Tanzania: TCRA registered 37,297,930 SIM cards through biometric registration
Published: 24/Apr/2020
Source: The Guardian / IPPMedia (Dar es Salaam)
By Felister Peter
The Tanzanian Communication Regulation Authority (TCRA) has registered 37,297,930 SIM cards through biometric registration system. So far the National Identification Authority (NIDA) had issued 21,823,026 national identification numbers until March this year. The authority issued NIN to 2,478,448 people between July 2019 and March 2020.
Presenting budget estimates for the 2020/2021 financial year, Home Affairs Minister Geroge Simbachawene told the National Assembly that during the fiscal year, NIDA will issue 6,076,666 national identification numbers making a total of 27,796,983 identified citizens by June 2021.
The minister added that NIDA had targeted to register 25,237,954 people this financial year. He said the authority also issued national identification numbers to 26,794 resident visitors.
“Biometric registration of SIM cards have contributed into increased NIDA revenue collections by 177 per cent from the projected 500m/- to over 1.3bn/-at the end of March this year”, said Simbachawene.
However, the authority issued NIN to 17,871,770 people as only 6,103,225 had so far been provided with physical IDs.
He said authorities from the Immigration Department arrested 11,187 illegal immigrants between July 2019 and March this year. Of the number, 1,389 were from Ethiopians who were deported by the government in collaboration with International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Ethiopian embassy in the country.
Minister Simbachawene explained that a total of 87 foreigners were granted citizenship. They are from Afganistan (1), South Africa (2), India (46), Italy (2), Kenya (10), Lebanon (2), Pakistan (7), Rwanda (2), Somalia (1), Uganda (1), United Kingdom (4), Yemen (8) and one who was stateless.
The government, he said has so far sent back 9,875 Burundian refugees through voluntary repatriation. He said the government has registered 207,644 refugees at different camps at Mtendeli, Nduta, Nyarugusu in Kigoma regon, Katumba and Mishamo in Katavi region and the Ulyankulu camp in Tabora.
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