Mobile phone operators advised on best way to curb cybercrime.

The government has advised mobile phone firms to take great care in the registration of simcards so as check cybercrime that is currently on the rise.Speaking to The Guardian in an interview recently, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Mwigulu Nchemba, wondered why double registration of mobile phone customers has been a recurring practice.“I clearly do not understand. In Tanzania our Prime Minister is called Mizengo Pinda, while the Speaker of the National Assembly is called Anne Makinda. It is surprising that one could find similar names registered by these mobile network companies, hence fuelling cybercrime acts,” he said.   Deputy Minister Nchemba, directed mobile phone operators to demand for identities of their customers before they register them.He said if left unattended, the situation could lead to increased acts of cybercrime against Tanzanians particularly the leaders.Tabling the Cyber Crime Bill 2015 in Parliament two weeks ago, the Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa, said cybercrime cases are responsible for the theft of more than 9bn/- from various financial institutions in the country between 2010 and 2012.The bill proposes the enactment of a law which will make provisions for criminalising offences related to computer systems and Information Communication Technologies, to provide for investigation, collection and use of electronic evidence.Prof Mbarawa told the lawmakers that a August 2012-2014 police report showed that there were 180 incidents related to computer fraud and 245 others concerning ATM machine theft (ATM skimming).He added that according to the report, between 2010 and 2013 a total of 500 people were arrested, including foreigners due to cybercrime related acts whereby 9.8bn/- was stolen.Prof Mbarawa said that according to the Cybercrimes Control Unit, acts of cybercrime are on the increase.He noted that due to lack of a law governing cybercrime there have been difficulties in filing some cases in the court of law.The minister said that in preparing the bill, the government had also considered policies and experiences of other countries like the East African Community (EAC) Cybercrimes Framework 2008, the Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) Cyber Security Framework and Africa Union (AU) Convection on Confidence and Security, 2014.According to the Cybercrimes Bill, 2015 Section 4(1) a person shall not intentionally and unlawfully access or cause a computer system to be accessed.A person who contravenes Subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine of not less than 3m/-  or three times the value of the undue advantage received, whichever is greater or to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to both.Section 5 of the bill states that a person shall not intentionally and unlawfully, remain in a computer system or continue to use a computer system after the expiration of the time which he was allowed to access it.