Sim cards Photo: 123RF
The Papua New Guinea government is in favour of extending the deadline for the registration of mobile phone SIM cards.
The acting prime minister Charles Abel said the extension to 23 January would minimise the potential for disruptions to phone users while ensuring network security is enhanced.
This follows a challenge in court, raising the reasonableness of the registration for citizens in remote and rural areas.
Mr Abel said by registering every phone SIM card, PNG was working to global standards that prevent the use of mobile phone networks by terrorists and other criminals.
He said as this year's host of APEC PNG had to ensure security was at the highest levels in all areas.
Mr Abel said when unregistered phones are cut off, not only would the customers be inconvenienced, but phone companies would lose revenue, so they had endeavour to register all their customers.
