The Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu, has addressed concerns raised by individuals who had their SIM cards blocked after registration.

During a parliamentary session, she emphasized that those who failed to complete the second phase of the registration process were the ones affected and urged them to take immediate action to avoid permanent blockage.

"I have also heard some people complain that though they have registered their SIM cards, those SIMs were blocked. My information is that several of these complaints are from people who did not complete the second stage of the process as required."

The minister emphasized that individuals who find their SIM cards blocked due to incomplete registration have a chance to retrieve their numbers.

However, she stressed the importance of acting promptly, as the National Communications Authority (NCA) will announce the deadline for resolving these issues, after which the SIM cards will be permanently blocked.

To resolve the matter and reinstate their SIM cards, Owusu urged affected individuals to contact their Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

The MNOs will assist in resolving the incomplete registration issues, enabling users to regain access to their SIM cards and associated phone numbers.

"Those who are experiencing this issue should promptly contact their MNO to have the issues resolved. After duly registering and completing the second phase of the process, the owners of the SIM cards will have their numbers reinstated. However, they must act timely, as the NCA will announce the end of the resolution period, after which the SIM cards will be permanently blocked," Ursula Owusu explained.

Originally commencing on October 1, 2021, the SIM card registration campaign was initially scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2022.

The National Identification Card, commonly referred to as the Ghana Card, serves as the sole document for undertaking the registration process.

However, due to challenges faced in obtaining the Ghana Card, the National Communications Authority (NCA) extended the registration deadline multiple times until May 31, 2023, which was explicitly communicated as the final deadline.

YNA\OGB