Sam George Reveals Why Unregistered SIM Cards Have Not Been Blocked After Deadline

Sam George, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Ningo-Prampram, has explained why unregistered SIM cards have not been blocked beyond the deadline of September 30.

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Communications Minister, allegedly secretly agreed with the telecom companies not to block the unregistered SIMs when she missed her deadline, according to Mr George.

In an interview with Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM, Mr George, who also serves as the Ranking Member of the Communications Committee of the Parliament, said that the telecoms had rejected the Minister's plan.

He added that before they can carry out any orders, they must first wait for Mrs Owusu-Ekuful to appear and make a public pronouncement.

"She has called the telcos quietly asking them not to block any SIM but they have also told her they can’t do it. She should come out with a press conference. They are demanding she puts the directive in writing but this is not surprising to me," he said.

At a press conference on Sunday, July 31, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said that she had regrettably extended the exercise's deadline until September 30, 2022.

"Upon consultation with the industry and in view of the challenges enumerated above, I have very reluctantly decided to grant a conditional extension. The programme will be extended to 30th September to end on the anniversary of its commencement," she announced.

Additionally, any SIM that has not yet been completely registered will be unable to use voice and Internet services. "Afterwards, using unregistered SIMs will be more expensive."

Since the country's income, which includes the Communication Service Tax (CST), would be accessible, Mr George emphasized that barring the SIMS will not bode well for the government's discussions with the IMF for help.