Telecommunication companies in Ghana are expected to foot the bill for a new SIM card registration exercise announced by the government.

This was revealed by the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, who expressed confidence that members of the public would not be burdened with the cost.

His comments in an interview with Channel One TV seem to quell criticisms by some members of the public who have raised financial concerns about SIM card registrations for the umpteenth time.

The first SIM registration exercise in Ghana was undertaken in 2010. This initial exercise was intended to last for a year. A subsequent SIM re-registration campaign began in 2021, requiring users to link their SIM cards to their Ghana cards.

However, unsatisfied with the previous exercises and the last one spearheaded by his predecessor under the erstwhile NPP regime, Mr George has announced fresh processes slated to begin in June 2025.

He believes the country needs a robust infrastructure based on a credible database using the Ghana Card only; hence, registration again to tackle modern challenges in the telecommunication sector.

With plans advanced to lay a Legislative Instrument (LI) before Parliament to formalise the directive, the minister has informed telcos to set aside a portion of the revenue to cover the financial cost.

“They [telcos] will pay for it. I will make them pay for it. There is an LI that we will be laying before Parliament,” George stated.

He further chastised former Minister of Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, as he laid out the difference between the upcoming exercise and the most recent registration carried out by telcos.

“That was one of my criticisms of Ursula Owusu—that re-registration she did… and that is why I have been clear that I am not doing a re-registration. I am doing a SIM registration,” he pointed out.

“The last LI on the record for registration was 2010 by Haruna Iddrisu, and don’t forget that registration Haruna did—there was no Ghana Card at the time, and so there was no single source of truth,” he further justified his actions.

In an earlier Facebook post to explain modalities for the upcoming exercise, Mr George stated, “The process will be entirely online, making it easier and quicker for citizens to complete their SIM re-registration.”

He added, “This new system will put an end to the long queues and delays we experienced in the past. Subscribers will no longer have to physically visit any centre. The system will automatically verify their identity using data from national records.”