In a much-anticipated appearance before Parliament today, June 8, the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, is expected to provide details regarding the prolonged SIM card re-registration exercise.

This development comes after over 8 million subscribers, including prominent figures like the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had their SIM cards deactivated following the May 31 deadline.

Expressing deep concern on the floor of Parliament, Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, highlighted the severe consequences faced by individuals whose SIM cards were rendered inactive due to the delay in the release of the Ghana Cards by the National Identification Authority

"People's livelihoods have been affected, and people's mobile monies have been stuck on their cards. It is important that this House takes into consideration that the National Identification Authority has failed to issue any Ghanaian citizen a Ghana Card in any district office in December 2022, so it is not the fault of any Ghanaian that they have not been able to register their SIM card," expressed MP Sam Nartey George.

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.

Alarming statistics reveal that approximately 7.4 million mobile money accounts, holding a staggering amount of GH¢200 million, have not been registered and were consequently deactivated.

The upcoming parliamentary inquiry will seek clarifications from Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful regarding the SIM card re-registration exercise, shedding light on the reasons behind the delayed Ghana Card issuance and addressing the significant impact it has had on the affected individuals and the economy at large.

YNA/WA