Telecoms chamber to comply with NCA’s directive regarding SIM registration exercise

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications says it will comply with the recent directive from the National Communications Authority (NCA) regarding the ongoing SIM registration exercise.

The Chamber said its members have been blocking services for subscribers since November 2022, who have not completed both stages of the SIM registration process, as directed by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.

The directive issued on April 13, 2023, by the NCA indicated that all disconnected SIMs are to be delinked from all databases by tomorrow April 17, 2023.

For the avoidance of doubt, this included SIMs that were blocked in November 2022 for not having completed both stages of the SIM registration. Again, all SIM cards registered after the limit of 10 per individual are to be delinked, deactivated and removed from all databases by Monday, April 17, 2023.

The Chamber of Telecommunication, therefore, encouraged all subscribers who have acquired Ghana cards but are yet to complete registration to do so before April 17, 2023.

It added, “All subscribers with more than 10 SIMs registered to themselves should also visit their nearest mobile network operator’s service centres to urgently verify their SIMs on record.”

Furthermore, the Chamber said, “Our members are obliged by the directive to completely deactivate all impacted subscriber SIMs which have not completed the registration by the said date without any further notice or extension of time for subscribers.”

It noted, “It is important that the cherished customers of the networks are not barred from using voice, data, USSD, mobile money services and continue to have access to emergency and other important services.”

It added that subscribers with Ghana cards can avoid this inconvenience by completing stage 2 (the biometric capture) of the registration process.

Continuing, it said since the start of the SIM Registration Exercise, the members of the Chamber have invested heavily in arrangements to ensure that subscribers who have their Ghana cards and are ready to register, get registered at any of our several touchpoints across the country.

“For those that require some special assistance to carry out the registration exercise, kindly contact your service provider.

“Our members remain committed to supporting the efforts of all stakeholders to ensure that every customer in every part of the country is able to register their SIM card(s) with the Ghana card”.