The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh has assured that mobile phone subscribers who may lose their phone numbers for not re-registering their SIM cards will not lose their mobile money (momo) accounts.
He stated that such subscribers will be later given directives on processes to take to access their money.
The SIM card re-registration exercise is scheduled to end today, May 31, 2023
Speaking to Joy Business, Mr. Adadevoh said customers, who have money on their deactivated SIM cards will be allowed to retrieve their funds after some time.
He explained that such accounts will be declared dormant but customers will access to the funds anytime with the required identity card.
“We do have provision in the Payment System and Services Act about how to treat funds that have not been accessed, essentially will be treated as dormant funds and you can redeem them at some point in time with the right identification and processes”. He stressed.
Already, some mobile phone subscribers, who are yet to register their SIM cards are calling on the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ministry of Communications to provide some information on what will happen to their mobile money wallets with cash if they are unable to re-register their SIM cards by close of day on May 31, 2023, and lose their phone numbers permanently.
Even though the NCA is yet to provide some details on what happens, some subscribers have stated that the money will be safe as long as there is record to show funds in momo accounts.
Deadline extended several times
The SIM card registration was extended several times by the Ministry of Communications after calls to prolong the exercise to enable subscribers who are yet to receive their Ghana cards to do so. Most of the telcos complained of logistic constraints after the postponement, citing cost of the exercise.
After deadline
The ministry has warned that the deadline for the re-registration of SIM cards will not be extended again. After the deadline, subscribers who failed to re-register their SIMs will not be able to make calls, receive calls and text messages. Telcos are required to block all such lines from accessing any service.
