New Self-Service App For SIM Card Registration In Ghana

Ghana- – A self-service App is to be developed to work with the ongoing SIM card registration exercise in the country by the end of June this year.

As indicated by Ghana’s Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the move by authorities forms part of systems to reduce the massive overcrowding at registration outlets. She was tending to this topic in Parliament on June 23, 2022.

The exercise is being completed by the minister, in a joint effort with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Ursula Owusu additionally said the July 31, 2022 cutoff time for SIM card registration wouldn’t be extended.

She, in this manner, asked residents who were at this point to register for the Ghana Card to do as such according to schedule, since the card would have been the sole essential account for the SIM registration.

The exercise was at first expected to end on March 31, 2022, but was extended to July 31, 2022, to empower everyone of register.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful was answering a question on the floor of Parliament by the MP for Tempane, Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, on urgent steps the ministry was taking to reduce overcrowding at SIM registration centres.

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The minister/MP, in her reaction, referenced different measures to reduce the congestion at the centres to include the increase in the number of agents and devices by MNOs and the extension of the registration exercise to communities, churches, mosques and event centres.

She added that all MNOs were additionally prepared to set up registration centres in various offices when invited to do as such, while local area ICT centres and mailing stations had been included as service points to extend the exercise to cover more people.

As per the honorable minister, the SIM registration was expected to reduce fraudulent and criminal activities facilitated by mobile phones or SIM-enabled devices by helping the authorities to ascertain real numbers valid and accurate SIMs on mobile networks.

She added that it would also enable operators to build better demographics of their customers and develop products and services to suit various groupings while allowing the NCA to have a more accurate and credible database to regulate the industry better to enhance economic growth.

“It will minimise mobile money fraud, promote cybersecurity and support financial inclusion. A credible and reliable SIM register will also serve as a database, giving comprehensive statistics regarding the number of subscribers in the country and provide a resource for tracking fraudsters and criminals,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful added.