Tanzania has imposed fines of up to Tsh10.74 billion ($4,760,520) on phone companies that have violated SIM card registration rules set by the regulator.

Some telcos were found to have registered new numbers to clients without asking for their identity cards or using IDs not accepted by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). The TCRA accepts the national identity card, Zanzibar resident ID card, passport, voters registration card and driver’s licence.

Other offences are issuance of phone numbers to clients without taking their photographs, issuing Sim cards without client signatures and using third party identity cards to register clients. The regulator said all the fines must be paid before October 14.

READ: Tanzania opens telecom IPOs to East Africans

Airtel Tanzania Ltd has been fined Tsh1.085 billion ($480,928); Benson Informatics Ltd trading as Smart,l pay Tsh75 million ($33,243.9) and MIC Tanzania Ltd trading as Tigo Tsh1.305 billion ($578,443).

Vodacom Tanzania plc will pay Tsh945 million ($418,873), Zanzibar Telecom Ltd trading as Zantel Tsh105 million ($46,541.4) and Vietel which trades as Halotel is expected to pay Tsh1.645 billion ($729,149).

On top of these fines, all the companies will have to pay additional fines for the offence of repeating the said offences, because “this is not the first time these companies have violated the stipulated conditions” TCRA director general, James Malaba said.

Graphical representation of the fines imposed over simcard registration