Communications Minister, Samuel Nartey George, has issued a strong warning to Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs) and mobile network operators (MNOs) ahead of the introduction of a new central SIM registration system.

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The upcoming system, he said, will give the National Communications Authority (NCA) the power to block fraudsters across all telecom networks.

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During an appearance on Joy News’ PM Express, the Ningo-Prampram MP criticized telcos for failing to act on mobile money fraud complaints, despite clear evidence. He accused them of ignoring recurring fraud patterns.

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“That is my problem with the EMIs that we are going to deal with,” the Minister stated. “When there is a proven case that a particular number… and again, when you follow, especially those who do the Facebook thing, it is a string of similar numbers that are used.”

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He said fraudulent numbers are regularly reported to EMIs, yet little is done to stop the fraudsters from continuing their operations.

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“Several reports are made to the EMIs, and for them to talk to their sister companies, the MNOs, to block those numbers, but they are not doing it,” he said.

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However, the Minister assured that this will soon change. Under the new system, the NCA will host and manage a central database, strengthening the fight against mobile money fraud.

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“That’s the beauty of the registration system we are going to do,” the Minister explained. “Because the system is going to sit with the NCA. The NCA will have the power to blacklist numbers across networks.”

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With this in place, once a fraudster is blocked on one network, they will automatically be blocked on all others—making it impossible to switch networks and continue fraudulent activities.

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The Minister further stated that telecom operators who fail to act on flagged numbers will face daily monetary penalties.

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“If a report is made and we identify that this number is perpetuating fraud, failure to deal with it by the telco, after we have informed you of this, will result in daily pecuniary fines,” he warned.

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The government’s move signals a tougher approach to combating mobile money fraud, which remains a growing concern despite past SIM registration drives and public awareness campaigns.

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The new SIM registration system is expected to be rolled out in the coming months, with a focus on accurate data collection, real-time fraud reporting, and identity verification through the National Identification Authority (NIA).

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