Request that the Communications Minister extend SIM re-registration to Akufo-Addo.

 Request that the Communications Minister extend SIM re-registration to Akufo-Addo.

The minority in the House of Representatives is requesting yet another extension of the deadline for registering SIM cards in Ghana.

Sam Nartey George, the deputy ranking member of the communications committee of parliament, claimed that many people have found it difficult to register their SIM cards due to several circumstances.

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization has been given till July 31 for all individuals to re-register their SIM cards with their Ghana cards; those who don't follow this instruction risk having their SIM cards deleted.

Speaking to the media, Sam George asserted that the President must ensure that registration continues until the deadline of July 31.

"We anticipate that reason will apply within 24 to 48 hours. We want to use this opportunity to urge President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to tell his communications minister to change his mind about the deadline since it could impact millions of Ghanaians who are unable to register for no fault of their own.

Because more than 7.5 million citizens and residents had not yet received their Ghana Cards, which would have allowed them to register their SIM cards, the exercise, which started on October 1, 2021, was prolonged by the sector ministry to July 31, 2022.

Twelve million Ghanaians have reportedly linked their SIM cards to their Ghana cards as of this writing, according to the Communications Ministry.

Sam George, on the other hand, asserted that failing to extend the deadline would have catastrophic security consequences.

"We implore the President and the Minister of National Security not to handle this matter with kid gloves and take cognizance of the threat of terrorism and guarantee that the millions of Ghanaians who use their SIM cards daily are not disenfranchised," the statement reads.

The Ghanaian organization for mobile money agents also requests that the government consider extending the deadline for the SIM card re-registration exercise.

According to the report, if the government decides to execute the deadline on July 31, it will have a detrimental impact on the mobile money industry.

The group said in a statement that the deadline might be extended to January 2023.