OFFICIAL: Persons without Ghana Card exempted from SIM Blockage

Notice has been served to the general public that persons without their Ghana Cards from the National Identification Authority (NIA) – the required document for the SIM Card re-registration have been exempted from the ongoing Subscriber Identifi­cation Number (SIM) Cards blockage spearheaded by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Briefing the House of Parliament last Thursday, June 8 on the status of the SIM re-registration exercise, the Communications and Digitalization Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said it has become necessary to create an exemption regime to subscribers who have genuine concerns, among others who have taken the step but has not been successful in getting the registration document.

“In addition to the established guidelines and deadlines for the SIM Registration Exercise, certain categories of subscribers have been exempted from punitive measures for non-registration. These include exemptions for individuals without Ghana Cards who notify the NCA with proof of application for the Ghana card, subscribers outside the country and subscribers facing genuine challenges during the registration process.”

She added, “In Recognition of the fact that not everyone has a Ghana Card, individuals who have not registered have been asked to submit evidence of having applied for their Ghana Card to the NCA. Subscribers who are currently outside the country have also been exempted from the registration process. Once they activate roaming on their phones, the MNOs can identify that they are outside the country and they are expected to register their SIM cards using their passports. The NCA has directed that SIM cards detected to be outside the country for a period of 6 months should be temporarily exempted until the subscribers can complete their registration. Some subscribers may also encounter genuine difficulties in completing their registration and the NCA has directed them to contact the NCA for assistance via email or the SIM Operational Support Centre (Toll-Free 0800-110-622). The complaint will be investigated and they may temporarily exclude the affected SIM cards from punitive measures until their concerns are resolved. This will however be done on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that not all people may want to register their SIMs as is their right.”

She revealed that total number of 999,419 have so far been exempted which includes, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Staff of Ghana Missions and Ghana Armed Forces Abroad, Refugees, Complaints sent to NCA Team, Number of SIMs abroad (excluding staff of Ghana Missions and Ghana Armed Forces abroad) and Mobile Money Agents, Merchants and EVDs.

Locked Funds on Momo Accounts

She further announced that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are working with the Bank of Ghana to facilitate the retrieval of funds for individuals whose monies are locked up in their respective mobile money accounts.

“We continue to encourage the National Identification Authority (NIA) to assist people to acquire their Ghana Card. We have also been made aware of the difficulties facing subscribers in accessing their funds on their mobile money wallets.

“These subscribers will not be able to transact money mobile-related activities, however, we are working with the Bank of Ghana to ensure that these subscribers are able to retrieve funds upon the presentation of a valid ID and going through the required processes.”

SIM Re-registration Achievement

Extolling the importance of the SIM re-registration exercise, the Ablekuma West lawmaker described the exercise which begun some 20 months on 1st October, 2021 as “resounding success”.

She said the exercise has and would contribute significantly to enhancing national security by reducing the anonymity of mobile phone users.

“Right now every registered SIM is linked to a Ghana Card that has had the ownership of the Ghana Card verified from the NIA. Visiting Foreigners have registered their SIM with their passports and they are only active for 90 days. Almost 30 million SIMs have been registered and can be accounted for after 20 months of this registration exercise and that is no mean feat. Limits have been set on Individual SIM Ownership; Ghanaians and Resident Foreigners have a limit of 10, Visiting Foreigners have a limit of 3 and corporate entities do not have a limit, however, their SIMs are tied to the Ghana Card of a Director of the entity.

“Today, Ghana, through the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, can boast of an independent National SIM Register which mirrors the SIM Registers of the various MNOs. For the very first time in our history, we can accurately project the impact of decisions and actions taken by stakeholders without hazarding guesses. This database is also in the process of being linked to other institutional databases like the GRA to create a data lake and have a more accurate picture of mobile usage and spending patterns.”

She added, “Individual SIM owners can check the number of SIMs linked to their Ghana Cards to address the issue of SIMs fraudulently registered with other people’s IDs. NCA will be working with the MNOs to ensure that a similar platform is created for corporate entities to be able to do the same shortly. Through the SIM Registration exercise, we have ensured that commercial operations which were hitherto being conducted without the relevant business registration documents are streamlining their registration processes with the Registrar of Companies. You need proper corporate registration documents to register your corporate SIMs. While the Ghana Card is mandatory for accessing various Government Services, we can confidently state that no single service has had the majority of Ghanaian users apart from Communications services.

“Undoubtedly, the SIM Registration exercise has galvanized more Ghanaians to register for their Ghana Cards than any other exercise so far, ensuring that we have a more comprehensive national ID database. Through the operations of the SIM Registration Forensic Audit Team, the MNOs will be compelled to keep a sanitised SIM Register making it easier for the Security Agencies to track suspected criminals or fraudsters on the presentation of a court order. As the IGP indicated recently, the incidence of SIM based fraud has reduced markedly since the registration exercise started. SIMboxing has almost completely disappeared. It will decline even further with the blocking of unregistered SIMs used to commit or facilitate criminal activity. In terms of National Security, the SIM registration will contribute significantly to enhancing national security by reducing the anonymity of mobile phone users. The availability of accurate subscriber information aids law enforcement agencies in investigating and preventing criminal activities. SIM registration will facilitate the implementation of various government initiatives, such as mobile money services, digital financial services and other electronic transactions. Accurate subscriber identification enables the expansion of these services and enhances financial inclusion. By registering SIM cards, citizens are better protected against fraud, unsolicited messages, and other forms of misuse of mobile phone services. The ability to identify and track individuals engaging in illegal activities provides a sense of security to mobile phone users”