You have the opportunity to re-register your deactivated SIM cards – Telecoms Chamber

Some nine million Ghanaians whose SIM cards have been deactivated over failure to re-register have been given another opportunity to complete the procedure.

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr Ken Ashigbey.

The National Communications Authority’s (NCA) directive to the telcos was to block and delink the numbers of those who have not registered their sim cards.

Dr Ashigbey, however, says there has been a change and that the affected persons have been given another opportunity to complete the registration.

“Through the magnanimity of the NCA, what is going to happen now is that they will block the sim cards. So when we block, all the fraudsters and all of that will not have access again. So you can’t do a call, you can’t send a text message, you can’t do data, you can’t do your mobile money.

“But you have the opportunity to be able to dial *404# to register when you get your Ghana Card. You are also able to check whether I registered, so the 400 would also be working. So now when you go back with your Ghana card, you can restore your number with all the history that is behind it,” Dr Ashigbey explained.

He further assured that the mobile money accounts of those affected will be secured even if they are unable to have their telecommunication services restored.

“If you don’t restore, what is going to happen is that the Bank of Ghana has asked the EMIs who operate mobile money to put the money in an account aside so that with the right evidence, you’ll be able to go and get it,” he said.

He, however, cautioned that “If the NCA decides that this window they’ve given, after a week, they’re going to stop it, what is going to happen is that it will block you forever. You will not have your number.”

Some nine million unregistered SIM cards were deactivated by telecommunication providers on Thursday, June 1.

This was in compliance with a directive by the NCA to re-register all SIM cards in Ghana.

The exercise was expected to have lasted for a period of six months but was extended several times due to challenges.

The final deadline ended on May 31, 2023.