The Ministry, in a statement issued on November 11, 2022, said: "All SIM cards which have completed the first stage of the registration exercise but not done the second phase will be blocked from accessing data services on 20th November 2022 and completely deactivated on 30th November 2022".

The statement added that the move was part of measures taken by the government to ensure a secure and safe digital ecosystem. It said there had been a reduction in SIM-related fraud following the commencement of the SIM registration exercise.

"ICT should be accessible to all without any risk and the SIM Registration exercise will solve a lot of issues in the industry," the statement signed by the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu said.

"We can all attest to the fact that there has been a noticeable decline in SIM-related fraud since the commencement of the Registration Exercise".

Completed registrations

The statement further disclosed that almost 70% of SIM card users have completed the two phases of registration.

Currently, 30,011,082 have completed the first stage (Linking of Ghana Card to SIM Number) while as of November 9, 2022, 20,892,970 subscribers, had completed the SIM card registration (linkage and biometric).

The statement added that "One key reason why some of those who have linked phone numbers to Ghana cards have been unable to complete the bio capture of stage two is that they used other people's cards to link their numbers".

This includes vendors who used the cards of others without the knowledge or consent of the card owners.

"Despite ample opportunity afforded all to complete the registration of their SIM cards, some who have the Ghana cards and have begun the process have failed to complete the registration. That is their choice and we cannot begrudge them".

Read the entire statement below;

UPDATE ON THE SIM CARD REGISTRATION EXERCISE

As part of measures being taken to ensure a secure and safe digital ecosystem, the Government embarked on the SIM Registration Exercise. This exercise is not meant to make life difficult for subscribers, but to protect consumers and businesses. The priority of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation has always been to ensure digital inclusion and to provide a secure environment for Ghanaians to access digital services. The Ministry has been working tirelessly on the development and implementation of policies to this effect.

ICT should be accessible to all without any risk and the SIM Registration exercise will solve a lot of issues in the industry. We can all attest to the fact that there has been a noticeable decline in SIM-related fraud since the commencement of the Registration Exercise.

Currently, 30,011,082 have completed the first stage (Linking of Ghana Card to SIM Number). As at 9th November 2022, 20,892,970 subscribers, had completed the SIM card registration (linkage and biometric). Almost 70% of these registrations have been completed.

One key reason why some of those who have linked phone numbers to Ghana cards have been unable to complete the bio capture of stage two is because they used other people's cards to link their numbers. This includes vendors who used the cards of others without the knowledge or consent of the card owners. Their inability to complete phase two attests to the robustness of the authentication process designed into the sim registration architecture. It will flush out all fakes. You cannot use someone else's Ghana card to register your sim.

Despite ample opportunity afforded all to complete the registration of their SIM cards, some who have the Ghana cards and have begun the process have failed to complete the registration. That is their choice and we cannot begrudge them.

All SIM cards which have completed the first stage of the registration exercise but not done the second phase will be blocked from accessing data services on 20th November 2022 and completely deactivated on 30th November 2022. Kindly contact the NCA or the requisite network operator if you require any assistance.

A further announcement will be made shortly on measures to accommodate those who genuinely do not have Ghana cards, once the ongoing consultations have been completed.

I would like to applaud all players in the SIM Registration Exercise value chain on the achievements attained so far.

Other Consumer Protection Measures

At the inception of the SIM Registration Exercise, we announced that the maximum number of SIMs that can be registered by an individual is ten sims. All citizens and residents are hereby advised to check the number of SIMs registered to their Ghana Card at the end of November when the facility will be activated. To ensure that they retain the mandated number of SIM Cards, any additional SIM registered above the mandated number of 10 will be deactivated.

All MNOS must also properly categorise registered corporate SIMs.

Conclusion

The Government is working to provide an enabling environment for all to access and use digital platforms by fostering the development of these technologies including SIM-enabled ones. I urge all to support this registration initiative and cooperate with the authorities to ensure its success for our collective good.

Thank you.