Implementing the Prime Minister's direction requiring "thorough handling of the problem of junk SIMs. Chairmen and General Directors of companies and mobile telecommunications enterprises must take personal responsibility for junk SIMs", the Ministry of Information and Communications has issued a notice to thoroughly clarify the responsibility of business leaders in strictly implementing the management and registration of subscriber information, and must directly direct and take responsibility for implementing measures to handle, recover, and thoroughly prevent the situation of junk SIMs.

A SIM card sales point on Kim Ma Street. Photo: XM

The Ministry of Information and Communications requires the head of the enterprise to directly direct and be responsible for implementing and completing the process of converting all remaining SIMs into SIMs without subscriber information (with or without a package), ensuring that subscriber SIMs are accurate, in accordance with regulations, consistent with the national database on population, and can only be activated and newly developed by the network operators themselves according to the roadmap:

Before March 22, 2024: SIMs that are locked in two directions, have subscriber information, and have a package must change their status to SIMs without subscriber information.

Before April 15, 2024: SIMs that are locked in one direction and have signs of activation must change their status to SIMs without subscriber information; after processing the subscriber file with one document in the name of multiple SIMs (≥ 4 SIMs/1 document).

From April 15, 2024: Mobile telecommunications businesses will be fully responsible if new SIMs that are not in compliance with regulations appear on the market. In case of detecting violations (such as SIMs with existing channels containing subscriber information, etc.).

The Ministry of Information and Communications assigned the Ministry Inspectorate to conduct inspections and handle violations (with the highest penalty - suspension of new subscriber development activities). At the same time, the Ministry will issue a document reminding the enterprise and reporting to the Prime Minister to consider disciplining the head of the violating enterprise.

According to this roadmap, before April 15, network operators must check the files of individual and organizational customers with registration documents for 4 or more SIMs, to ensure complete and accurate information according to regulations and verify whether they are using the registered subscription.

Previously, from May 2023, the Ministry of Information and Communications also inspected individuals and organizations that registered 10 or more SIM cards. As a result, 8.6 million subscribers were found to have violated the law and were punished. Of these, as of September 2023, 3.6 million SIM cards had their information re-registered. The rest were locked one-way, two-way, or revoked.

According to regulations on mobile subscribers, users can register 3 SIMs with each network by providing documents and personal information. For the fourth subscriber number or more, they must sign a contract according to the form. Mobile telecommunications enterprises are responsible for checking, monitoring, and ensuring that the subscriber number is used in accordance with regulations.