SIM re-registration: I commend government for extending the deadline - Ablakwa

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu constituency has applauded government for extending the deadline for the SIM re-registration exercise to September 30.

He also advised government to concentrate on resolving the issues surrounding the acquisition of the Ghana Card.

In a tweet shared on his handle on Sunday, July 31 sighted by Modernghana News, the vocal legislator added that he believes the issues will be resolved with proper consultations.

“I commend government for extending the deadline for the SIM card re-registration exercise. It’s now time to immediately fix the avoidable bottlenecks with Ghana Card issuance and the needless ID rigidity.

“With adequate consultation, it’s possible to end the stress and chaos,” his tweet reads.

His praise comes after the Minister, at a presser on Sunday, July 31, announced an extension to September 30 to allow all Ghanaians who are having difficulty completing the process another window.

The deadline has been extended for the second time since its inception in October 2021.

"Upon consultation, Government has decided to grant a final conditional extension. The programme will be extended to September 30 to end on the anniversary of its commencement, which will give us one full year of SIM re-registration," the minister stated.

She continues “It will be reviewed at the end of this month [July] and any SIM that has not been fully registered by the end of August will be barred from certain services including voice and data. It will also be more expensive to use unregistered SIMs.”

Also, a new phase for the SIM re-registration exercise will be launched in the first week of August 2022.

Ursula Owusu, says the SIM Registration App will be available for download on both Android and IOS.

The Minister added that each registration via the app will be liable to a GHS5 fee.

"The SIM Registration App will be available for download on both android and IOS this week barring any unforeseen circumstances. Each registration via the app will be subject to a 5-cedi surcharge," she said.

Explaining how citizens can access the App, she said, “Adequate time will also be required for publicity and public education on the use of the Self-Service SIM Registration App.”