Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful has said the re-registration of Sim cards in the country will build better defenses and security against the telephone chip, help to determine actual and qualified users, and will enhance the business activity of the regulating body.
She said the exercise will strengthen the government’s ability to grow digitized services in the telecommunication industry and develop the confidence of users in using protected networks.
The process will eliminate theft that has plagued the industry for some time now, she said.
Delivering an address at a news conference to announce the commencement of the exercise in October 2021, the Communications Minister said if the projections her ministry has is anything to go by, the exercise at the end will remove deceitful transactions and help know the exact number of users on a network.
“When undertaken correctly as we intend to do, it will reduce or eliminate criminal or fraudulent activities. Help authorities ascertain the accurate number of valid and accurate Sims on the networks,” she said in the address broadcasted live on Metro TV.
Mrs. Ursula Owusu also noted that the exercise will provide details of clients in terms of age groups to help the industry craft better services to serve all categories adding the controlling body will have correct information on users.
“Enable operators to build better demographics of their customer base and help them develop products and services to suit the various groupings. The regulator NCA will also get more accurate data to regulate the industry even better,” she said.
Mrs. Ursuala Owusu said the step will promote business development and increase the belief users have in the industry as they can trust in their ability to protect their networks and participate in using developed services created by the government through the upgrade.
“Sim registrations will enhance economic growth as more confidence is built in the telecommunications sector and people utilize secured devices to access e-government services and other private-based digital solutions,” she noted.
Mrs. Owusu Ekuful took the moment to reecho that various kinds of personalities have suffered from telephony deceit one way or another assuring that it will be a thing of the past once this exercise is completed.
“It will minimize mobile-money fraud, identity fraud and support financial inclusion across the vulnerable sectors. I am sure there are countless examples and all of us are victims of social media platforms and impersonation taking place of high-ranking personalities in the country and invariably they provide mobile numbers for some monies to be paid to secure jobs or opportunities, whatever. All of them are fake and we are hopeful that with the Sim registration exercise, that avenue for defrauding Ghanaians will also be closed permanently,” she stressed.
Source: Ernest Tetteh Kabu | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
