Accra, May 10, GNA - MTN launched a nationwide registration and sensitisation exercise for its subscribers on Monday, in compliance with the directive of the National Communication Authority (NCA). The NCA has requested all telecom operators in the country to register Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards sold out to customers.

The exercise which would end on June 11, 2011 seeks to raise public awareness about the benefits of SIM registration, and would cover both existing and new subscribers on MTN. Speaking at the launch in Accra, Mrs Mawuena Trebarh, Corporate Service Executive of MTN, said the move was to demonstrate the company's commitment to partnering government and the regulatory agencies in ensuring that it played its role as an industry leader in national development.

She said the exercise would enable the NCA and MTN to identify mobile phone SIM card owners and curb negative incidents including loss of phone through theft, nuisance text messages, scams, threats, raising unnecessary alarm or creating panic.

Mr Salifu Mills, General Manger of Sales and Marketing of the Company, said the registration process which had been specifically designed, was customer friendly and convenient provided individuals presented the required information. "Existing customers will be required to provide details including, name, date of birth, phone number, SIM Identity Card (ID) and a valid national photo-ID. "People who will like to purchase a new SIM card for the first time will also be required to submit their details in addition to a driver's license, passport, National Health Insurance Scheme ID card, voter's ID and National ID Card," he said. Mr Mills said subscribers could register at any MTN centre, as well as various special units set up nationwide, adding that the process would take five minutes provided the right information was provided. He said individuals who had registered with the MTN Mobile Money Service were excluded in the exercise. The National Security Secretariat, in the latter part of last year, issued a warning to all mobile telephone service operators in the country to register all SIM cards of their customers by the end of 2009, but this was not complied with. According to the NCA their inability to follow up the directive was to ensure adequate preparation. The authority later announced that from 1st July, 2010, all Mobile Phone Operators in the country should register their subscribers for the purpose of identifying existing and new subscribers to their respective networks.

According to the directive, existing mobile phone subscribers would continue using their present SIM cards until 30th June 2011, by which time they should have completed filling in their details with their respective Mobile Phone Operators.