The Ghana Telecommunications Chamber has stressed that the National Communications Authority (NCA) has the power to impose sanctions on mobile phone subscribers who have not yet re-registered their SIM cards.

The support comes after some subscribers questioned the NCA’s decision to impose sanctions on subscribers in phases to compel them undertake the re-registration exercise ahead of the 30^th September deadline.

The NCA in statement said it has commenced some sanctions against subscribers who have not yet registered their SIM from 5^th September, 2022.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, the Chief Executive Officer of the Telecommunications Chamber Dr. Ken Ashigbey, said the NCA has the mandate to control the space by giving directives.

"The NCA has licensed the telcos to be able to provide this particular service under a licensed condition. The point is that the license they have given us is to be able to do a particular service. This is the service they want to undertake to register all SIM cards", he said.

Dr. Ashigbey explained that the chamber is engaging the regulator to make sure all subscribers register to avoid a situation where their SIM Cards will be blocked.

He pointed out that the telcos lose if SIM cards are blocked due to their inability to re-register.

He added that this would also have dire implications on the country’s revenue generation from the Communications Service Tax (CST).

“It is not in the interest of us to make sure that even one genuine person loses his SIM card. You should bear in mind as many people who would lose their numbers that would mean CST revenue would be lost as many people have their mobile money on it. Thus, e-levy revenue potentially could be lost,” he stated.