DUSHANBE, December 2, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament has seconded amendments proposed by the government to the country’s law on electronic communications.  Under these amendments, mobile operators functioning in Tajikistan will have to reregister all sold out SIM cards.

A regular sitting of the second session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fifth convocation, presided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, was held on December 2.

Presenting the bill, the first deputy head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), Mansourjon Umarov, said that more than 70 percent of active SIM cards had been sold out without producing identification.

According to him, more than 7 million SIM cards have been sold out in Tajikistan in recent years.  “Today, Tajik SIM cards are freely sold in northern Afghanistan.  Payment offices for Tajik SIM cards have been opened there.  We have information that Taliban militants deployed in areas bordering Tajikistan are actively using Tajik SIM cards,” Umarov said, noting that the bill is aimed at regulating the sale of SIM cards.

Mobile operators functioning in Tajikistan have to reregister all sold out SIM cards within a year after adoption of the law.