Selorm Branttie, Vice President of IMANI-Africa, believes the National Communications Authority’s (NCA) punitive measures against users of unregistered SIM cards are problematic.
He emphasises that the sanctions do not take into account the difficulties of rural subscribers.
The NCA’s directive to telecommunications companies to penalise people who have yet to register their SIM cards has been criticised by some stakeholders as an infringement on Ghanaians’ rights.
Some people are unable to make phone calls, while others are unable to access electronic cash in their accounts.
However, commenting on the development on The Big Issue, Mr. Branttie stated that the NCA should have considered the difficulties of those unable to access the Ghana card in order to register.
“The Ghana card is already causing problems, from registration to collection.” Is it fair for the Minister of Communications to blame such people for being unable to re-register their SIM cards in light of all the logistical challenges and inefficiencies already present in the NIA system? People are being asked to pay a high price for these inefficiencies.”
He went on to say that the current state of affairs is an affront to digital inclusion.
Also read: MNOs have started blocking unregistered SIM cards
“What we are doing actually runs counter to the Sustainable Development Goals, on which we have spent a lot of donor money to ensure digital inclusion in the country, which is supposed to protect the poor and vulnerable in society and lift them up from a point of poverty to where they can also be economically competitive in this age of ICT.”
“It also means that we are denying children and other people who need digital services – whether through mobile money, voice calls, data, or SMS – the opportunity to benefit from these services.”
SIM card holders in Ghana who have not re-registered their cards will face punitive actions beginning on Monday, September 5, 2022, ahead of the September 30 deadline.
However, some mobile network subscribers in Kumasi who have successfully re-registered their SIM cards claim that the National Communications Authority (NCA) sanctions announced for unregistered SIM card owners are being applied to them.
Many of these people gathered at the offices of their mobile network operators to demand answers.
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