A security specialist has cast doubt on plans by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) to embark on phone registration as one way of dealing with mobile money fraud. 

According to Macra Director General Daud Suleman, when rolled out next year, the system will be able to block stolen phones.

But commenting on the development, a Mzuzu University based security scholar Aubrey Kabisala said the same Macra rolled out mandatory SIM card registration which has not assisted in countering the vice.

He said: “What is so surprising is that the same regulators involved the service providers that they register each and every SIM card.

Surprisingly, mobile fraud have been taking place even though there was that project to make sure that we register each and every person who gets a SIM card, so we are not sure how this project will arrest the situation.”

Macra says processes to acquire a Central Equipment Identification Registry are at an advanced stage and will be used for the exercise.

Meanwhile, the ICT Association of Malawi has advised Macra to consider having holistic approach in dealing with the mobile money fraud.

“It is a solution that is partially solving one of the bigger puzzles if you look where we are coming from, the SIM registration made it mandatory by Communications Act of 2016 that each citizens should register.

There is still a missing link between mobile operators verifying identification cards with the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and therefore the increase in mobile fraud is still going to be a challenge,” said Bram Fudzulani, the Association’s President.

There has been a rise in mobile money fraud in the recent years across the country.

According to Macra, Malawi is losing approximately K120 million monthly to mobile money