THE state will soon insist that persons who purchase cellular phones and sim cards provide identification in order to reduce the possibility of such phones being used in the commission of a crime.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding said he has already asked the attorney general for advice on the matter, and that he was prepared to ask the Parliament to enact legislation in this regard.

He was speaking yesterday in the conclusion of a debate on the Cybercrimes Bill, just before its passage in the House of Representatives.

Cellphone providers, at present, require identification when persons purchase phones or sim cards. However, sources say sim cards can be purchased for between $200 and $300 in downtown Kingston and other parts of the country.

It is the use of these sim cards that concerns the prime minister as he noted that the person using a phone that cannot be traced back to him or her is most likely to be used to commit a crime. Such crimes, he pointed out, include the tipping off of criminals about police operations.

Just last week Golding told the House that he was a victim of a credit card scam involving thousands of dollars. He has since been reimbursed and issued with a new card by the bank.

Offences under the Cybercrimes Act include: 

* the intentional unauthorised access to a computer program or data;

* access to computer programme or data with intent to commit any offence, which attracts a penalty of imprisonment for a term in excess of one year;

* intentional unauthorised modification of a computer program or data;

* unauthorised interception of computer function or service; and

* the unauthorised obstruction of the operation of a computer or denial of access to a computer programme or data.

The bill makes consequential amendments to the Interception of Communications Act, the Mutual Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Debate on the bill, which has already been approved by the Senate, was suspended last week to give the prime minister time to respond to concerns raised by members.

Among the concerns raised last week was the issue of child pornography.

In responding, Golding lashed out at delinquent parents, while pointing to proposed legislation that will support a parenting commission.

“Because we are going to have to start making it clear that the discharge of parental responsibility to children is not an option. We are going to have to send a signal to parents that if you not prepared to honour your obligations to your children then don’t have them. If you have them and you not prepared to honour that obligation then you are going to be punished,” he said.