The Ministry of Communications has announced that all mobile phone users will have to re-register their SIM numbers (Subscriber Identity Module) from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2020 or lose the numbers as they will be deactivated.
The measure, according to Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Minister of Communications, will help monitor and track down persons who use their phones for criminal activities.
Identification forms acceptable for re-registration or fresh SIMs will be by approved national biometric identity cards.
Mrs Ursula Ekuful announced government’s decision at a press briefing Monday, and explained that the valid ID cards will include Driver's Licence, SSNIT, Passports, and the Ghana Card. A detailed programme will be rolled out by the National Communications Authority and will be conducted with the telecommunication companies.
According to the Minister, Ghana enacted the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2006) primarily to reduce mobile phone related crimes such as prank calls, cyber-crime, mobile money fraud and its related issues and general security.
She said the enactment was also intended to help the law enforcement agencies to identify the SIM card owners, track criminals who use phones for illegal activities, curb incidents such as phone theft, hate text messages, mobile fraud activities, inciting violence, and to combat crime such as SIM Box fraud.
“SIM registration also enables subscribers to be properly identified for the use of value-added services such as mobile banking, mobile money, and electronic payment services. Due to the crucial nature of SIM registration and its security implications for the country, MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) were required to ensure SIMs were registered properly before activation on the mobile network to avoid inconsistencies and fake subscriber identity.
“Even though the SIM Registration regulations are still in force, it is not being enforced due to the lack of an acceptable, fake proof, Identification card and non-existence of verification by a national database to ensure the traceability of the individual who registered the SIM card.
“Currently, there is no solution in place to integrate all the databases of Card Issuing Agencies for the seamless verification of IDs used for registration of SIMs to be effectively conducted.
In addition to this, the Ministry of Communications has noted other deficiencies of the existing SIM card registration regime in Ghana including the sale of pre-registered SIM cards, the use of pre-registered SIM cards and fraudulent registration of SIM cards. All of these activities are proscribed by law. These deficiencies facilitate fraudulent activities perpetrated through the use of mobile phones such as mobile money fraud, illegal SIM swap, illegal termination of international traffic (SIM-Boxing) leading to loss of revenue to the state, impersonation and cyber-crime.”
Mrs Owusu Ekuful said though some IDs submitted for registration of SIMs may have been valid, however, due to the poorly implemented manual verification process, millions of SIMs registered have been rendered invalid because of non-verification of these IDs electronically with the databases of the Card Issuing Agencies.
“The Ministry has consulted all relevant stakeholders and hereby announces that from 1st January 2020, we will all be required to re-register our SIM cards. Any SIM card which is not registered will be deactivated by June 2020, giving a six-month time frame for this exercise. We entreat all citizens, residents and visitors to cooperate to ensure the success of this exercise for our collective security,” she said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA
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The most ***barred word*** minister of all time... Ohie tamo for ni enyla
you do not lose your house cos you failed to pay rental property. NPP you guys have myopic memories you were beggers not long ago & has lost touch of using the right communication skills. Seriously. 2020 will show most of your arrogant mps the exit.
We are tired of you oo.Ursla .WHat at all do you want from us
Ghana and backwardness. Why must someone re-register a card every time a new government comes on board? Exactly what does that mean? Can't these leaders get over old things and move on to new developments? Look at her tired face bi kraa.. Uselessness..
OOOOhHHHH Ghana we dont want anything good that comes our way. i leave in UAE-DUBAI since 2007 and every year one must visit the network provider with your Emirates ID card to re-register your SIM if you fail to do it your number will be deactivated. why are we always against every thing?????
This government doing everything that make people vote against governments. They need to understand that even someone who is benefiting from free SHS can be angered by a decision like this and vote against you. I always say that the mind of the African is very fluctuating. This is while you can give someone 100million but if you refuse to give him a ride and abandon the same person when he is standing in rain, he will never forgive you even though you have given him 100million before. They should sit down and be deceived by free SHS, 2020 will be like watching movie to them.
Ghanafo are too talkative, without sitting and reasoning! Any country worth its salt, you need an acceptable national ID to even buy a SIM, and then there are those countries that require you to go back to the phone company periodically to confirm your number and if you don't you are blocked! Only in Ghana when a government tries to bring the country into the 21st century, security wise, WAHALA DON COME. why, why, why, when are you going to wize up!
Yes, we need Dictatorship and we got it so let everyone keep quite and eat his or she humble pie
Ei Ghana. We are finished. These guys are going to spy on us. What crime? What prank calls? Dictatorship reloading.......
Ghanaians want to fight crime but DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE reasons, Police can trace you wherever you hide if your number is registered.