Ghana Card Remains Only ID For SIM Registration – NCA Debunks Sam George’s Claim

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has said the Ghana Card remains the only identification document for the ongoing SIM card registration exercise.

“There is currently no medium for registration with Voter’s ID in the current SIM registration exercise; Ghana Card remains the only ID,” it has clarified.

This is in reaction to a claim by the Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George, that Voter’s ID cards can now be accepted as proof for the registration exercise.

On Saturday, November 5, the legislator – who has been pushing for the Communication Ministry and relevant stakeholders to amend the guidelines for the process – posted on social media that the NCA has “finally” directed the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to accept the Voter’s ID for the registration.

“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 all the MNOs to accept the Voter’s ID card as a document for the registration of our SIM cards,” he wrote.

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

But the NCA has refuted the claim, saying it is misleading and not entirely true.

“The Authority has not issued any such directives to the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) providers.”

“What was rather discussed at a SIM registration technical meeting yesterday was updating the SIM registration App to allow a temporal use of Voter’s 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.”

“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,” the NCA explained in a statement dated November 5, 2022.

Read NCA’s full statement below: