The National Communications Authority (NCA) has announced the deactivation of over nine million SIM cards that have not been registered.
The move will mean that the affected cards will no longer be able to make or receive phone calls. The directive was issued by the NCA, and all unregistered SIM card users have been called upon to have their cards registered immediately.
The Director General of the NCA, Joseph Anokye, had earlier revealed at a press conference in April that there were over 11 million unregistered SIM cards in Ghana.
He warned that anyone with an unregistered SIM card, except for foreign diplomats and refugees, would be delinked.
The NCA had previously announced that it would deactivate any unregistered SIM cards by 17 April 2023. However, after consultations, the decision was reversed to allow more time for people to register their SIM cards.
According to Mr Anokye, the move is aimed at curbing illegal activities such as mobile money fraud and kidnapping in the country.
The NCA is urging all SIM card owners to comply with the directive to avoid having their numbers deactivated.
The deactivation of the cards is expected to reduce the number of unregistered and untraceable SIM cards in the country, aiding Ghana’s efforts to improve national security. The NCA is calling on all citizens to support this initiative by ensuring that their SIM cards are duly registered.
By Vincent Kubi