SIM Registration Deadline to be Extended? Communications Ministry Engages Key Stakeholders For Crucial Decision

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) will engage and consult key stakeholders and all telecommunication companies to determine whether to extend the recent SIM card registration exercise or not, Sector Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has disclosed.

Barely 48 hours to the second deadline, which was prolonged to Sunday, July 31, 2022, from the previous deadline of March 31, some Ghanaians are still calling for an extension of the new deadline- possibly to the end of the year.

Despite the appeals, the MoC has emphasised its resolve to stick to the current date- a duration it maintains has been enough to ensure compliance.

However, speaking to the B&FT on the sidelines at the launch of the Tertiary Digital Innovation Programme to herald the unveiling of the 5th anniversary of the Ghana Digital Centres (DCL) in Accra, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said: ”We’ll engage all stakeholders and all telecom companies on the matter. Until then, the deadline remains the same”.
Meanwhile, notable civil society organisations (CSOs) including CUTS Ghana and some personalities are continuously appealing for an extension of the deadline.

Per the directives, individuals who do not register their SIM cards risk being removed from the communication network.

Current data from the National Identification Authority (NIA) has it that a little over 16 million people have so far registered for the Ghana Card- an access card which enables the registration of SIM cards.
Per the figures, it appears that more people are yet to register their SIM cards as far as data from the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication suggests that more than 30 million phone gadgets are being used in Ghana.

Source: GhanaWeb