Over 6000 Refugees in Ghana exempted from SIM card deactivation – Ursula Owusu
Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has disclosed that 6,411 refugees in Ghana among other categories of people have been exempted from SIM card deactivation.
The other categories of people who have also been exempted include 3,179 Members of the Diplomatic corps and 102 Staff of Ghana Missions and Ghana Armed Forces abroad.
Briefing parliament on details on the SIM card re-registration, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful indicated that individuals without Ghana cards who notified the NCA with proof of applications of Ghana card are also exempted.
He therefore called on the various agencies who are on the exemption list and whose SIM cards have been blocked to notify the NCA for ratification.
“We encourage the relevant agencies to notify the NCA of any categories of their personnel or interested persons who fall within the exempted category but whose SIMs have been blocked because NCA has not been notified as yet” The Minister said.
On Wednesday, 31 May 2023, all users of unregistered SIM cards were disabled from receiving or making phone calls.
This came on the back of a directive from the NCA.
Such SIM card users, therefore, have their numbers deactivated and removed according to the directive from the NCA.
The Director General of the NCA, Joseph Anokye, at a press conference held on Wednesday, 26 April 2023, revealed that 11 million unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated.
Mr Anokye had said: “…If you are part of this 11 million… you are not exempted.
“If you are not a foreign diplomat, you are not a refugee, you will be delinked if you do not register.”
Despite an earlier decision to delete all unregistered SIM cards by Monday, 17 April 2023, it was reversed after consultations.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
