Telecoms Chamber Prepared to Discuss SIM Card Re-registration

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has stated its willingness to engage with the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation to discuss the upcoming SIM card re-registration process, following the shortcomings of previous attempts.

SIM card registration has become a global standard for many governments aiming to improve security, curb criminal activities, and facilitate the use of digital services. It also allows telecom providers to identify SIM card owners and the individuals making calls or sending messages. To complete the registration, users must provide personal information such as their residential address and a valid identification document, which has raised concerns about privacy and data security.

The Chamber has emphasized the importance of involving a broader range of stakeholders in the re-registration process, including banks and financial institutions. This would help enhance efficiency and ensure that fraud detection is a collective responsibility rather than being solely dependent on telecom companies. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of the Chamber, shared his thoughts in an interview with Graphic Business, stating, “We want all entities in the ecosystem that use the Ghana Card to be able to detect fraud, making fraud detection a shared duty.”

This development follows comments from the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Sam Nartey George, during his vetting in Parliament, where he expressed plans for a new SIM card registration process aimed at addressing the challenges faced during the previous attempts.

The re-registration will be the third attempt of its kind in Ghana. The first exercise took place under the Atta-Mills administration, and the second was held in 2022, requiring SIM cardholders to link their cards to their Ghana Cards. Failure to comply resulted in blocked SIM cards or the suspension of services.

Criticizing the previous process, George pointed out the long queues and inefficiencies that plagued the registration. He assured the public that the new process would leverage technology to cross-check data against the National Identification Authority (NIA) database, eliminating the need for long waits. Only cases with discrepancies would require individuals to visit the MNO offices.

The announcement of the re-registration has garnered mixed reactions from the public. While some see it as unnecessary, others are hopeful that it will improve the process and reduce previous challenges. One anonymous industry expert expressed support for the new approach, believing that it would be a much smoother experience, free from the long queues that characterized the earlier exercise.

Experts have suggested that the government should involve all key players in the entire ecosystem—telecom companies, banks, and other institutions—to ensure the success of the re-registration. They also pointed to global best practices that Ghana can draw from to avoid repeating the mistakes of past efforts and minimize any inconvenience for the public.