The Minister of Communication and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful has allayed the fears of subscribers whose sim cards have been deactivated.

She said such telecommunications networks are engaging the Bank of Ghana to ensure that those with mobile money funds in their accounts are retrieved.

Providing an update on the status of the SIM re-registration exercise in Parliament on Thursday, June 8, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful assured affected subscribers that while they won’t be able to conduct mobile-related transactions with their deactivated SIMs, their funds will be recovered through the necessary processes.

“We continue to encourage the National Identification Authority (NIA) to assist people to acquire their Ghana Card. We have also been made aware of the difficulties facing subscribers in accessing their funds on their mobile money wallets.

“These subscribers will not be able to transact money mobile-related activities, however, we are working with the Bank of Ghana to ensure that these subscribers can retrieve funds upon the presentation of a valid ID and going through the required processes.”

The SIM card registration campaign started on October 1, 2021, and was due to end on March 31, 2022. The National Identification Card, also known as the Ghana Card, is the only document that can be used to undertake the registration exercise.

However, due to some difficulties in the acquisition of the Ghana Card, the NCA extended the deadline for registration multiple times until May 31, 2023, which was communicated as the final deadline.

About 7.4 million mobile money accounts, holding an amount of GH¢200 million, have not been registered and therefore deactivated.

Over 8 million subscribers, including the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had their SIM cards deactivated after the May 31 deadline for the exercise.

Source: Evans Annang (Pulse.com.gh)