The PNG Council of churches will be using its rural network to assist Telecommunication Companies to roll out the sim registration process before the 30th of April this year.
On Thursday at Saroa village in the Rigo district, representatives of the 7 members of the council of churches of the southern region held the final regional workshop with NICTA representatives & telecommunication companies.
NICTA ‘s Business Relations and Licensing Manager, Gibson Tito, says churches have penetrated rural communities and using that network it with assist in a massive way to get the majority of the population registered
He said the deadline for the Sim registration is set by the government through the Ministry of Communication and not by NICTA.
The Council of churches for other regions of NGI, Highlands & Momase have already taken place.
The Council of Churches General Secretary, Rev. Roger Joseph, says the workshop has brought church leaders together for the first time to Participate in National Development.
Rev Joseph says many people in the rural areas do not have Identification cards or know their date of birth and pastor’s will be used as reputable persons in the sim registration process. He said about 6.5mil people in ONG are church goers and the target for the churches now is to get as many people to register.
Digicel’s Representative Reynard Conradie, thanked the churches partnership in this process. Digicel workers will be on the ground soon in all provinces to train pastors to roll out sim registration process. Each pastor will be paid K2.00 for every person they register.
