The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) reported that, during the year, it fined 17 people, for an accumulated amount of S/ 47,150, and issued 82 reprimands due to false calls or malicious communications to various emergency centers, which presents a risk to the public.
He pointed out that the administrative processes for these bad users of fixed and mobile telephony services were carried out, within the framework of Emergency Decree No. 026-2020, after the affected exchanges reported to the MTC the telephone numbers from where these operations were carried out. calls for the institution to coordinate, with the operator, the corresponding suspension.
The rule mentions that, in any state of emergency (such as the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic), malicious communications, depending on the type of call, can be sanctioned with fines ranging from 0.5 to four times the value of a ITU (S/ 4,600).
Along these lines, the sanctions contemplate fines from S/ 2,300 to S/ 18,400. If in addition to this there are cases of recidivism, the cancellation of the service will be applied as the only sanction.
“The MTC rejects irresponsible actions that harm the operation of emergency centers and endanger the life and integrity of citizens”, highlighted the general director of Inspections and Sanctions in Communications, Miguel Ontiveros.
What happens if you don’t pay the fine?
In the event that the user does not pay the fine within the legal term, the MTC maintained that coercive collection will be carried out by the General Administration Office.
The amount collected from the fines imposed will be used for the implementation and maintenance of the registry of malicious communications in charge of the MTC, as well as for the improvement of the emergency services of the PNP, the General Corps of Voluntary Firefighters of Peru and the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations, according to Legislative Decree 1277.
Likewise, it specified that the service of 14,427 telephone lines, previously reported by the operators, was suspended. In this regard, Ontiveros called on the institutions that are in charge of the different emergency centers to continue reporting this type of action in order to apply the corresponding sanctions through the operating companies.
To date, the exchanges most affected by incidents of malicious and/or false calls, whose lines have been suspended are:
- 105 of the National Police of Peru, with 6,516 lines suspended.
- 117 of Essalud, with 4,888 suspended lines.
- 115 of Civil Defense, with 1,052 suspended lines.
- 107 of EsSalud, with 459 lines suspended.
- 113 of Info Salud, with 422 lines suspended.
- 106 of the SAMU, with 248 lines suspended.
- 1818 of the Ministry’s Single Complaint Center, with 280 lines suspended.
- 100 Complaints of Family and Sexual Violence, with 562 lines suspended.
“These sanctions are applied to the holders of the lines, so we once again ask all Peruvians to use the citizen support lines responsibly, since the lives of many compatriots may depend on this call.”, exhorted Ontiveros Dueñas.
