The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has told subscribers not to pay for their SIM card re-registration.

In a press statement signed by CEO, Kenneth Ashigbey, the Chamber stressed that the ongoing SIM Card re-registration exercise, directed by government, is free of charge.

The cost of the exercise is to be borne by government and mobile network operators, the Chamber added.

“The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications on behalf of its members – AirtelTigo, MTN and Vodafone – wishes to notify its esteemed customers and the general public that the ongoing SIM registration exercise is absolutely FREE and subscribers are not supposed to pay any agent any fee.

The activity is a national exercise which is being funded by government and the mobile network operators.”

According to the Telecoms Chamber, it has come to its attention that some SIM registration agents of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) currently registering subscribers are charging for the service. Thus the need to rectify the anomaly.

Mr Ashigbey noted that it is “illegal and fraudulent for anybody to ask any customer to pay any amount as the cost of registration.”

He, therefore, cautioned perpetrators to desist from such unlawful acts, adding that subscribers should not offer payments to agents to bolster their registration process.

“Subscribers who are asked to pay or charged for registration should report the incidences to the nearest Police Station or to their service providers,” the Chamber further urged.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Telecommunications has assured the MNOs commitment to be fully transparent and accountable to both the government and its customers.

It also assured of the MNO’s readiness to “seek the support and understanding of its customers to make this exercise a success.”