Zambia To Register ALL Mobile Phones for Identification and Security -MUSOKOTWANE
- Madam Speaker, to encourage compliance and enhance proper identification of mobile phones and security, I propose to change the tax collection point for value added tax on mobile phones from importation and point of sale to point of registration by the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA).
The 2021/2 Budget address by Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning delivered to the National Assembly proposes that mobile phone handsets should be registered by the Authority.
According to the ZICTA website loss or theft of a mobile is a major concern to most users or consumers. This is because most mobile phones contain a lot of sensitive data of personal and financial nature. Furthermore most mobile phones are purchased at great cost and thus represent a monetary investment.
Each mobile phone has an individual serial number called the International Mobile Equipment Identity (MEI) number, which can be identified by the mobile phone service provider’s network. It is a 15-digit number on the back of your handset under the battery and can be found on most handsets by pressing *#06# on your phone keypad. The IMEI will appear on the screen. You may need to scroll down to see the whole number.
ZICTA advises all of us to record our IMEI number in case the mobile phone gets lost or is stolen. Your mobile phone service provider may liaise with the police about a lost or stolen handset and, if found, your handset will be able to be identified by the number.
The authority will soon issue regulations on blocking of stolen mobile phones against future use with any simcard on any Zambian GSM Network in order to act as a deterrent to potential thieves. Should you recover your phone, your network provider can also unblock it so as to restore the phone to normal use. What to do if your mobile –phone is lost or stolen
If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, contact your mobile phone service provider immediately to suspend your service and prevent unauthorized calls being made or billed to you. Your provider will block your SIM card and IMEI number to prevent your phone from being used on any Zambian mobile network. Report the loss or theft to the police, providing identification numbers for your SIM card and IMEI number and obtain a search warrant. This information may assist the police in the recovery of your mobile phone. Blocking your phone does not cancel your contract. So, if you block your mobile phone, you are still required to honor your mobile phone contract (postpaid customers).
Interference of Program of Mobile Device
Any person or licensee who interferes with the programming of a Mobile phone device or modifies the IMEI ID commits an office under the ICT Act and is liable to a fine of not exceeding one hundred thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one (1) year, or both. Useful TIPS To retrieve serial number press*#06# on your phone keypad. Record the serial number of your phone in the diary, notebook or paper and store in safe place. Report the lost /stolen phone to the police. Ensure to give the police the serial number, the make and model of the phone Obtain search warrant in order to assist in the recovery of the phone Report to your service provider lost/stolen phone in order to block SIM card and IMEI number Request for simcard replacement
Zambia still does SIM Card registration which has never been complete without the IMEI number registration of which the user can always replace the SIM card of a stolen or lost phone with another SIM card and the device will never be identified as stolen or lost.
We know that registration of the mobile phone handset will also need us to provide basic details such as the IMEI number , the serial number, make and model information. take a photo and write a description of the item and any distinctive features.
The complete mobile phone registration has benefits to Zambians especially in combating crime.
According to the European Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences every mobile phone user can be tracked and monitored by the police through the mobile service provider. The Police can identify the owner of lost and stolen phones and updates and be immediately available to the Police nationally. The other benefit is that the registration will combat the sale of stolen phones and will help to combat the high rate of other crimes like kidnapping, robbery, burglary, etc. Stolen or lost phones can easily be reported to the police for tracking.
The major challenges of mobile phone handset registration in developing countries has to do with the level of governance. In most developing countries, there are apparently no laws or laid down rules that mandate every active mobile phone to be registered and
disallow unregistered ones from gaining access into the network or track them down
for questioning, since some criminal minded persons may not want to register their
mobile phones to hide from the police tracking who may eventually identify them.
There is little or no awareness campaign in the society to educate and inform the populace of the society of the benefits of the cell phone registration.
Lack of proper central database in most developing nations, the police will find it
difficult to track a mobile device even with the support of the GSM carrier service
providers.
Incomplete mobile phone registration.
When a SIM Card registration is completed
without the IMEI number registered, the user can always replace the SIM card of a
stolen or lost phone with another SIM card and the device will never be identified as
stolen or lost.
Lack of technological standard mapped out for the carrier service providers by the
government. In most developing countries, almost all the service carriers do not have
the mobile phone tracking technology in their systems. This means that the phone
registration will remain of little importance since the victim or reported mobile phone
cases will not be traced out or monitored, thereby defeating the actual objective of the
scheme.
At present, however, most mobile phone customers do not know their IMEI number
or fully appreciate its importance in police investigations.