Measures to Reduce Congestion – SIM Registration Exercise

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has taken note of some public concerns regarding the SIM Registration Exercise, with specific regards to long queues and congestion at the customer care centres of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
The NCA understands the frustration and inconvenience of customers in their bid to complete the second stage of the SIM Card registration process. As a result, the NCA has been working assiduously with MNOs and the SIM Card registration application developer to improve the registration process and mitigate the current challenges. The measures being taken include the following:

1. The deployment of additional registration points commensurate with the subscriber numbers of each MNO to ease the congestion. In this regard, outlets such as distributor shops, retail centres and other agent touch points across the country are being used for the SIM registration exercise. Customers are urged to patronize these other outlets as they become available to complete the second stage of the registration process.
2. The deployment of various ad-hoc registration points at various public areas including lorry parks, churches, mosques, etc to ease the congestion at the customer care centres. Announcements will be made in communities wherever such ad-hoc registration points are established.
3. The creation of additional temporary locations at various Government or State Owned Enterprise facilities including:
   a. NCA Regional Offices.
   b. Community ICT Centres established by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC)
   c. Post Offices, etc.
4. The development and implementation of a daily quota and ticketing system for SIM registration bio capture at the customer care centres. MNOs will develop systems to schedule customers who have completed the first phase, to visit particular centres by a given date or window for the second phase of the registration.

The general public is hereby encouraged to be patient as these measures are rapidly implemented. Further, customers are advised to complete stage one of the registration process, i.e. linking the Ghana Card with the SIM Card by dialing *404# before visiting the MNO customer care centre or agent. This will further reduce the time spent at the customer care centres of the MNOs.

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) and the NCA are working collaboratively with the MNOs to ensure that the SIM registration process is enhanced to make it fast, secure, safe and convenient for customers.