JUST IN: This Is Your Last Chance; Ministry of Communications Issues Fresh Statement On SIM Re-registration and Blockage Deadline

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister for Communications and Digitalization, has told people who haven’t registered their SIM cards yet that they need to do so by October 30.

She said that some Ghanaians have been able to finish the first step of the registration process, but they still need to give their biometric details to finish the process.

She said that these people should use the SIM self-registration app to finish the process or their SIM cards could be blocked.

In a press release seen by GhanaWeb on October 21, 2022, she said, “However, it is worrying that almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM cards to their Ghana cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration) have not completed Stage 2 registration.”

“There is no reason for this because these people have Ghana Cards, have started the process, and have had plenty of chances to fully register their SIM cards, including by using the first-of-its-kind self-registration app,” she said.

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Below is the full press release:

PRESS STATEMENT ON SIM REGISTRATION EXERCISE

Since the process started on October 1, 2021, I applaud the millions of Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians who have registered their SIM cards in accordance with the SIM Registration directives. We have always said that the main goal of SIM Registration is to protect us all from fraud, improve our security as a group, and move forward with our digital transformation agenda.

Mobile phones and other devices that use SIM cards are now essential for making a living and are at the heart of many of the digital innovations we find indispensable. Despite the huge benefits of modern digital technology, there are also a lot of risks, some of which we hope to reduce through the SIM registration process.

We must ensure a safe digital ecosystem for us all. The government doesn’t want to just make things hard for people or put too much on their shoulders or stop them from using their SIM-card-enabled devices.

The good news is that, despite the problems that have come up with this exercise, including problems with getting Ghana Cards, we have made a lot of progress that we should be proud of. From October 1, 2021, to October 4, 2022;

• Of the 42,749,662 SIM cards issued in the country, 28,959,006 have been linked to Ghana Cards (Stage 1 registration). This is 67.28% of the total number of SIM cards.

• 18,930,664 SIM cards have been fully registered (both Stages 1 and 2), which is 44.28% of all SIM cards that have been given out. This is the same as 69.64% of all registrations for Stage 1.

• So far, 13,720,687 different Counts of Ghana cards have been used to register people.

Even though we haven’t reached our goal yet, this is a pretty big accomplishment given that our economy is still growing and the problems it faces. Because 18.8 million SIM cards are safe and secure, 14 million Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians can sleep well at night. We’ve made good progress, which is something we should all be happy about.

Worryingly, though, almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM cards to their Ghana cards (i.e. finished Stage 1 registration) have not finished Stage 2 registration. There’s no good reason for this, since these people have their Ghana Cards, have started the process, and have had plenty of chances to fully register their SIM cards, including by using the world’s first self-registration app.

Some people might not like the idea of registering SIM cards for political, philosophical, or ideological reasons. Let me just remind them that they have the right to skip this exercise, but everything they do has an effect. SIMs that haven’t been registered will be turned off. Regulation 1(b) of the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2006) says, “A network operator or service provider shall not activate a Subscriber Identity Module for a subscriber unless the subscriber complies with the directives given by the Authority under the Act and the National Communications Authority Act, 2008, (Act 769) on the registration of Subscriber Identity Module.”

This makes it a legal requirement for all Network Operators to only use SIM cards that have been registered in the way that the NCA says. No network in Ghana will let you use a SIM card that hasn’t been properly registered in line with NCA rules.

So, the Authority, NCA, has the power to issue DIRECTIVES that explain the whole process for SIM registration and to punish people who don’t follow them.

We will make sure that they follow the law to the letter because we are a responsible government.

We also know that some of our people have had trouble getting Ghana Cards so they could register their SIM cards. However, 1.3 million Ghanaians have been given Ghana cards but haven’t picked them up yet. We’re sorry about this, and we’ll keep asking the National Identification Authority to speed up the process.

At the end of July 2022, I told everyone that the deadline to sign up would be moved back two months, to September 30, 2022. After talking with people in the business, I’m announcing the following:

1. Starting at the end of October, all SIM cards that have been linked to Ghana Cards (that is, have finished Stage 1 registration) but have not finished Stage 2 registration will be blocked. This isn’t an extension of the deadline; it’s just a temporary hold on the process to get these people to finish it. They should get in touch with the NCA if they are having any unusual problems.

These good people have the Ghana card and have started the process. This gentle reminder will help them finish it. All other SIMs that haven’t been registered will also be blocked over time.

1. The NCA is talking with the NIA about registered amputees and other groups of people, and they will soon make an announcement about how they will be helped. The earlier rule about SIMs that work outside of Ghana and diplomats is still in place.

2. All data-only SIM cards, including those from Surfline, Busy Internet, Telesol, and any other company or organization like ECG, have until the end of November to register.

3. Some people have registered more than ten (10) SIM cards for personal use, and the database has found this and will clean it up. They should immediately disconnect the SIM cards they don’t want, because anyone with more than 10 SIM cards will have their extra cards taken off the database and blocked.

This will also fix issues with SIMs that have already been registered. Let me remind all SIM card sellers that it is against the law to sell SIM cards that have already been registered. The NCA has been told to do mystery shopping and bring those who break the law to justice. If found guilty, they could spend up to 5 years in prison.

Let me end by saying that the government is fully committed to making sure that we have a safe digital ecosystem that supports our cybersecurity as a whole. A successful SIM Card registration process is a key part of reaching this goal, so I’m asking everyone to put the country’s needs first and do the right thing.

Even though we are happy about how well the SIM card registration went, the government will keep its promise to protect all citizens. We want everyone to meet their responsibilities to each other and to the state. We need your help to make sure this important SIM card registration goes smoothly.

MRS. URSULA OWUSU-EKUFUL (MP)