SIM card re-registration: GHC5 fee on new app is illegal -CMNS to Ursula

Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers (CMNS) have called Communications and Digitisation Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to immediately withdraw the announcement to launch an App that will cost subscribers GHC5 for SIM cards re-registration process.

A statement signed and issued on Sunday July 31, 2022 by Ras Mubarak on behalf of Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers (CMNS) said “at a time of an Economic meltdown where serious governments all over the world are giving their citizens relief packages to ease the burden of the recession, it is disappointing that the Minister will seek to illegally impose further burden on the already struggling Ghanaian public”.

“We call on her to abandon this insensitive announcement to illegally impose a surcharge of GHc 5 on Ghanaians”.

“We the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers maintain that the dehumanizing nature of the roll out was avoidable”, the statement said.

Read the full statement

For Immediate Release
31st July 2022

RESPONSE TO MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS’ ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE CHAOTIC SIM RE-REGISTRATION EXERCISE

We note with disappointment the Minister of Communications’ announcement today on the chaotic SIM re-registration exercise where she failed to apologize to Ghanaians for the chaos associated with the exercise.

The confusion and chaos that have characterized the illegal sim-card registration exercise should be blamed at the doorsteps of the Minister for Communications.

Also disappointing was the Minister’s indication that a “SIM Registration App will be available for download on both android and IOS” this week and that “each registration via the app will be subject to a 5 cedi surcharge.”

This surcharge as announced by the Minister would be illegal if collected. The Minister has been an MP for some time and should know what ought to be done to impose fees or charges. She has not sought parliamentary approval and has no authority to impose fees or charges without parliamentary approval.

Secondly, at a time of an economic meltdown where serious governments all over the world are giving their citizens relief packages to ease the burden of the recession, it is disappointing that the Minister will seek to illegally impose further burden on the already struggling Ghanaian public.

We call on her to abandon this insensitive announcement to illegally impose a surcharge of GHc 5 on Ghanaians.

We the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers maintain that the dehumanizing nature of the roll out was avoidable.

The whole exercise lacked a well thought-through implementation strategy, hence the confusion and flip flop.

END.

Signed
Ras Mubarak.