Panic rush for Ghana Cards as July 31 SIM re-registration deadline nears

Barring any last-minute decision by the National Communications Authority, close to eight million Ghanaians will lose their active phone numbers by end of July 31, 2022.

This is a result of the expiration of the deadline set by the NCA for the ongoing SIM re-registration exercise being conducted by telecommunication network providers.

With less than 72hours left to the Sunday deadline, GhanaWeb on Friday visited the El Wak Sports Stadium to monitor activities at one of the centers set up for the issuance of Ghana Cards, the only mandated document for the SIM re-registration.

Speaking to some applicants at the Stadium, they highlighted the various challenges they have been facing in acquiring their cards at the center which is specifically meant to handle issues of replacement, corrections and validations.

According to some of the applicants, they have travelled from various regions across the country just to be able to acquire their Ghana Cards.

“I came from the Western North Region and I’ve had to come here twice. Each trip cost me GHC350. That means I’ve spent GHC700 for both trips,” a lady lamented.

Others pointed out the slow pace at which service is being delivered by officials of the National Identification Authority at the center.

Some applicants disclosed that they have had to come to the center for the past three days without success in acquiring a card. Others stated that they arrived at the center at as early as 3 am.

On the deadline for the SIM re-registration, the applicants who spoke to GhanaWeb TV reiterated the growing public calls for an extension to the deadline.

According to them they are most likely to miss the deadline considering the challenges they are facing in the Ghana Card acquisition process.

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Aside their calls for an extension to the deadline, the applicants appealed to the NIA to address the challenges preventing a free flow of the registration process.