Government to Undertake Fresh SIM Re-Registration, Telcos to Bear Full Cost – Says Minister-Designate for Communication
Minister-Designate for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George, has announced that the new government will conduct another nationwide SIM card re-registration exercise, with telecom operators (telcos) bearing the full cost.
Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Mr. George explained that the current SIM register is unreliable in identifying individuals behind SIM cards used for fraudulent activities—contrary to the assurances given by the previous government when justifying the initial SIM re-registration exercise.
During the previous exercise, telcos reportedly paid at least GHS5 per SIM card to the National Communications Authority (NCA) and its private sector partner, as well as additional fees to the National Identification Authority (NIA). However, fraud incidents in the mobile money sector post-SIM re-registration have exposed flaws in the system, demonstrating that the register has not been an effective tool for identifying fraudsters.
Industry experts, including consumer advocate Samuel Dowuona, had earlier warned that the shortcomings of the re-registration process could necessitate another exercise. Confirming these concerns, Mr. George stated that the upcoming re-registration will be fully technology-driven, involving collaboration between telcos, the NCA, and the NIA to ensure the proper verification of all registered SIM cards.
“We will do a proper SIM re-registration exercise again, but this time, nobody is going to queue because common sense will prevail, expertise will prevail, and logic will work,” he assured.
According to him, over 90% of SIM holders will not need to visit telco offices, as the verification will be done remotely. Only individuals with specific issues related to their SIM data will be required to report to their respective telcos for resolution.
“Most SIM holders will simply receive notifications on their phones confirming that their SIM has been verified. However, a few may be invited to their telco’s office to address discrepancies,” he explained.
Mr. George further assured that no individual would lose their SIM as a result of the re-registration exercise, emphasizing that the process is meant to verify existing SIMs rather than deactivate them.
Justifying the decision to have telcos finance the re-registration, he argued that it is in their best interest to maintain a clean and reliable database of SIM card users.
“It is in the telcos’ own interest to have a clean register to know who holds their SIMs. If they don’t, they will be liable to fines. They would rather pay for a clean register than risk penalties,” he stated.
The upcoming exercise is expected to leverage technology to cross-reference telcos’ data with the NIA database, eliminating unnecessary manual processes and enhancing the credibility of the national SIM register.
