New data from the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications reveals a dramatic 98% decline in SIM card re-registrations following the government’s decision to extend the deadline. While a peak of 235,460 daily registrations was recorded just before the initial July 31, 2022, deadline, that number plummeted to a mere 5,861 by August 19, 2022.
The statistics highlight a significant “lull” in the exercise, with some telecommunication firms reporting as few as 80 registrations nationwide on certain days. This trend has created tension between the public’s urgency and the operational costs for service providers. Telcos have indicated they will not lobby for further extensions due to the mounting expenses of maintaining the registration infrastructure.
Current Deadlines and Constraints
- Final Deadline: The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has set September 30, 2022, as the absolute cutoff.
- Consequences: Subscribers who fail to link their SIMs to the Ghana Card by this date face being blocked from making or receiving calls, as well as losing data services.
- Primary Hurdle: Many citizens cite delays in the issuance of the Ghana Card (the only valid ID for this exercise) as the main reason for their inability to comply.
To streamline the process for those who do have their IDs, the government has launched an online portal specifically for Android users. However, the Ministry has remained firm: no further extensions will be granted beyond September 30.
