SIM card registration deadline will not be extended - NCA

Accra, June 17, GNA - The National Communication Authority (NCA), on Friday said it would not extend the deadline for the year-long SIM card registration exercise.

The exercise, which started on July 1 last year, is expected to end on June 30, this year.

Major Emmanuel Owusu-Adansi (Rtd), Director of Special Project, NCA, addressing a press conference, said over 97 per cent subscribers had so far registered and identified with their numbers.

"We have no intention of extending the period although we do not want any subscriber to suffer a loss of his or her number after the June 30 cut-off date," he said.

Major Owusu-Adansi said the last 12 weeks of the exercise had been earmarked for verification by the NCA in collaboration with such identity cards issuing agencies such as Passport Office, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Identification Authority (NIA) and Electoral Commission to authenticate data provided to the registration agents by subscribers.

He explained that telecommunication operators had also been informed of discrepancies unearthed by the verification exercise and instructed to inform subscribers who fell short of the recommended arrangements to correct the anomalies.

Major Owusu-Adansi encouraged the public to register before the deadline to confirm their identification details by texting toll free mobile numbers to short code 400 on all networks for verification.