It will be possible to top up a mobile phone balance with cash only upon presentation of a passport, Vedomosti reports.
The Ministry of Digital Development has developed the relevant amendments to the Law “On Communications”, and they are currently organizing interdepartmental coordination. The State Duma may adopt them before the end of the spring session, that is, before August 5.
The publication’s sources in two of the Big Four operators confirmed the existence of these amendments.
Personal payments account for 5-6% of mobile balance top-ups. This is mainly how migrant workers pay.
The amendments will also make it more difficult to lose a SIM card. Operators will be able to sell it only after checking passport data at the Ministry of Internal Affairs via the System of Interdepartmental Electronic Interaction (SMEV). If these requirements are not met, the seller may be fined up to 10 thousand rubles for each SIM card sold in violation. [Ведомости]
Source: Iphones RU
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