Kemenkominfo Affirms Ban On Selling Active SIM Cards, What's Up?

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) regulates the sale of SIM cards (Subscriber Identity Module) in an inactive state. This is an effort to prevent illegal circulation or use of identity without rights and incorrectly.

The Director General of Post and Information Technology at the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, Ahmad M. Ramli, appealed to cellular telecommunications service operators and SIM card sellers to comply with Minister of Communication and Informatics Regulation Number 5 of 2021 concerning Telecommunications Operations.

The regulation came into effect in April 2021, which regulates the registration of prepaid SIM cards. This regulation was made not without purpose, because currently users of cellular telecommunications services also tend to increase.

"I always emphasize that in accordance with PM 5/2021, both operators and their entire staff up to the level of prepaid card sellers comply with this by registering correctly, and then there will be no more stories of selling SIM cards that are active," he said. Ramli in an official statement quoted by VOI, Friday, July 9.

Ramli stated that based on various sources, in Indonesia currently active SIM card users nationally reached 345.3 million.

“This (SIM Card user) exceeds the total population, because we know that a person can have more than one number. So, if we see this, then we will also move again," said Ramli.

“It often happens that it is also used for fraud, crime and others. Therefore (through PM Kominfo 5/2021), this is where the essence of the importance of consistent prepaid registration is. Because of what? Its function is for health, digital economy, banking and others," he added.

Ramli explained, currently active users of social media in Indonesia have reached 170 million people. Of these, the average use of over the top and various digital applications for daily life.

"Although there are still those who deliberately use it to commit crimes," said Ramli.

In the Regulation of the Minister of Communication and Informatics Number 5 of 2021 Article 153 paragraph (5) it is stated that telecommunications service providers are required to circulate Prime Cards in an inactive state for all Telecommunication Services.

Furthermore, in paragraph (6), circulation in an inactive condition must also be carried out by everyone who sells starter packs, namely distributors, agents, outlets, pelapak, and or individuals.

In the same regulation, there is the Know Your Customer (KYC) principle which is applied to know the identity of the customer is correct and used by the authorized person.