Minister-designate for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has hinted that the government may soon initiate a nationwide SIM card re-registration process as part of efforts to curb the growing menace of mobile money fraud in the country.
Speaking at his vetting in Parliament, Mr. George acknowledged the significant challenges facing the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure, pointing out that the lack of capacity and funding has hindered progress in building an effective Cybersecurity Authority.
He pointed to a stalled project, initiated under the previous government, which aimed to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity capabilities.
According to Sam George, the project requires only about $5 million to restart, and he emphasized that it would be a priority for the government to fully equip the Cybersecurity Authority to tackle digital security issues.
However, Mr. George stressed that improving the country’s cybersecurity framework alone would not be enough to address mobile money fraud.
He explained that the key to combating the issue lies in a more robust system of SIM card registration.
“To properly tackle mobile money fraud, we need to work collaboratively with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and go back to the issue of SIM card re-registration,” Sam George said.
He noted that while blocking fraudulent SIM cards is one part of the solution, tracking the individuals and cartels behind the fraud is another critical challenge.
In his proposed re-registration plan, the nominee outlined that the process would be technology-driven, involving collaboration between the National Communications Authority (NCA), MNOs, and the National Identification Authority (NIA).
He explained that the exercise would largely be seamless for the majority of SIM card holders.
“Over 90% of SIM card holders will not have to visit their service providers. They will simply receive a notification confirming that their information has been verified,” he explained.
For individuals who may have discrepancies in their registration records, Mr. George assured them that they would be notified and advised to visit their service provider to resolve any issues.
He further assured the public that the re-registration process would not incur any additional costs for consumers, as any costs would be borne by the MNOs.
“The re-registration is crucial for ensuring that we can identify who is holding each SIM card, which ultimately helps to tackle fraud. If the MNOs are unable to identify their customers, they could face fines from the NCA,” Sam George warned.
“It’s better for the MNOs to support this process now than to face penalties later,” he added.
According to him, the government’s move towards SIM card re-registration is expected to be a significant step towards bringing more accountability and security to the mobile money sector.
By Ernest Kofi Adu