Mobile users whose services have been limited due to failure to re-register their SIM cards have been handed a lifeline by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to have those services restored.

There is an opportunity to still have that SIM card registered and all services restored including MoMo wallets. This can be made possible if subscribers register their SIM cards with their Ghana Cards.

Speaking to JoyNews, the Chief Executive of the Chamber of Telecommunications, said “for the about 7 million or so whose mobile money will be affected, what has happened is - if you restore, you will get access to it. If you don’t restore, what is going to happen is that the Bank of Ghana has asked the EMIs who operate mobile money to put the money in an account aside so that with the right evidence, you’ll be able to go and get it.

“But what the NCA has done smartly is that there is no timeline for this, so the NCA could decide that two days later, I am going to delink, remove and you will lose the access. The only way you do it is going to get your Ghana Card and register. But if the NCA decides that this window they’ve given, after a week, they’re going to stop it, what is going to happen is that it will block you forever. You will not have your number.”

At least nine million SIM cards cannot be used to make or receive calls, send text messages or make financial transactions over failure to re-register.

This is in accordance with a directive issued by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, announced that the re-registration of all mobile SIM cards will begin on October 1, 2021.

The exercise was supposed to last six months, but it was extended several times due to SIM card users' difficulties, until the final deadline was set for May 31.

According to Dr Ashigbey, although blocked subscribers without Ghana Card will not be able to place a phone call or send a text, they will be able to access the registering short code of *404# when the cards are available to them.

“You will also be able to check whether you are registered, so the 400 would also be working. So when you go back with your Ghana Card, you can restore your number with all the history behind it,” he added.

Meanwhile, scores of mobile network subscribers have thronged some telecommunication services centres in Kumasi in a desperate attempt to restore their lines.