Government is set to undertake a fresh nationwide SIM card re-registration exercise, with telecom operators (telcos) covering the full cost, according to Minister-Designate for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Sam Nartey George.
During his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Sam George highlighted flaws in the current SIM registration system, stating that it has failed to effectively identify individuals using SIM cards for fraudulent activities.
Industry data suggests that despite telcos paying at least GHS 5 per SIM to the National Communications Authority (NCA) and its private partners—along with additional fees to the National Identification Authority (NIA)—fraud in the mobile money sector has persisted, exposing weaknesses in the system.
George assured that the new registration process would be technology-driven, minimizing in-person queues and leveraging digital verification.
“We will do a proper SIM re-registration exercise again, but this time, nobody is going to queue because common sense will prevail, expertise will prevail, and logic will work,” he stated.
The verification process will primarily be conducted remotely, with over 90% of SIM holders not required to visit telco offices. Only individuals with specific discrepancies in their SIM data will need to report to their service providers for resolution.
“Most SIM holders will simply receive notifications on their phones confirming that their SIM has been verified. However, a few may be invited to their telco’s office to address discrepancies,” George explained.
He further assured that no individuals would lose their SIM cards as a result of the exercise, clarifying that the objective is verification rather than deactivation.
Telcos to Fund Re-Registration or Risk Penalties
Justifying the decision to make telcos bear the financial burden, George argued that maintaining a clean and reliable SIM database is in their best interest.
“It is in the telcos’ own interest to have a clean register to know who holds their SIMs. If they don’t, they will be liable to fines. They would rather pay for a clean register than risk penalties,” he stated.
The new re-registration initiative is expected to integrate telco databases with the NIA’s digital records, eliminating manual inefficiencies and strengthening the credibility of Ghana’s national SIM register.
