The deadline for the registration of all SIM cards with the Ghana Card elapses today, July 31, 2021, and this means all unregistered users will be blocked.
The initial deadline was shifted from March to July by the Ministry of Communications because many had not yet registered their SIM cards at the time.
Per the policy of the government, it has become a statutory requirement for all SIM cards to be registered with the Ghana Card.
In fact, the Ghana Card has become an even more important document; it identifies nationality, registers businesses, helps citizens travel, for banking etc.
According to available data, there are close to 20 million active SIM cards in Ghana. Meanwhile, the National Identification Authority intimated that only about 15 million people have their Ghana Cards.
There is a backlog of nearly 2 million people who do not yet have their Ghana Cards and are unable to register SIM cards in their names.
Would the deadline for the registration of the SIM cards be extended?
Well, the minority have urged the Communication Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, to extend the entire exercise to the end of the year. By then, almost everyone would have acquired the Ghana Card and registered their SIM cards.
Social media is awash with messages directed to the Communications Minister urging her to extend the deadline. Mobile money agents also hold the same plea as they believe their business would be affected should the deadline not be extended.
Have you linked your SIM cards to your Ghana Cards? If not, what are your plans should your network be deactivated today?
How to complete biometric registration of SIM on your phone without going to MTN Service CentresÂ
You can complete the biometric registration of your SIM card(s) without having to go join the long queues at the various MTN Service Centres.
To deal with the huge queues and the inconvenience, MTN has deployed the Self Service System to help customers complete the biometric registration of their SIM card (s) at the comfort of their homes and offices.
At this moment, you should have linked your SIM card (s) already to your Ghana Card. If you have not done that, dial *400# to link your Ghana Card to your SIM Card.
With that done, these are the steps to follow to complete the biometric registration of your SIM Card(s) on your phone.
- Take a picture of the front page of your Ghana Card or scan it.
- Hold your Ghana Card and take a picture of it with your face visible in an image file.
- Click on the following link: https://simregistrationupdate.mtn.com.gh
- Input your mobile phone number
- You will receive a one-time passcode to your phone number (O.T.P)
- Input the OTP received from MTN into the registration portal and continue.
- It will be validated and you will be directed to the records page, where your personal information will be available.
- Fill in all of your information and upload the Ghana Card and the image of you holding your Ghana Card in the appropriate fields.
9. Once all of the fields have been completed, click Submit to complete the process.
