Mr. George Akom, an Information Systems Expert and Governance Analyst has indicated that it would not be out of place to implement a mop- up plan to cater for mobile phone users who would not be able to meet the deadline for the SIM card registration exercise.
He explained that many still have not been able to register their SIM Cards despite the publicity and the enforcement of the deadline. Mr. Akom described the exercise as a very loudable one which would provide the general benefit to the vulnerable in the mobile network ecosystem.
He added, that the exercise met a lot challenges from different stakeholders, but by the mutual understand and acceptance by many Ghanaians made the exercise smooth.
He intimated, that technology acceptance largely depended on the perceived easy of use and perceived usefulness of the various System we implement. Change management process provides always the best ways to technology to be accepted by users. He emphasized that technology acceptance without the full awareness of users becomes difficult to be accepted into the society.
Enumerating the benefits of the SIM registration, Mr. Akom indicated that the registration of the SIM Cards would provide the mobile network ecosystem the tools to reduce or eliminate fraudulent and criminal activities, ascertain accurate number of valid and accurate SIMs on the network, enable Mobile Network Operators to build better demographics database to support their clients, provide more confidence and secure economic activities for e- commerce and e- government services.
He stressed that many were reluctant to register their SIMs for the fear of what he described as ” Data Transparency and Open Privacy”. He explained that the exercise would be guided by the Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843).
Mr. Akom stressed that the registration is inline with the Subscriber Identify Module Registration Regulations 2012 L.I 2006 which mandates Network Operators or Service Providers to activate a SIM only after the subscriber registers the SIM as directed by the NCA.
He iterated that the SIM registration would be implemented in full when the Central Equipment Identify Register ( CEIR) is also taken seriously to complement the main agenda for the cyber security ecosystem. He stated that the CEIR is to regulate handset and mobile equipment registration. With the Central Equipment Identify Register, it would be able to track mobile devices imported into the country and check mobile “black market” and enhance mobile devices quality and to avoid mobile smuggling and theft. With that, the needed taxes could be collected from importers to increase the government revenue.
On the mop- up exercise, he addressed that TELCOS should create Emergency Response Centres with enough available registration devices and to insist on the individual USSD linkeages before coming to the Centres as away to shorten the registration processes for the Mop- up. These could be away to cater for those who have not registered till date so to save them from the situation of SIM de- activation. He added that the National Identification Authority Centres should do similarly to support the situation.
Mr. George Akom has been a renowned personality who has contributed and provided alot of education to explain most of the government policies in the areas of ICT, e- government, information systems and education on many platforms. He aspires to contest in the Sekyere Afram Constituency Parliamentary Seat.
He is also a Senior Assistant Registrar of the Ghana Communication Technology University.
