Ban sale, registration of SIM cards on the streets - Group

Following government’s decision to weed out SIM card fraudsters from the system, the Consumer and Advocacy Center has welcomed the statement which was released by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

However, the group has spelled out some pressing points government needs to attend to in order to fully clamp down the menace.

In a statement signed by Benjamin Essuman, Director of Corporate Affairs (CAC), the group has noted as a matter of urgency that, government disbands “the sale and registration of SIM cards on the streets and direct that all SIM cards be sold at designated offices of the Telcos, where copies of the identification documents can be kept for auditing purposes.”

And also “commission an audit of all registered SIM cards and deactivate cards found to have been improperly registered”.

Below is a copy of the full statement:

PRESS STATEMENT

MON, 1ST APRIL, 2019

RE: GOVERNMENT TO CLAMP DOWN ON SIM CARD FRAUDSTERS

The Consumer Advocacy Center (CAC) welcomes the latest statement by the Government of Ghana on the need to strictly enforce the law on SIM card registration (L.I. 2006).

Yesterday's press conference by the Minister of Information, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is in agreement with the concerns raised by Ghanaian consumers and an admission that those in charge of the registration of SIM cards are violating the Ghanaian law.

We therefore call on government to abolish the sale and registration of SIM cards on the streets and direct that all SIM cards be sold at designated offices of the Telcos, where copies of the identification documents can be kept for auditing purposes.

We again ask government, to as a matter of urgency, commission an audit of all registered SIM cards and deactivate cards found to have been improperly registered.

The Consumer Advocacy Center today repeat our call on government to immediately institute a legal regime that will compel Telcos to pay a fine, for allowing their platforms to be used to perpetuate fraud on consumers in the Telecom market. This call is appropriate in ensuring that the Telcos cooperate with government to block fraudsters from accessing the Telecom platforms.

CAC calls on government to focus some attention on consumer protection, just as it is doing for revenue generation in the Telecom market. The Consumer Advocacy Center assures the general public that we will not relent in our efforts to ensure their protection in the Telecom market and as a result, we are initiating the necessary legal steps to get justice for the consumer in the Telecom community.

BENJAMIN ESSUMAN

Director, Corporate Affairs (CAC)