The Liberia Telecommunication Authority and the telecommunication service providers, including the Lone Star MTN and the Orange, formerly Celcom on Friday, November 22, 2024 signed ‘Consumer Protection Regulations’ agreement.
At the signing ceremony held in Ganta, Nimba County, one of the Acting Commissioners, Licensing and Regulations Hon. Ben A. Fofana said before the regulation gave 90% of telephone service rights to the service providers.
He explained that this time, the LTA deliberately formulated a regulation that will solve all the problems the consumers have been encountering in the past.
“This particular regulation we have signed is meant to bring happiness to you, that is ‘value for money,’” he said.
Explaining further, Hon. Fofana said in the new regulation, if you paid for data for five days, you should enjoy your data for the required days.
According to Hon. Fofana, the new regulation provided limited protection for the service providers, other than the past where almost all the regulations were in their favour.
Accordingly, the main idea surrounding is providing ‘consumer protection.
The Regulations will ensure that service providers provide quality service to the consumer like done in other advanced countries.
The Senior Economic Advisor to President Joseph N. Boakai, Morley P. Kamara said the signing of the regulation is a major mark stone for putting the consumer first.
He said the consumers are the bare rock for the growth of the economy of any country.
“For economists, we believed that the consumer drives the economy, when they consume the economy boost,’ Hon. Kamara said.
“Having an agreement where you place their interest on the top is isolated in line with what is happening in more advanced countries,” he said.
What was enshrined in the newly signed regulation is yet to be established, but nearly all the speakers stressed the importance of consumer service protection and fair customer practices from the service providers.
The issues of penalty and punishment for violators by mainly service providers were echoed, after the service providers asked the LTA to be flexible in the implementation of the regulations because they are in the learning process.
In recent times, the network services from the two GSM companies have been so disturbing to the consumers.
In some cases as it was dramatized during the ceremony, consumers are sometimes being robbed by Mobile Money agents. In some instances, mobile money agents or minute boys will pretend to transfer money to your phone, but only to fine out nothing was transferred.
The LTA assured the public that the regulation will protect all transactions, protect privacy for consumers and also provide fair services, where if you buy minutes for three days, the services will be provided according to the value of money paid.
The occasion was attended by a cross session of citizens, among them students, market women, motorcyclists, local stakeholders, representatives of telecommunication service providers and among others.
However, the Orange -Liberia is calling on LTA to put into place the Universal Access Form by moving into the various counties and utilize the UAF to be connected to the service providers so they can provide the relevant service.
Orange – Liberia also called on the LTA not to use the regulation as a means of revenue collection, but the essence is to have impact on the consumers, not to always look at the penalty aspect, rather how the consumers will become a beneficiary. should be the concern.
