A call to register Mobile phones in Papua New Guinea

By TODAGIA KELOLA

POLICE Minister, Nixon Duban, is seriously considering a move to have all mobile phones in the country registered to their owners by the end of 2013. 
This he said is because of the rising number of cases where mobile phones have been used to transmit threats and phonographic materials, either verbal or via text messages.
Currently many mobile phones are bought over the counter and do not require proof of identity, nor is there any record kept of the owner. Calls made from mobile phones are difficult to trace.
Minister Duban was unfortunate to be a victim of this gadget where one of his staff’s relative was kidnapped and the kidnappers were using a mobile phone to intimidate and demand ransom by calling and sending text messages. 
Minister Duban said: “The distress and the destructive effect that the unknown caller on the other side of the mobile phone is having on the recipient and their family is intrusive and a violation of ones right, it is like a form of rape - emotional rape and psychological rape.
“I have become a victim of this abuse of mobile phones and its very distressing and I can imagine others who have gone through it. I think as a member of Parliament and Minister responsible for Police, I will consult the Attorney General and the Prime Minister and see if we as a Government can direct both mobile phone companies to register their users and those not registered should be disconnected. This will be before the end of 2013” he said.
He said currently there is no record of users and he is certain that many Papua New Guineans have become victims of this powerful device but perpetrators cannot be punished because they are like ghosts who cannot be traced. Post Courier