Free Sim Registration is set to begin early 2026

Samuel Nartey George, who is the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, has made it clear that starting early 2026, the government will begin a new round of nationwide free SIM registration exercise. He described the previous process which was done during the previous government’s time as invalid.

During an interview on TV3 on Wednesday, December 3, Samuel Nartey George said the earlier activity which was handled by the former Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) governmentwere not able to meet follow some basic technical rules and legal standards.

Samuel Nartey George said that the previous free SIM registration failed all because the previous administration couldn’t fully confirm subscriber information through biometric verification because this is an important step which is needed to ensure that the identity of each mobile user is properly checked to be sure it is real and intact.

Samuel Nartey George highlighted that “The free SIM registrations that were purported to have been done by Ursula Owusu and the NPP did not cross reference the biometric they took from you against that database. Nothing of that sort was done.”

Mr George discloses that a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) is now available which will guide the upcoming registration has been completed and is about to be presented before Parliament for approval. He emphasized that the law must be clearly set before moving forward.

He again said that “The L.I is ready and again I am meticulous about what I am doing. First quarter next year, we will run it out. We are currently at the Public Procurement Authority doing the procurement of the service provider to do the SIM registration. We have drafted the L.I and it will be laid before Parliament because again there must be a proper legal basis for what we are doing.”

Samuel Nartey George strongly stated that a new process shouldn’t be seen as a carrying on from the previous exercise. He added that “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.

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