Court summons LTA

The Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia has summoned the Liberia Telecommunications Authority or LTA, the regulatory arm for the telecommunication sector here to show cause why its July 31, 2015 Order should not be declared [null] and void.

A court summon available to The NewDawn against the LTA orders the regulatory entity to appear on 21 September, as failure to appear would leave the court with no alternative, but to render judgment against it by default and proceed with declaration prayed for by a group calling itself the National Association of Telecom Consumers or NATELCO.

NATELCO had complained to the Civil Law Court through its counsels that it was “illegal and erroneous” for the LTA to promulgate the order in question without any consultation or other reference to them. The LTA issued a regulatory order on 31 July imposing surcharge for outgoing international calls from Liberia at the cost of US$0.05 per minute to be paid to it by the originating service provider.

The group is further protesting against the LTA’s regulation, which also imposes a surcharge of US$0.14 per minute for all international inbound calls, which terminate in Liberia.  “The imposition of a surcharge of USD$0.14 per minute on all incoming calls, which terminate in Liberia and USD$$0.05 per minute on all outgoing calls from Liberia will have a direct adverse impact on telecommunications consumers as these surcharges raise the costs for incoming calls and outgoing calls,” the group said in part in a petition with the court.

By Winston W. Parley – Edited by Jonathan Browne