The Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Ministry of Post & Telecommunications, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), the Ministry of Finance, LIBTELCO and other relevant government institutions, has broken ground in Grand Kru County for the construction of a telecommunications tower that will provide affordable communications in that part of the southeastern region.
The launch is an implementation of what is referred to as the “Universal Access Program”, which inaugurates the first proof of concept programs as defined in the Telecommunications Act of 2007. “Universal access” means ensuring the provision of telecommunications services and telecommunications facilities to residents and other members of the general public in Liberia, in accordance with the Universal Access Policy and pursuant to Section 22 of the Act.
The Universal Access Program is a policy tool that seeks to address the lack of services in areas where the telecommunications market has proven to be deficient in meeting the communications needs of the people, either due to the lack of incentives or due to the lack of ability for end users to pay.
According to information, the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah Sr., Chairman of the Universal Access Program in Liberia, left Monrovia over the weekend along with Grand Kru County Representative, J. Fonati Kofa, Israel Akinsanya, Chairman of the implementation committee, and representatives from the KNET Company from Ghana, to inaugurate the first proof of concept cite in Paluken, Grand Kru County, on Monday November 29, 2020.
The inauguration of the site will enable rural dwellers in that part of the southeastern region, who have been disconnected over the years, to communicate any part of the world.
During the inaugural program, over 300 telephones are expected to be distributed to more than 300 inhabitants to enable them make phone calls to any part of Liberia and other parts of the world.
Minister Kruah is expected to turn the site over to the community through their Representative, J. Fonati Koffa, who will, in return, turn it over to the community.
The governing board of the Universal Access Program comprises of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications as Chair of the Board, the Ministry of Internal Affairs as Vice Chair of the Board, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) as Secretary to the Board, among others.
It can be recalled that on Monday, October 12, 2015, the Government of Liberia, through LTA, published an Official Gazette in pursuant to the National Universal Access Policy strategy of 2014 (NUAPS), the National Telecommunications, Information Communications Technology (ICT) policy of 2011 and the Telecommunications Act of 2007, which establish a Universal Access Fund as contemplated by LTA regulation on the Universal Access Fund (LTA –REG.006) and associated operations.
