The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that Cabinet has approved a completely new national SIM registration exercise following what government describes as an extensive review of the previous process.
According to the Minister, the earlier registration exercise encountered several operational and technical challenges, including weak biometric enforcement, data inconsistencies and instances of registration fraud.
Mr George made the disclosure during high-level discussions with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the National Communications Authority (NCA). The meeting focused on the proposed new SIM registration exercise and Ghana’s roadmap for the rollout of 5G services.
He emphasised that the new initiative will not be a continuation of the previous system but rather a complete reset designed to restore credibility, improve regulatory oversight and strengthen security within the SIM registration framework.
Key features of the new SIM registration framework
Outlining the proposed structure of the new exercise, Mr George revealed that the NCA will serve as the central repository of all SIM registration data under the revised framework.
Biometric verification will also become mandatory for all registrations as part of efforts to enhance data integrity and prevent identity-related fraud.
“A Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) will be introduced to enable cross-network blocking of stolen or fraud-linked devices,” the Minister stated.
He further disclosed that government is currently preparing a revised Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to provide the legal framework governing the new registration process.
Government is yet to announce the official commencement date for the exercise, while it also remains unclear which stakeholders will bear the financial cost of the new registration process.
The planned exercise will represent Ghana’s second nationwide SIM registration drive following the earlier exercise launched in 2021, which the current administration says was affected by multiple technical and administrative challenges.