Ghana’s Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George, has confirmed that the Government Cabinet has approved an entirely new SIM card registration exercise, scrapping the previous process rather than fixing it.
What’s new in the framework
- The NCA becomes the central repository for all SIM registration data
- Biometric verification will be mandatory
- A Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) will allow cross-network blocking of stolen or fraud-linked devices
- A revised Legislative Instrument is being drafted to legally govern the exercise
Why it matters
Ghana’s 2021 SIM registration drive is widely considered a failure — riddled with weak biometric enforcement, data inconsistencies, and fraud. A full reset signals the government is treating telecom identity infrastructure as a national security issue, not just a telco compliance exercise.
5G Exclusivity
Cabinet has also approved the removal of an exclusivity clause from the previous wholesale 5G framework, opening the door to a competitive spectrum auction.
The wholesale model stays — but multiple operators will now be able to bid.
The catch: No start date has been set for the new SIM registration, and it’s unclear who foots the bill. Telecom operators who attended the stakeholder meeting flagged operational concerns but didn’t oppose the initiative.
What they’re saying
Operators called for “reasonable spectrum pricing, predictable policy direction and streamlined regulatory approvals” ahead of the 5G auction — familiar asks that have stalled digital infrastructure rollouts across the continent before.
Source: Joy Business / MyJoyOnline
