A senior research fellow at the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP), Dr. Frank Bannor, has strongly criticized the Mahama administration’s plan to re-register SIM cards, calling it a financially reckless and unnecessary expenditure.
In a scathing statement sent to the media, Dr. Bannor expressed his concerns over the proposal, questioning the rationale behind the government’s decision when a similar exercise had already been successfully carried out in the past. He pointed out that millions of taxpayers’ funds had been spent during the previous nationwide SIM card registration, achieving the objectives set out at that time.
“The earlier SIM registration was not only comprehensive but also achieved its goals. The exercise was successful and did not require any further repetition. Why should we squander public funds on redoing the same thing?” Dr. Bannor asked.
He further accused the government of being financially irresponsible, stating that the proposed re-registration exercise lacked economic justification. “The country is already facing significant financial constraints. It is financially unsound and wasteful to spend more money on something that has already been done,” he stressed.
Dr. Bannor went on to urge Parliament to step in and prevent the government from proceeding with the proposal, describing the plan as an example of financial profligacy. He emphasized that the re-registration could be detrimental to the country’s limited financial resources.
“This is a waste of resources, and Parliament must reject this move outright. It’s a misuse of the public’s hard-earned money,” he declared.
He also raised suspicions about the underlying motives behind the new registration proposal, suggesting that it could be part of a scheme for financial mismanagement. “The move looks suspiciously like an attempt to create, loot, and share resources under the guise of a national exercise. If there are any issues with the previous registration, the government should use technology to address them instead of repeating the process,” he concluded.
