The National Communications Authority (NCA), as part of efforts to ensure that all SIM cards are registered with the Ghana Card, has in recent times increased its consumer education and sensitisation efforts. Starting from March 8 this year, the NCA started a nationwide outreach that has so far reached about 170 districts. The focus of the outreach is on selected rural and sub-urban communities.
The overall objective of the consumer outreach being organised by the NCA is to inform and educate consumers about registering their SIM cards with their Ghana Card before the deadline, and reiterate the significance and benefits of the SIM registration exercise.
In ensuring that all consumers are not left out, the education is being conducted simultaneously by all the eight NCA Regional offices across the country, with specific attention to rural areas. Considering that some consumers have not been able to complete the second stage of the exercise, Mobile Network Providers (MNOs) have joined the outreach team and are assisting consumers to complete the second stage of the registration. These MNOs are Glo, MTN, AirtelTigo, and Vodafone.
In accordance with the National Identity Registration Regulations, 2012 – L.I. 2111, Section 7(1)(l), the Ghana Card is the only identification document that is used for individual SIM Card Registration. This will ensure the development of a SIM database with integrity, which will help in the prevention of fraudulent activities, and the protection of SIM card-based transactions. Additionally, it will aid in determining the specific number of legitimate SIM cards on the various networks at every point in time.
The Deputy Director for Consumer and Corporate Affairs at the NCA, Kwame Gyan, said through the outreach, a broad range of consumers have been assisted to register their SIM cards, with a lot more reminded of the repercussions of not registering their SIMS. According to him: “The NCA teams keep encouraging people to register, while reminding them they will be disconnected from their networks if they are not registered by the deadline given by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MOCD).
It will be recalled that Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, stated during the climax of the Ahafo Regional celebration of Girls-in-ICT Initiative, held at Acherensua in the Asutifi South District, that the Ministry will not extend the SIM registration exercise beyond the July 31, 2022 deadline. The Ministry had initially extended the deadline from March 31.
