The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that a new SIM card registration exercise will begin in the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking on TV3 on Wednesday, the Minister described the previous SIM registration exercise conducted under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration as invalid, stating that the biometric data collected was never cross-referenced with the National Identification Authority (NIA) database.
“The registrations that were purported to have been done by Ursula Owusu and the NPP did not cross-reference the biometrics they took from you against that database. Nothing of that sort was done,” Hon. Sam George said.
He emphasised that the upcoming exercise is not a re-registration but a proper SIM registration with a solid legal and technical foundation.
“We are not doing a re-registration. We are doing a SIM registration. You didn’t do any registration; the former Minister just wasted everybody’s time,” he clarified.
The Minister revealed that the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to back the exercise has been drafted and will soon be laid before Parliament for approval. Procurement processes for the service provider are currently underway at the Public Procurement Authority.
Mr George further disclosed that his ministry has collaborated closely with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to ensure full integration between telecom operators, the National Communications Authority (NCA), and the NIA.
“We have sat down with the Interior Minister and his head of agency, Yayra Koku at NIA. We have worked out the integration between the Telco, the regulator, NCA, and the NIA,” he said.
He added that the scattered biometric databases from the previous exercise are being cleaned and cross-referenced with NIA records, with approximately 80% of the cleanup already completed.
The new registration, according to the Minister, will ensure that every SIM card is accurately linked to a verified biometric identity on the national database.