NCA BLAMES TELCO AGENTS FOR THE INVALIDATION OF SUBSCRIBERS SIM CARDS

As time fast approaches for 3RD March, 2012 closing date for the registration of Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) card by the National Communication Authority in Ghana, many subscribers stands a great chance of loosing their cards since their numbers have not been validated by their various telecom operators. About 60% of subscribers have been notified by their operators to re-register their SIM cards for fear of perpetual deactivating of their SIM cards. Mr. Mawuko Zomerlo from the National Communication Authority (NCA) explains that these problems exist because most telecom has given the registration to agents who don’t really care about making sure the right thing is done. In a monitored interviewed BY BiztechAfrica, Mr. Zomelo noted that about 4 million subscribers have had their SIM card registration not valid and for that matter need to see an agent for re-registration.
He blamed the telco’s for leaving such a crucial responsibility to agents and further disclosed that he had had numerous calls from friends and love ones about how some agents are going about selling unregistered SIM cards to prospective subscribers. “I have had friends and family members calling me to informed me that they’ve been sold unregistered SIM cards unknowingly and so they wanted to check from me whether they can still use it, it’s unfortunate for these developments to take place”
One frustrated subscriber Margret Amene Danquah who resides in Dansoman, a suburb of Accra told BiztechAfrica that she just received a text message from her Vodafone Operator that she will be losing her numbers if she fails to register it. But according to her, Vodafone agent bearing Vodafone ID cards came to her home to register her SIM, so she finds it difficult to understand why such a text message has been sent to her phone.
Another MTN Subscribers by name Lambert Wilson disclosed to BiztechAfrica in an interview that he also received a text message warning him of loosing his SIM card, because his card wasn’t registered. He said upon checks at the MTN office, it was revealed to him that his card has been registered and that the message he received was an error from MTN.
On February 1, 2012, Ghana’s parliament adopted the SIM Regulation, 2011(L.I 2006) to give backing to SIM card registration in the country. The legislation provides that from March 3, 2012, no SIM card can be used if it is not registered. Consequently, no mobile network operator shall be able to activate a SIM card for a new customer without it having registered.
Also existing subscribers who have either not registered their SIM cards or whose earlier registration is invalid are required to re-register, failure to do so will amount to the deactivation of ones SIM card without any prior notice.


Nana Appiah Acquaye