The Ministry of Communications has announced that from January 2020 all mobile phone users will be required to re-register their SIM cards.
The Ministry made this known at a press briefing today in Accra.
Speaking at the press briefing, the sector Minister, Ursula Owusu said the exercise is part of ways to fight crime associated with the use of SIM cards.
She stated that any SIM card that is not registered within the time frame for the exercise will be deactivated.
“It is quite clear that the current SIM card registration regime is deficient and fraught with many challenges, defeating the purpose of the SIM registration regulations. Mindful of this, cabinet earlier this year directed the Minister for Communications to instruct all telecommunication companies to fully comply with the law governing sim card acquisition which requires the presentation of a valid ID document prior to registration.
"..we're clamping down on crime associated with the use of these SIM cards, the Ministry has consulted all relevant stakeholders and thereby announces that from January 2020 we will all be required to re-register our SIM cards, any SIM card that is not registered will be deactivated by June 2020, given a 6month time frame for this exercise."
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The Communications Ministry last week directed telecommunication companies in the country to immediately stop the upfront deduction of Communications Service Tax, CST.
A letter from the ministry to the National Communication Authority said the implementation of the tax should be treated like the National health Insurance levy and the GETFUND.
The letter added the direct deduction of the tax increases the profit margins of telecom firms in the country.
As a way to minimize the negative impact of the deduction of the CST, the Communications Ministry also asked the Telecos to roll over all unused data and voice bundles purchased by subscribers.
The Chairman of the Finance committee of Parliament, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah earlier accused telecommunications companies in the country of bad faith regarding the implementation of the Communications Service Tax, (CST).
The tax which was reviewed upward from 6 to 9 percent now sees credits of customers deducted at the point of recharge.
The move has resulted in complaints from a wide section of the public against the increment by government.
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