The majority of Ghanaians face logistical difficulties in obtaining NIA cards and using them to register their SIM cards, so CUTS International, a renowned research and public policy think tank in Accra, is pleading with the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization to extend the deadline for mobile SIM Card registration until the end of the year.
The West African Regional Director for CUTS International, Appiah Kusi Adomako, stated in a news conference on Monday that while the purpose of the exercise is admirable, extending the deadline till the end of the year will ensure that individuals who have not registered may do so.
We also recognise that not everyone would register if the deadline were extended until the end of the year. However, those who would use the extra time to register would outweigh those who would not.
"As a consumer protection agency, we've heard a lot of complaints from customers about the challenges they have while trying to get a Ghana Card so they may register their SIM cards. During the bulk registration procedure in 2019, some people registered, however they haven't yet gotten their updated cards. According to a statement from the NIA, as of July 21st, 2022, around 800,000 Ghanaians have not yet received or picked up their printed cards. Other people have lost their cards, while still others—including first-time registrants—had spelling mistakes, he continued.
According to Mr. Adomako, "some individuals have had to leave their jobs, come up early to join huge lines at the NIA registration offices but are unsuccessful, extending the deadline will allow them enough of time to receive the Ghana cards and register their SIM cards."
He stated that if the deadline is not extended, Telcos run the danger of losing a significant amount of consumer income.
Disabling their SIM card would result in a considerable loss for the stakeholders in the business because some have taken out microloans from mobile providers. Should the deadline remain the same, the government, on the other hand, runs the danger of losing a sizable amount of income from the electronic transfers levy (e-levy) collected from consumers, he suggested.
Mr. Adomako proposed that, commencing on September 1, 2022, the Ministry of Communications establish gradual limits on SIM cards as a means of forcing people who have not registered their SIM cards to register.
The maximum amount of mobile money that an unregistered SIM can send or receive each day is GHC 100.00, and the maximum internet bundle is, for example, 100MB.
Shadrack Nii Yarboi Yartey, the Communication and Advocacy Lead for CUTS, claimed that using a cell phone has permeated every aspect of our daily existence.
He claimed that it has huge use and has developed into a significant source of livelihood for the majority of Ghanaians, hence Ghanaians' SIM cards should be disabled.
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