THE LIBERIA TELECOMMUNICATION Authority’s plan to introduce a surcharge six months after limiting the “three days unlimited calls”, has met strong reservation from Lonestar Cell MTN and Orange Liberia, which have maintained that it will be harmful to the already dying economy. The GSM operators appealed to the Senate committee to intervene in the interest of the people so that the surcharge would not be imposed.
AFTER CONDUCTING THE hearings, the Senate Committee on Post and Telecommunication concluded that the new regulatory fees would do four important things for the GSM operators, their customers and the market: increase the operators’ revenue; improve the quality of services for their customers; make the sector competitive; and enable the operators to expand, in order to build new towers to provide network coverage to the many communities in the country that do not have.
HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE recommended to the Senate plenary that, for the fact that the GSM operators are themselves opting for an increase in the number of minutes for the “three days limited calls” from 45 to 60, the Senate should take up the matter with the LTA to make a minimal adjustment in the new regulatory fee to accommodate the additional 15 minutes; and that the Senate, as a matter of urgency, should engage the LTA not to impose the contemplated surcharge until the country’s economic conditions are favorable.
“ADMITTEDLY, THESE ARE difficult times in our country, and it behooves us, as representatives of our people, to do whatever we can to minimize their sufferings. The imposition of a surcharge on telecommunication products, as contemplated by the LTA, in the words of the GSM operators, will be harmful. This must not be allowed,” the Senate’s Standing Committee on Posts and Telecommunications recommended to Senate’s plenary after conducting its hearings and fact-findings.
THE COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION was approved by the Senate, but the effect of increasing the minutes from 45 to 60 is yet to be implemented and, as it seems, the LTA is still bent on imposing the surcharge, in an ardent disrespect to the Senate’s decision.