Days into the SIM card registration exercise, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has reiterated that all persons and businesses that fail to register their SIM cards by the end of the 31st March 2022 deadline, will have themselves to blame.

According to her, unregistered SIM cards used by individuals and businesses after the deadline will be deactivated.

The ongoing SIM card registration exercise, which has been questioned by some stakeholders, commenced on 1st October 2021 and is expected to among other things help develop and build a SIM database which will assist in the curbing of fraudulent activities and the securing of SIM card based transactions.

Speaking at the launch of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful reiterated that the SIM card registration exercise is imperative in the reduction of mobile-related cyber-crimes.

“It is imperative that we reduce the incidence of mobile device-related cyber-crimes. All of us have to register our SIMs as well as our devices. We’ve provided a 6-month window for this exercise and hope that we all endeavour to register.”

“Let me just give a gentle reminder that all unregistered SIMs will be deactivated at the end of the registrations exercise, and we mean it. We will enforce the law to the letter,” she added.

Reasons for SIM card re-registration ‘unconvincing’ – Franklin Cudjoe

IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe is not convinced by the reasons government has given for the SIM re-registration exercise in Ghana.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Cudjoe said “the assumption that crime will automatically cease because we are going to register SIM cards is a bit farfetched.”

He felt the directive was also inconveniencing majority of people for very little gain.

“What crimes have the millions of Ghanaians who have legitimately registered their SIM committed to be asked to go and re-register their SIM cards because you want to catch a few fraudsters?” Mr. Cudjoe asked.

In his view, fraudsters are capable of being singled out regardless of this directive for re-registration.

“These fraudsters will be caught anyway, so the reasons are not sound,” he said.