No More Extensions: Ursula Owusu on SIM Registration

No More Extensions: Ursula Owusu on SIM Registration

The registration of SIM cards in Ghana has been extended for the second time after the deadline expired on May 1st, 2022 at midnight.

The Registrar General and CEO of the National Identification Authority (NIA) and Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Hon. Ursula Owusu, made this known to Joy News’ in an interview on Friday, May 22nd, 2022.

SIM card registration was first extended to July 31st, 2022 after the initial May 1, 2022 deadline lapsed without any significant registrations by citizens which left many questioning the effectiveness of the exercise.

The next phase of solving Ghana’s SIM card registration problem

According to Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu, the next phase of solving Ghana’s SIM card registration problem will not involve any extensions.

All unregistered SIM cards will be blocked from July 31st 2022. This is a major step in tackling Ghana’s mobile money fraud problem, which has been costing the country millions of dollars each year.
Owusu urges all Ghanaians who have not yet registered their SIM cards to do so as soon as possible, to avoid being cut off from mobile money services and making of phone calls and having access to the internet.

Ghana’s SIM card registration process in retrospect

The process was marred by controversy from the beginning. Some people were in support of it, while others felt it was an invasion of privacy.

The process was extended several times, but eventually came to an end. Hon. Ursula Owusu, the Minister of Communications, has stated that there will be no more extensions.

This is a relief to many who were concerned about their personal information being made public.

Challenges SIM registrants may face

While the process of registering for a SIM card has become easier in recent years, there are still some challenges that registrants may face.

For one, they may not have all the required documents on hand (Ghana Card). Additionally, they may not be familiar with the process or may not have someone to help them through it.

Another challenge is that the registration centers can be very crowded, making it difficult to get registered in a timely manner.

FAQs

1. What is the SIM registration exercise?
2. Who is required to register their SIM card?
3. When is the deadline for registration?
4. What happens if I don’t register my SIM card?
5. How do I register my SIM card?

This is covered in How do I register my SIM card?

Read also: There will be no extension of SIM card registration again