Voter ID cards to be used for SIM card re-registration exercise – Sam George insists

The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, insists that the Voter’s ID card will be included as a source of verification in the ongoing SIM card re-registration exercise.

According to him, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and the National Communications Authority (NCA) are engaging with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country to accept the ID Card as proof of identification.

In a bid to sanitize the communication industry, the Akufo-Addo-led government introduced the SIM card re-registration exercise.

The exercise, which was being validated by Ghana card, has suffered several deadline extensions after long, winding queues were recorded at registration centres.

Critics of the policy have accused the sector Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, of intransigence and have called on her to allow the use of other identification documents for the exercise. 

In a press statement issued in Accra on Monday, November 7, 2022, Sam George, who is also the Deputy Ranking Member of the Communications Committee, questioned the U-turn by the regulator, the NCA, after it advised the Minister to allow the voter ID card to be used.

“I maintain that the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization has through the National Communications Authority realized the inanity of the current process and engaged with the Telcos to adapt the platform to accommodate the Voter’s ID Card for Ghanaians domiciled locally and also to integrate the Ghanaian Passport in line with the Minister’s earlier directive for Ghanaians resident abroad. This incontrovertible fact is contained in their very own release. Why they seek to run away from what they themselves have been quietly advising the Minister on can only be down to cheap patronage,” he said.

 Source; Thenewsroomonline