New Sim registration deadline too short – MoMo Agents Association insist
The Mobile Money Agents Association claims that the additional two months granted to Ghanaians to complete the SIM re-registration exercise after the previous deadline was extended is insufficient.
Remember how the situation became tense when Ghanaians rushed to register their SIM cards in accordance with the government’s mandate to stop online fraud and other crimes by using their Ghana Cards at designated locations.
When she appeared on the eve of the deadline to declare this, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, gave Ghanaians a big sigh of relief;
“Mobile Network Operators MNOs and the National Communications Authority (NCA) (and I dare say the National Identification Authority) have all hired extra people, purchased the required supplies, and incurred substantial sums to undertake this exercise effectively. Any delay raises costs. I’ve reluctantly decided to give a last conditional extension after consulting with the industry and considering the aforementioned issues.
“The program will stop on its anniversary, September 30.” One year of SIM registration. Any SIM not completely registered by the end of August would be blocked from voice and data services.
Unregistered SIMs will cost extra. September’s news briefing will detail all disciplinary actions. Please don’t blame your supplier for your own actions. “Forewarned is forearmed.”
Evans Otumfuor, the secretary of the Mobile Money Agents Association, told Citi News that the extension would have little effect until issues with the National Identification Authority are resolved.
“Looking at the exigencies that government wants us to regularise our credentials with the Ghana Card, we were thinking that at least, within a space of six months, it should be enough for us to get quite a good number of people.”
