Ursula: We’re not seeking to profit from Sim registration app

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, has rubbished claims suggesting government is seeking to profit from the roll out of an app for registering Sim cards in Ghana.

The Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation on Sunday announced it will soon launch an app to facilitate the registration of Sim cards by individuals following the extension of the Sim card registration exercise.

But some Ghanaians have expressed mixed reactions following the announcement describing it as an avenue for government to monetise the exercise.

Talking to Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday( 2 August) Owusu-Ekuful said “Nobody is seeking to any profit, listen to these  things and I cringe that is that what we have been reduced to. Does everything has to be about money in this our country, people cant deliver a service because it is needed and not hope to profit from it, where is our sense of duty to our country  and our sense of nationality.”

Ursula Owusu said the roll out of the Sim registration app will not come as a cost to the taxpayer.

Meanwhile the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has said the SIM Card re-registration exercise has been extended to 30 September 2022.

Speaking at the Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra on Sunday (31 July), Owusu-Ekuful said, “The statistics indicate that there was a 90% sim registration as soon as the first deadline was extended on 21st March 2022. Until a week ago, there were no queues at any registration centre.”

“People started to register when they realised that the deadline was imminent after going to sleep when it was extended. After 50% of those who have completed the first phase of the process have not concluded the second stage. They have linked their sims to the Ghana Card and so that cannot be attributed to Ghana Card challenges,” she said.

Punitive measures

Owusu-Ekuful said, “…The programme will be extended to 30 September to end on the anniversary of its commencement, that will give us one full year of SIM registration.”

“It will be reviewed at the end of this Month, and any SIM that has not fully been registered by the end of August will barred from receiving certain services including voice and data services.”

She added, “It will also be more expensive to use unregistered SIM, the full range of punitive measures will be announced at another press briefing in September, kindly do not blame your service provider when you suffer that fate due to your own inaction.”

Source: ghextractives.com