“Who bears the total cost of SIM card registration?” – Omane Boamah quizzes

A former Minister of Communication in the erstwhile Mahama government, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah is asking who bears the cost for the SIM card re–registration.

“Who is going to pay for the total cost of the SIM card registration? Citizens, Telcos and Government,” Omane Boamah quizzed.

The Ministry of Communication, yesterday, October 14 announced the re-registration of SIM cards by mobile phone users by the end of June 2020.

According to the Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the move is to reduce mobile phone related crimes such as mobile money fraud, cyber-crime and impersonation. It is also to enable security agencies track and identify persons who use their mobile phones for criminal activities.

But Dr. Omane Boamah thinks the directive is a waste of resources and time.

He said, the National ID registration process should have been an opportunity to register SIM cards and address other forms of critical Identification and tracking problems to save Ghanaians the ordeal of multiple queues and loss of precious time.

“Protecting the public purse means ensuring efficiency in business operations and raking in more revenue. Who is going to pay for the total cost of the SIM card registration? Citizens, Telcos and Government,” he asked.

According to him, the lack of proper policy implementation has resulted in the multiple queues for identifications.

“This is the price/punishment a people suffer when policy implementation is not aligned properly with other ongoing national programmes,” he noted.

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Of SIM Card Registration and the Four (04) Queues In 2020

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Protecting the public purse means ensuring efficiency in business operations and raking in more revenue. Who is going to pay for the total cost of the SIM card registration? Citizens, Telcos and Government.

Therefore, the National ID registration process should have been an opportunity to register SIM cards and address other forms of critical Identification and tracking problems.

This would have saved Ghanaians the ordeal of multiple queues and loss of precious time.

Another missed opportunity!

In 2020, Ghanaians will queue to register their SIM cards, queue once again to register as new voters, queue another time to check their names in the new voters register before they queue the fourth (4th) time in the election year to vote in the general elections.

This is the price/punishment a people suffer when policy implementation is not aligned properly with other ongoing national programmes.

Ghana deserves better.