The Ningo-Prampram MP, Samuel Nartey George, is insisting that the Voter’s ID card will be accepted as an identification document in the ongoing SIM card registration exercise.
Mr George says that the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation has through the National Communications Authority (NCA) engaged with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to accept the Voter’s ID Card as a proof of identification.
In a press statement issued on Monday, November 7, the lawmaker queried the NCA for distancing itself from its own advice to the sector Minister.
He said, he ordinarily would not respond to an unsigned press release but has been compelled to do so because of the “premium” he places on the issue.
“I maintain that the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization has through the National Communications Authority realized the inanity of the current process and engaged with the Telcos to adapt the platform to accommodate the Voter’s ID Card for Ghanaians domiciled locally and also to integrate the Ghanaian Passport in line with the Minister’s earlier directive for Ghanaians resident abroad.
“This incontrovertible fact is contained in their very own release.
“Why they seek to run away from what they themselves have been quietly advising the Minister on can only be down to cheap patronage,” he said.
On Saturday, November 5, the legislator – who has been pushing for the Communication Ministry and relevant stakeholders to amend the guidelines for the process – posted on social media that the NCA has “finally” directed the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to accept the Voter’s ID for the registration.
“We have had a breakthrough. I can reliably inform you that the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation has finally seen wisdom in our position. They have – through the National Communications Authority directed all the MNOs to accept the Voter’s ID card as a document for the registration of our SIM cards,” he wrote.
However, the NCA refuted the claim, saying it is misleading and not entirely true.
“The Authority has not issued any such directives to the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) providers.”
“What was rather discussed at a SIM registration technical meeting yesterday was updating the SIM registration App to allow a temporary use of Voter’s ID; that development effort will take several weeks if not months to complete – and the deep dive technical discussions on the integration effort with the MNOs/BWAs have not even been held,” the NCA explained.
But he insists that acceptance of the Voter’s ID card for SIM registration is only a matter of time.