Mobile Operators Agree To Register Subscribers
Mobile phone operators in Ghana have agreed to register existing subscribers and all sim cards before the stipulated deadline by the National Communication Authority (NCA).
At a meeting with media personnel, all the operators including MTN, Kasapa, Tigo, Vodafone, Zain and yet to be launched Glo Mobile, agreed to work in collaboration with the NCA to ensure that all mobile phone users are registered.
Mawuena Dumor, Corporate Services Executive of MTN, assured all subscribers that her outfit would comply with legal and regulatory framework to ensure a successful exercise, adding that the users would be protected from abuse and leakage of conversations.
“Even before the programme, we have initiated a process to register all customers,” she added.
The representative of Glo, on his part, welcomed the idea, explaining that Glo Mobile Ghana would start its operations in March.
According to the NCA, regulators of the telecommunication industry, sub-committees including communication and legal have been established to oversee the whole process, which include members of the operators.
The registration of mobile phone users in the country appears to have been shrouded in secrecy after the National Security championed the whole agenda, raising suspicions that it might be used to intimidate political opponents.
Several people including some legal luminaries such as Ace Ankomah have also questioned the motive, saying it might affect the rights of individuals and also corrode transparency.
Bernard Forson Jnr, Director General of NCA, said the users would be protected according to the law, saying that “the operators would keep the database of the registered subscribers and therefore no entity would be in charge.”
The operators are supposed to keep the details of the card holders' information unless authorized.
According to him, the registration of the sim cards and exiting users has three dimensions, including economic, social and political.
Major Adansi, Chairman of the committee of sim card identification, said the NCA wants to replicate the fixed line system where all numbers are identified and registered.
On how the exercise would cater for foreigners and Ghanaians who visit the country, he explained that they could acquire a registered sim card if they have passports or any form of identification.
He therefore urged all to walk into the offices of any operator and register their sim cards.
According to NCA, from July 1, 2010 all unregistered sim cards would not be sold on the open market while from July 1, 2011 all existing sim cards that have not been registered would cease to operate.
By Charles Nixon Yeboah