uganda (ICTAU).
ICTAU warned of “significant risks” if UCC went ahead and implemented its directive.
Uganda Law Society president Francis Gimara told Journalists that the law under Regulation 7(3) allows valid identification documents issued by government agencies such as National identity cards, work permits, passports, driving licence, student Identity cards and voter’s cards to be used for registration.
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