Director of Strategy of Imani Africa, Selorm Branttie, has described the delay in the release of the self-service application for SIM card re-registration as a disservice to Ghanaians.

The app has been touted as the game changer in the SIM re-registration process.

According to him, government projected that the digital service will resolve the challenges that many subscribers are experiencing as a result of the exercise.

Mr. Branttie noted that government's inability to walk its talk is a disservice to its people since according to the Minister of Communication, the deadline will not be extended again.

 “As far as we are concerned, the deadline for SIM card re-registration is still on the 30th of September. I think it is a disservice to those who do not have the opportunity to do the re-registration.

“Especially when the Minister categorically insisted that the deadline was not going to be shifted any further than the 30th of September,” he told JoyNews.

Mr. Branttie further noted that non-resident Ghanaians wouldn’t benefit from the self- service app.

“For those who live outside Ghana for example, or Ghanaians who are non-residents in the country at the moment, it presents a very big problem on how to handle this self-service re-registration app.

“If these people do not have a Ghana Card wherever they are domiciled. Because that basically means that even if they try to use the self-service app, it will be up to no end or up to no benefit to them. Because they do not even have the major pre-requisite solely for this exercise, which is the Ghana Card.”

He also mentioned that other challenges were not acknowledged.

“There are other things that happened in the process of this, but we have not acknowledged. People were registering for others by virtue of the fact that those people had their ID cards. And the ones who wanted to do this, couldn’t. And these are some of the issues that we have not fully discussed in the public domain.

“There are also a lot of other people who are still processing their Ghana Card. But then, we have to remember one thing, the Ghana Card issue is not being done in alignment with SIM registration. It is a continuous exercise that is not going to end anytime soon.”

He further stated that limiting SIM re-registration is not helpful.

Mr. Branttie suggested that the SIM re-registration process could be enhanced “through text reminders, that shows that probably, for certain people, beyond a certain date, they should have it done. Or check it with their Ghana Card numbers. All of these would have been avoided if we just did it such that, once you register with your Ghana Card, the data will be merged automatically.”

On July 31, Communication Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, announced that a self-service app that will make it possible for people to register their SIM cards on their own, will  be available on August 2.

About three weeks later, the app has not been released.

Meanwhile, registration is generally on the low at centers, as many subscribers are not showing up.

Residents in Kumasi are also lamenting the delay in the rollout of the self-service SIM registration application.

“I wonder what is causing the delay in the app rollout. The app will help but the delay is worrying.”

“It is of great concern to us the Mobile Money agents to also register SIM cards and also register others biometrically”, one complained.

Players in the communication industry said they are hopeful that with time, customers will show up in their numbers for the re-registration exercise.

General Manager of Sales for MTN Northern Sector, Nii Adotey Mingle attributed the low turn out to the attitude of waiting till the last minute before getting things done.

“There was an extension, the following day, there was virtually nobody in our branches or under our tents coming to register," he said.