Upper East: NCA marks World Consumer Rights Day

Ghana’s telecommunications regulator, the National Communication Authority (NCA) has over the years joined other regulators across the world in celebrating World Consumer Rights Day which falls on the 15th of March every year.

The NCA’s theme for this year’s celebration to interact with consumers across the country was “Information and Education: The Right of the Consumer” The National Communication Authority was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 524 in December 1996 which was later repealed and replaced by the National Communication Authority Act, 2008 Act 769.

The Authority is the statutory body mandated to license and regulate electronic communications activities and services in Ghana.

As part of their mandate, the Authority grant licenses and Authorizations for the operations of communication systems and services, ensure fair completion among licenses, establish and monitor the quality of service indicators for service providers, educate and protect the consumers and to authorise type approval and enforce equipment standards.

Speaking to ModernGhana as part of activities marking the day Miss Hawa Yakubu Bayayinah from the Consumer and Cooperate Affairs Division (CCAD) of the NCA outlined some of the support the Authority gives to the industry under the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miss Hawa indicated that the NCA joined the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in a contact-tracing effort following the outbreak.

"The NCA’s role as the regulator of telecommunications services in Ghana, it was necessary in the process as it requested passive mobile positioning data logs from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to undertake historical and current analysis of persons potentially infected with COVID-19 for contact- tracing purposes, in accordance with the establishment of Emergency Communication Systems Instrument 2020 (E.I. 63)."

She added that others were complaints support to Ghana Health Service, additional spectrum to operators, COVID-19 guidelines to operators, and consumer education release on COVID-19 and 5G.

On SIM registration, Samuel Anaba of the also of (CCAD) explained that it is compulsory that all SIM cards must be duly registered in Ghana.

He said registering one’s SIM card will provide one with all the relevant information to help serve you better, develop the industry, and also reduce SIM-related challenges.

Mr. Anaba added that to ensure your SIM card is duly registered, send a blank text to the shortcode 400.