Government sets one-month deadline for merchant subscribers to register SIM Cards

The Ministry of Communications has issued a warning that approximately 280,000 merchant SIMs in Ghana remain unregistered, posing a significant risk as fraudsters could exploit them for illicit activities.

The Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, provided an update on the SIM re-registration exercise during a session in Parliament, emphasizing that all unregistered merchant SIMs would be permanently blocked by the end of June 2023.

Addressing the issue, Minister Owusu-Ekuful highlighted a concerning viral video that circulated on social media, revealing that criminal networks had acquired merchant SIMs to facilitate fraudulent schemes.

To prevent such abuse, the Ministry is determined to block all unregistered merchant SIMs by the specified deadline.

In addition, the Minister urged victims of illegal activities to report incidents to the National Communications Authority (NCA) for appropriate action to be taken against the perpetrators.

She also advised subscribers who were unable to complete the second stage of the registration process to contact the NCA to ensure their SIM cards are duly registered.

Acknowledging complaints from individuals whose registered SIMs were unexpectedly blocked, Minister Owusu-Ekuful explained that many of these cases were due to incomplete registration procedures.

She encouraged affected individuals to reach out to the NCA to rectify the situation and restore their phone numbers through proper registration.

The Minister emphasized the urgency of acting promptly, as the NCA would announce the end of the registration moratorium, after which unregistered SIMs would be permanently blocked from the networks.

Individuals whose lines have already been blocked but are still in need of their phone numbers are advised to register immediately.

In cases where SIMs were inadvertently blocked during full registration, the NCA will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause and resolve the issue.

In a related matter, Minister Owusu-Ekuful announced that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are collaborating with the Bank of Ghana to facilitate the retrieval of funds for individuals who have encountered difficulties accessing their mobile money accounts due to SIM deactivation.

Numerous subscribers have expressed concerns about their inability to access funds after their SIM cards were deactivated for failing to complete the re-registration process.

To address this issue, the Minister assured subscribers that the MNOs and the Bank of Ghana are working together to resolve the matter swiftly.

Responding to the Minister’s presentation, Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, raised concerns about the social consequences of SIM deactivation.

He highlighted instances where blocked SIMs had led to problems in relationships and urged caution in the blocking process, particularly when the fault did not lie with the SIM holder.

Haruna Iddrisu questioned the Minister about the extent of stakeholder consultation prior to the blocking of SIMs, emphasizing the need for comprehensive engagement with regulatory bodies, the NCA, telecom chambers, and mobile network operators.

He further called for the synchronization and harmonization of data in Ghana, suggesting the implementation of a dedicated SIM regime to streamline the collection and management of biometric information.

As the government continues to address these concerns and work towards successful SIM registration, it remains crucial to strike a balance between combating crimes and ensuring effective communication services for Ghanaian citizens.

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh