The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has called for a non-partisan approach to the ongoing SIM registration exercise, stressing that the process should be treated strictly as a national security and regulatory issue rather than a political matter.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, SIM registration remains a critical tool for improving security, reducing fraud, and ensuring accountability in the country’s telecommunications sector. It warned that politicising the process could undermine public trust and discourage compliance among mobile subscribers.

Speaking at the 2026 celebration of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, she emphasised that similar registration exercises are common across many countries and are aimed at strengthening digital identity systems and protecting users from cybercrime and mobile-related fraud.

She further urged stakeholders, including political actors, civil society groups, and the general public, to support efforts by regulators and telecom operators to ensure the exercise is completed smoothly and efficiently.

Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah also noted that successful SIM registration requires collaboration between government institutions and telecom companies, as well as clear communication to address public concerns and misinformation.

She said “Industry players are hopeful that ongoing engagements with the National Communications Authority (NCA) will result in a more seamless and technology-driven SIM registration process that addresses concerns raised during previous exercises.

“When we talk about digital inclusion, the fundamental place we need to start from is ensuring that our digital system or our digital ID system is robust enough for us to grow. It is robust and credible enough.”

“Again, the fact that we have made some past calls which have not translated into the progress we want to see, I want to urge the NCA, as we take this journey again, we know you have been working closely with us, you will stay on that course, and that the recommendations that the industry has put forward will be taken into account.

“No customer wants to go through that process again. It is a painstaking one. Today, we know that we have the benefits of technology, and we know that all of that is being factored into the conversations to make sure it is seamless,” she stated.

She called for the current exercise to become the country’s final large-scale SIM re-registration drive, urging authorities to build a sustainable framework capable of continuous updates without disrupting subscribers.

“More importantly, I want to emphatically say that we need to get to a point where SIM registration should not be one that is played along politically, where for every change in political leadership, we need to start all over again.

“These are systems, they are updated, they can be upgraded for us to be able to have the same level of confidence in these systems. So I urge us as we go through this one, it becomes the final one, one that we don’t come back,” she added.