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Commissioners and employees at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) responsible to regulate the sector are “well paid”, LTA Chair Angelique Weeks confirmed when she appeared Tuesday at the House plenary.

“Commissioners make decent salaries, so do all of our employees. It is important to pay the LTA employees and commissioners well. Because if we don’t do that, entities in the sector that have the financial means can attempt to capture our employees or commissioners,” Ms. Weeks told the lawmakers.

Ms. Weeks was responding to claims by some lawmakers that LTA commissioners “unilaterally” endorsed their own budget, set salaries and other benefits.

Rep. James Baney (Maryland County) revealed Tuesday at plenary that LTA commissioners use millions of dollars yearly that are not approved by the Executive as required by law. He said each of the commissioners earn more US$10,000 per month.

He pinpointed figures in the LTA budget, saying: “In this budget under her (Angelique Weeks) signature they have US$144,000 for meetings and public hearings; they have US$770,000 per year for public relations. Combine these two, you talk about a million dollar for public relations. Who can approve such? I challenge if the President can approve it—one million dollar for Public Relations in this country?

“You have for US$331,000 for each commissioner per year for travels; you have US$2.1 million for salaries. The President said it is inconceivable in this time of economic crisis in our country that a commissioner would get more than US$5000. This speaks to the contrary,” Rep. Baney alarmed.

Rep. George S. Mulbah earlier told this paper in an interview that the LTA “lavishly” spends millions per annum, and claimed the commissioners have already set aside US$250,000 for retirement in 2013. He also accused LTA of being “unable” to regulate the telecommunication sector.

Ms. Weeks challenged the lawmakers to “evidentially” prove their claims, saying with a good pay and compensations, employees can “better” perform their job at the LTA.

“When you compensate us well, we are less likely to do so (to be captured). Our salaries and allowances go through the budget process and have been approved and the LTA stands to say we have done nothing wrong,” she argued.

She denied claims that the LTA is unable to regulate the telecommunications sector, adding: “We believe that the LTA has done all that it can under these circumstances and continues to try to do a good job in regulating the sector.”

Meanwhile, the House Committees on Post and Telecommunications and Public Accounts were mandated to investigate the matter and report to plenary within two weeks.