ABOUT 7.9M GHANAIANS TO LOSE SIM CARDS BY
JULY 31
Every Ghanaian needs a Ghana Card to be able to
register a SIM card in Ghana.
So far, only persons aged 15 and above are those
eligible for the Ghana Card, which means anyone below the age of 15 who
currently owns a SIM card will lose it once they fail to register with their
Ghana Cards by Sunday, July 31.
According to data contained in the 2021 Population and
Housing Census, there are 19.9 million Ghanaians who are 15 years and older.
Out of this, only 15.7 million of them have been able
to obtain their Ghana Card per the information given by the finance minister
during the presentation of the 2022 mid-year budget review.
Of the 19.9 million, just 12 million, according to the
Minister of Communications and Digitization, have been able to fully register
their SIM cards.
Per the parameters given:
4.2 million Ghanaians aged 15 and above do not have a
Ghana Card.
7.9 million Ghanaians aged 15 and above have not been
able to fully register their SIM cards.
Holding other things constant, by Sunday, we may have
about 7.9 million Ghanaians losing their SIM cards if they fail to fully
register with their Ghana Card.
Addressing the press in Parliament on Thursday, Deputy
Ranking Member on the Communications Committee, Sam George, explained that the
deadline slated for July 31 “holds potential national security implications for
millions of Ghanaians who have not been able to register, due to no fault of
theirs.”
“We urge the President and the National Security
Minister to take cognizance of the fact that millions of Ghanaians earn a
living by use of their SIM cards on a daily basis,” he added.
According to the group, they resorted to calling on
the President because engagements with the communication minister did not
produce the desired outcome.
The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG)
has equally pleaded with the government and the Ministry to consider an extension
of the exercise to January 2023.
