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In a recent announcement, the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, provided an update on the successful registration of mobile SIM cards using the Ghana Card. She revealed that a significant milestone had been reached, with over 28 million SIM cards registered since the registration exercise began on October 1, 2021.
During her briefing to Parliament on June 8, 2023, the Minister emphasized the importance of this registration process in building a robust and secure SIM database. By curbing fraudulent activities and enhancing the security of SIM card-based transactions, the re-registration initiative would contribute to the overall development of the telecommunications sector.
The Minister shared the latest figures, stating, “As of now, a total of 28,948,142 SIMs have been fully registered, while 999,419 SIMs have been exempted, resulting in a total of 29,947,561 active SIM cards.”
Addressing concerns from subscribers whose SIM cards had been deactivated, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful reassured them that measures were being taken to address the situation. Telecommunications networks were collaborating with the Bank of Ghana to facilitate the retrieval of mobile money funds from affected subscribers’ accounts. Although deactivated SIM cards would render mobile-related transactions impossible, the necessary processes would be implemented to recover the funds.
It was emphasized that the National Identification Card, commonly called the Ghana Card, remained the sole document acceptable for the registration exercise. However, acknowledging the challenges faced by some individuals in obtaining the Ghana Card, the National Communications Authority (NCA) had extended the registration deadline multiple times. The final deadline for registration was set for May 31, 2023, after which unregistered mobile money accounts, totaling 7.4 million and containing approximately GH¢200 million, were deactivated.
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Source: Omanghana.com
