One of Fiji's major telecommunication providers, Vodafone Fiji said they totally understand the reason behind the compulsory registration of customers for telephone services due to the number of hoax calls being made.
The Telephone Service Decree has already been gazetted by the President.
However the Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will determine the date when the decree comes into effect.
Once that is determined, all telephone and mobile phone users will have 30 days to register with their service providers.
According to the decree, customers have to provide their full name, date of birth, photo identification and parent or guardian's signature if the customer is below 18.
According to the decree, service providers must suspend any and all telephone communications services to a telephone number which has not been registered within the 30 day timeframe.
Any service provider who fails to cancel the service within two weeks shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $200,000.
Vodafone Fiji's Manager Corporate Affairs, Shailendra Prasad said people should understand that compulsory registration is necessary due to a large level of abuse by some people.
On the disclosure of customer information under the Telephone Services Decree, it states that no person may disclose any information which he or she obtained in exercising their powers or the performance of their duties under the decree, except in accordance with a search warrant issued by a Magistrate in the exercise of his or her powers under the decree.
It states that a Magistrate may issue a search warrant if there are investigations relating to prank calls to national emergency telephone numbers and also to investigations relating to treason and other offences against Government authority, offence against public order, offences against international order, offences against the person and threat of injury to a person employed in the public service.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
