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The Ghana Telecommunication Chamber has warned that the plan by a group of angry subscribers to lead the boycott of calls to protest the challenges that have characterised the SIM card re-registration exercise will have substantial financial implications.
The Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers have demanded an immediate withdrawal of the NCA directive on the registration.
According to them, they are ready to risk losing their SIM cards; hence, they have set aside Tuesday, February 8, to embark on a nationwide protest dubbed ‘No Calls Day’.
They added, “any attempt to impose this [SIM card re-registration] on subscribers or block their lines would amount to an infringement on their property rights.”
“On that day, we call on all Ghanaians not to make or receive phone calls as a way of registering our disquiet about the circus surrounding the SIM card re-registration exercise,” they announced in a release dated January 13, 2022.
But Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Telecoms Chamber, Ken Ashigbey, believes the move will have dire implications on the country’s revenue mobilisation.
He wants further consultations to be held to address the concerns of stakeholders.
“Definitely, a boycott will have financial implications, not only for the MNOs. You know, for every call that is made, there are taxes that are charged on it. This is not a time for us to be doing that.”
“I would hope that we can all engage and jaw-jaw and be able to find a resolution to the challenges that confront us,” he said.
Some subscribers who endorsed the February 8, boycott want the proper things done.
“The way the situation is going, it’s very bad. The government is saying nothing about it. I will join them to do whatever they want to do. They [MNOs] have to find another way of doing this SIM card registration.”
“I have to join [the boycott] because some of us haven’t done the Ghana Card, and due to that, we think we are going to be stressed up…we have other things to do,” they said.
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