The IMANI Center for Policy and Education has filed a sweeping information request to the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, seeking detailed records on the government’s planned nationwide SIM registration exercise set for rollout in the first quarter of 2026.
The request, submitted by IMANI’s David Kukuia-Galley under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), demands extensive documentation on policy design, procurement processes, vendor engagements and interactions with the National Identification Authority.
The petition asks the Ministry to release all records tied to the upcoming registration framework, including the draft Legislative Instrument expected to be laid before Parliament. IMANI is also pursuing technical documents outlining biometric verification plans, system architecture for SIM validation, the integration of the Ghana Card and any proposed central registration platform.
A significant portion of the request targets procurement planning and the involvement of the Public Procurement Authority. IMANI is demanding copies of all procurement submissions, justification memos, funding models, tender evaluations and approvals related to the selection of a service provider for the exercise. The think tank also wants clarity on public statements suggesting that the cost of the registration system would be billed to mobile network operators.
The query also highlights whistleblower reports about alleged dealings between the Ministry and a private company, Transactly Limited. IMANI is requesting all correspondence, proposals, contracts, NDAs and records of engagements between the company and the Ministry or any of its agencies. It additionally seeks documents on the use of state insignia on any digital platforms operated by the firm.
The request extends to agencies such as the National Communications Authority, National Information Technology Agency, Ghana Digital Centres Limited, National Identification Authority, and Smart Infraco. IMANI is seeking all MoUs, technical agreements and steering committee minutes that assign roles to these bodies in designing and implementing the new SIM verification framework.
Data protection is another area of focus. IMANI wants the Ministry to disclose impact assessments, security reviews and any correspondence with the Data Protection Commission concerning legal bases for data sharing among telcos, the NIA and any third-party contractors. It also seeks disclosure of any evaluations of private vendors involved in Ghana Card–based identity verification.
IMANI argues that the public interest test under Act 989 overrides any commercial confidentiality exemptions the Ministry may cite, especially where vendors may handle national biometric data. The group is also insisting that the Ministry adhere to the law’s 14-day response timeline.
The Ministry has not yet issued a public response.