The Editor,
The latest LTA Protectionist Floor Price in favour of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), has created an Oligopoly in the domestic Liberia MTN and Orange mobile operators and service providers, and thus, colluded and negatively Floors, the sector.
The so-called national operator, LIBTELCO, is obsolete and dysfunctional, and prospective new entrants in the telecommunications and the infocommunications sector will find it challenging and unable to operate.
An Oligopoly is a market dominated by preferred and preferential Mobile operators, as it is currently in Liberia. It’s a classic case of State Capture!
State Capture is a form of corruption in which businesses, individuals, entrepreneurs, public servants and politicians conspire to influence a country’s decision-making process to advance their investments and adventures.
State Capture also involves weakening laws and neutralising any agencies that enforce them.
Unfortunately, Oligopolies reduce competition, lack of innovation and infrastructure advancement, poor quality of services, and higher prices for consumers and the nation.
Imposing a Floor Price hampers competitions, and it’s an irregular and illegitimate intervention in an open market sector. And it’s against international best practices and acceptable standards.
The colluding and the levying of Floor Prices, by the LTA on mobile voice and mobile data services and the arbitrary levy of an unwarranted new Government 5% regulatory fee on the MNOs are abnormal and reckless, and inimical!
One of the core requirements of an open market is minimal Government intervention. The LTA injunction is an overreach and has violated this fundamental ordinance, and the incumbent sector players, aka the MTN, and Orange, are reluctant culprits and collaborators and must oblige politely to denounce, abrogate or non-compliant.
Both the Regulatory Régime and the Sector Operators and the Services Providers remain the Usual Suspects to this cruel public caper and a scandalous ripoff of the valued and vulnerable customers.
Notwithstanding, such is the telecommunications (telecoms) networks and the infocommunications (infocomms) services in the Homeland!
Sarr Abdulai VANDI
PhDUniversity Professor Emeritus
ITU Senior Expert & Former LTA
Chairman and CEO
Sarr Abdulai VANDI PhD