Ghana Card remains only ID for current SIM registration exercise – NCA reacts to Sam George’s claim

Joe Anokye, Director General, National Communications Authority

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has reacted to a claim by the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George that Voter’s ID cards can now be accepted as a document for the registration of SIM cards.

The NCA has clarified that for now “Ghana Card remains the only ID for the current SIM registration exercise.”

Sam George, one of the frontrunners advocating for the ministry to amend the guidelines for the registration and a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications had claimed on Saturday morning that voters’ ID Card can now be used for the ongoing SIM registration exercise.

“We have had a breakthrough. I can reliably inform you that the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation has finally seen wisdom in our position.”

“They have through the National Communications Authority directed the MNOs [Mobile Network Operators] to accept the Voter’s ID Card as a document for the registration of our SIM cards,” he stated on social media.

But responding to Sam George’s claim in a statement issued Saturday afternoon (November 5, 2022), the NCA clarified that it “has NOT issued any such directives to the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) providers.

“There is currently no medium for registration with Voters ID in the current SIM registration exercise; Ghana Card remains the only ID.”

“What was rather discussed at a SIM registration technical meeting yesterday [November 4, 2022] was updating the SIM registration App to allow a temporal use of Voters ID; that development effort will take several weeks if not months to complete – and the deep dive technical discussions on the integration effort with the MNOs/BWAs have not even been held.”

The NCA said, “A similar effort with Passport integration has taken more than three months and counting and still not complete.”

“If necessary, the general public will be duly informed when both integration efforts are complete as well as the modalities and conditions of use.

“To reiterate, Ghana Card remains the only ID for the current SIM registration exercise,” the NCA added.

The last time the Ministry made an announcement on the registration in a press statement issued Monday (October 17, 2022), it said all SIM cards that have been linked to Ghana cards, that is completed Stage 1 registration, but have not completed Stage 2 registration of biometrically verifying users, will be blocked from the end of October 2022.

Rather, it is giving a temporary moratorium to the end of October to encourage individuals to complete the process.

Good morning Fellow Ghanaians. Finally @UrsulaOw has given in to the power and will of the people. This is our collective victory. Now, we would step out to register our SIMs. The people’s power is always greater than the people in power. Let’s go my people!🦁💪🏾🇬🇭🔥 pic.twitter.com/eOiZcjx1TT

— Sam ‘Dzata’ George (@samgeorgegh) November 5, 2022

What Sam George said: ‘Breakthrough, Voter’s ID Card can now be used to register SIM cards’

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