House Wants Control Over LTA’s Budget

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Monday, 18 June 2012 12:34

Written by Boima J. V. Boima

Accusations against the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) of “extravagant spending” have taken a new dimension with Rep. George S. Mulbah proposing a bill that would place the entity under direct control of the House of Representatives.

Making his proposal to the House plenary, Rep. Mulbah claimed “failure by the Executive to exercise authority over the LTA prompted the entity to engage in lucrative spending.”

“The lucrative increment bonanza at the LTA has placed its budget at US$13.8 million annually, which is far above that of the Liberian Senate.

“In order to curtail this practice, I am submitting for your enactment a bill seeking to repeal article 9 section 5 of the LTA Act of 2007,” Rep. Mulbah told the House plenary Thursday.

The House plenary on Thursday claimed the Executive has not been exercising  “effective in authority” vested in its powers over the LTA Act, thus allowing the “entity to operate without an approved budget for one year.”

LTA’s chair Ms. Angelique Weeks told the House plenary a fortnight ago that commissioners and employees of LTA are well paid to ensure their independence is maintained.

Just as other public corporations, Article 9 section 5 of the LTA Act of 2007 “empowers” commissioners to submit their draft fiscal budget to the Executive for approval. But House members want that section of the Act repealed in order to scrutinize the LTA’s annual budget.

Meanwhile, the draft bill seeking to amend the LTA Act has been sent to the House Committees on Telecommunications and Judiciary for perusal and action.