Sunyani, March 31, GNA - Eighty-five percent of the 17 million mobile phone subscribers in the country have so far registered their SIM cards with the various mobile telecommunication companies. Mr. John Benyarku Essuman, the Deputy Consumer and Corporate Affairs Manager of the National Communications Authority, told newsmen that it would be impossible to use a new unregistered SIM card in the country by the end of March.

He urged all mobile phone users who are yet to register to do so without delay before July. The SIM card registration exercise is basically on because the time has come for Ghana to do away with anonymity of SIM card users, he stated, adding the exercise was to ascertain who owned which number. Mr Essuman stressed the need for mobile phone users to embrace the new order since it came with numerous advantages. People will no longer be able to easily threaten others or use their lines for illegal activities, he said, adding the registration would also help subscribers to keep their numbers indefinitely, as well as the security agencies to better protect mobile phone users. Mr. Essuman said under the requirements for Mobile Telephony Companies to operate, they needed to maintain some records on subscribers, noting that in the heat of competition the companies shirked that responsibility. He said despite the concerns people expressed about the exercise, the fact that 85 percent of mobile phone subscribers had registered showed that they had accepted the new order and this was encouraging. Mr. Essuman advised people to register their SIM cards in person without delay using any national document. These are Voters ID, the National Health Insurance, Drivers' License and National Identification Card.

He also warned registration officials to adhere to regulations since the NCA, BNI and National Security had put together a task force to ensure that everything was above board. Mr. Essuman asked those who had registered to confirm their registration with their providers.

He announced that soon a short code for verification of registration would be provided to aid subscribers. Mr. Essuman assured Ghanaians those laws existed on privacy thus they should not be worried that with their particulars known, their calls would be monitored.