Sam George defends fresh biometric registry after Parliamentary clash | Discuss Ghana

The debate over how Ghana registers mobile phone users has reached a boiling point in Parliament. The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced a fundamental overhaul of the SIM card registration system, revealing that the previous registration process was deeply flawed because it failed to cross-reference biometrics in real time.

The announcement on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, sparked a dramatic showdown on the floor of the House, culminating in a full-scale Minority walkout over how the cost of the fresh exercise is being handled.

Why the old SIM registration process failed

According to the Communications Minister, the system inherited from the previous administration left major security loopholes that fraudsters exploited:

Unverifiable Biometrics: Under the previous exercise, biometric data (like fingerprints) collected by telecom agents was simply stored in scattered, isolated databases without being cross-referenced with the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the backend.

The Identity Theft Loophole: Because there was no real-time backend validation, criminals were able to use stolen, altered, or unverified Ghana Card details to register illegal SIM cards. "The existing SIM registration platform cannot adequately support the enhanced requirements relating to real-time biometric verification," Sam George explained.

The New "Single Source of Truth": The new system will link SIM registration directly to the NIA's biometric database. When you register a SIM, the system will verify your live facial or fingerprint data directly against the official Ghana Card registry in real-time, completely blocking anyone from using your ID details without your consent.

The drama in Parliament

While the Minister insists the new system is vital for national security and curbing mobile money fraud, the opposition Minority was not having it:

The Staged Walkout: Led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, opposition MPs staged a dramatic walkout on Wednesday. They accused the presiding First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, of using parliamentary rules to shield the Minister from answering tough questions about the cost of the new exercise.

The Taxpayer Cost Argument: The Minority argued that because the state already spent millions on a massive SIM registration drive between 2021 and 2023, forcing Ghanaians into a new round of registration is a waste of resources.

The Minister’s Reassurance: Sam George strongly defended the project, assuring Parliament that the new system is being funded entirely by telecommunication companies, meaning the fresh registration will come at absolutely no cost to Ghanaian taxpayers or citizens.