The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Sam Nartey George, has assured Ghanaians that the upcoming SIM card registration exercise will be a seamless, human-centered, and technology-driven process.
Speaking on the initiative on Citi FM‘s Eyewitness News on Wednesday April 9, Sam George emphasised the government’s commitment to addressing the shortcomings of the previous administration’s SIM re-registration exercise.
Highlighting the rise in SIM-related fraud since the earlier exercise, Sam George criticised the previous administration for failing to meet key performance indicators (KPIs) during what he described as a “botched re-registration exercise.”
He assured the public that the new registration process would be a clean and efficient one, leveraging advanced technology to ensure a stress-free experience for all participants.
“This is a human-centered, technology-driven exercise,” George stated. “It will happen so seamlessly and without stress that most Ghanaians will ask themselves why they were saddled with eight years of misrule and mismanagement.”
Background of SIM Card Re-registration
The SIM card re-registration initiative, launched in 2021 by the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government faced challenges, prompting multiple extensions to its deadline due to low participation rates.
The process mandated that all SIM card holders re-register their cards using the Ghana Card, the country’s official national identity document.
Despite efforts to encourage registration, millions of active SIM cards remained unregistered, compelling the government to prolong the exercise further.
This raised concerns among citizens regarding data security and the risk of fraudulent registrations through the mobile application.
The government’s key aim in implementing the re-registration was to strengthen national security by reducing criminal activities facilitated by unregistered SIM cards.
Additionally, the exercise was intended to refine industry regulation by creating a reliable database of valid SIM cards. These measures were expected to contribute to a safer and more organised telecommunications landscape in Ghana.
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