The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo has told myjoyonline.com that the telecoms operators will prefer an extension of the registration of SIM cards if it will enable those whose registrations have been declared invalid to re-register after the information provided were crosschecked.

Kwaku Sakyi-Addo made this comment on the sideliness of a public discussion on the NCA’s directive that all unregistered SIM cards should be deactivated by July 1.

The event organised by IMANI Ghana on the topic: Possible Relation of Threat to Deactivate Mobile Phones – Legal, Institutional & Developmental Implications Of Extending SIM Registration Exercise, saw discussants such as the Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil calling for an extension of the date and a complete overhaul of the registration exercise to allow for an efficient collection of data.

Mr. Sakyi-Addo, who agreed with the numerous calls for an extension of the deadline said his outfit does not have an opinion on the directive by the National Communications Authority and that the telecoms operators do not have any position against the NCA’s directive.

He however stated that “the operators will prefer a postponement if that will help subscribers who have not registered but even more importantly, subscribers who have tried to register but whose registration has been deemed to be invalid by the system.”

He said deactivating the unregistered SIM cards by July 1, as directed by the NCA, will affect those whose registration was found to be incorrect, a situation which the operators believe would not auger well for the exercise.

NCA has refused to back down on its decision to deactivate unregistered SIM cards despite calls from various groups that such an action will have economic repercussions for the country.

Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana