Officials at Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) say from now on, applicants should have an electronic ID card or a passport with them when they buy a SIM card, as paper IDs will no longer be accepted.
This plan was approved after being presented by ATRA and the Ministry of Telecommunications to the Islamic Emirate’s cabinet.
Jalal Shams, ATRA’s spokesperson, said that if a person does not have an electronic ID card or a passport when buying a SIM card, someone with the required documents needs to stand as guarantor.
“According to the change in obtaining a SIM card, the person who wants to get a SIM card must have an electronic ID or a passport,” said Shams.
He said that telecommunication companies are obliged to implement the new rule and accept only passports or electronic IDs. Paper IDs are no longer acceptable as there is the possibility of fraud, he said.
Members of the public have however said that the government should improve facilities for them to get electronic IDs and passports.
Since the IEA takeover, all SIM cards now have to be registered.
