The government will introduce biometric verification as part of Ghana’s SIM registration process before the end of 2026, Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George has announced.

Mr George said Parliament has passed the Legislative Instrument (LI) on SIM registration, paving the way for the next phase of the process.

He said the biometric system is intended to strengthen subscriber identification and improve the integrity of SIM registration data.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, September 7, Mr George said the government would continue to update the regulatory framework as technology develops.

“The work is far from finished, and I will not pretend otherwise. But the direction is unmistakable, the results are measurable, and the resolve of this Ministry is unshaken,” he said.

Under the biometric verification system, subscribers will be required to provide biometric information, such as fingerprints, as part of the SIM registration process.

The government expects the system to make it more difficult for people to register SIM cards using fraudulent identities and help improve the traceability of subscribers.

With the LI passed, the Ministry is expected to work with the National Communications Authority (NCA) and telecommunications companies to implement the biometric verification system before the end of the year.

Subscribers are also expected to be given a period within which to complete the verification, with possible sanctions for those who fail to comply.