The Minister-designate for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations has stated that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) will cover the costs associated with the SIM re-registration exercise to be implemented by President Mahama’s administration. During his vetting with the Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, 2025, the nominee revealed that a new re-registration exercise will take place once he is approved. He emphasized that this new exercise will be a ‘proper’ SIM registration process, designed to minimize the stress that registrants experienced during the previous registration.
Answering questions during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Thursday, January 30, the Ningo Prampram lawmaker said, “We will do a proper SIM re-registration again… but this time no one will go through the stress.” “The cost will be borne by the Mobile Network Operators (MNO),” he added. The previous Akufo-Addo administration reregistered all SIM cards in 2022. The then Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu Ekuful indicated that the country had made good progress with the registration exercise, and this was a collective gain that must be celebrated.
“It is however disconcerting that almost 10 million people who have linked their SIM Cards to their Ghana Cards (i.e. completed Stage 1 registration) have not completed their Stage 2 registration,” she said in a statement issued on Sunday, October 16, 2022.
The statement added “I commend the millions of Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians resident in Ghana who have diligently registered their SIM Cards in accordance with the SIM Registration directives since the process commenced on 1 st October 2021. The primary objective of the SIM Registration exercise, as we have continually emphasised, is to protect us all against fraud, promote our collective security and
advance our transformational digital agenda.
“Mobile phones and SIM-enabled devices have become essential livelihood tools and underpin many digital innovations we find indispensable, but despite the immense benefits of modern digital technology, there are also significant risks, some of which we are seeking to mitigate through the SIM registration exercise. We must ensure a safe digital eco-system for us all. Government has no intention of just inconveniencing or overburdening citizens, or depriving them of the use of their SIM Card enabled devices.
“The good news is that despite the challenges that this exercise has encountered, including challenges with the acquisition of Ghana Cards, we have chalked significant successes we should be proud of. Between 1st October 2021 and 4th October 2022; · 28,959,006 SIM Cards have been linked to Ghana Cards (Stage 1 registration); representing 67.28% of the 42,749,662 total SIM cards issued nationally. 18,930,664 SIM Cards have been fully registered (Completed both Stages 1 and 2) – representing 44.28% of the total SIM cards issued. This equates to 69.64% of all Stage 1 registrations. · 13,720,687 unique Counts of Ghana Cards have been used so far for the
registration exercise.
“While we have not yet achieved our target, by every measurable yardstick and against the challenges that we have as a developing economy, this is quite an achievement. 14 million Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians can sleep safely, comforted by the fact that their 18.8 million SIM Cards are safe and secure.”
By: Raphael Ghartey
