IPNews-Monrovia: It might taken nearly two weeks since President George Weah, suspended for time indefinite, the Commissioner General of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority-LTA, Ivan Brown for administrative and acts of conspiracy.

The Executive Mansion did not elaborate further, however, there renew reports that the top executives of the LTA and two GSM mobile operators are simply involved in conspiracy leaving the lost of millions in revenue generation for the government of Liberia.

As these report emerges, IPNews, is gathering reports how millions was shared among some executives of LTA. A report we bring you subsequently.

As these reports surfaces, Montserrado County district number #8 Representative, Moses Acarous Gray has told GSM companies operating in Liberia to ‘leave if they so desire’.

Representative Gray statement is in apparent reaction to rumours circulating in the public that the government is about to increase charges in data or surcharges which insiders tell IPNews was one of the reasons leading to the suspension of Mr. Ivan due to his continued opposition to the move by the government.

Addressing a news conference yesterday Thursday, June 18 at his capitol building office in Monrovia, the Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) lawamker stated that there are ‘no plans by government to increase surcharges’.

“The legislature, as far as I am concern has not added any taxation to calls on these GSM companies. There is an Art creating the Liberai Telecommunication Authority (LTA) and the LTA has a regulatory role to play and will have to play its role,” Representative. Gray said.

Representative Gray disclosed that the LTA issued an order that all GSM companies should not go below a certain price level so as to create what he called a competitive business system that would benefit both the GSM companies and the government, yet, there are some companies that are delaying in respecting the terms of those agreement.

Gray said that with the introduction of the policy, GSM companies rebranded the famous three days free calls on one United States dollars ($1) to one United States dollars for forty-five minutes to be used within the same three days.

The CDC Representative furthered that with this new order the GSM companies should have raised more revenue and said revenues would have be divided between the government of Liberia and the GSM companies but the. Government is yet to receive its share of the agreement which is a total disrespect and undermines the operations of the government.

“The LTA issued an order that the two GSM companies that they cannot sell below a certain price level and this was intended to create competitiveness and generation of more revenues so that said revenues, government would have gotten a certain percentage,” he noted

Representative Gray claimed that the two GSM companies agreed and this order has been into place since February of last with a grace period of six months by the LTA, yet the GSM companies are refusing to give government her percentage on the revenues being generated.

“The GSM companies have been collecting the money and their revenues have increased drastically but refusing to give government her portion. So when the LTA says it is time to pay which is the real surcharge, the cell phones companies say they cannot pay the money and they ran to court,” Representative Gray reveals.

The Montserrado County district no. 8 lawmaker indicated that the actual intend of government entering into said agreement with these companies is that such amount can be used to address some of the challenges within the health and education sectors amongst others.

Gray disclosed that the GSM companies are now saying that if government push them to pay such money, they would have no alternative but to shift the burden on the consumers, something he said the LTA had since rejected.

Representative Gray stated that there has been no new taxation impose on GSM companies by the government and that government has no intend of doing so, thus, it is a smell campaign by those within opposition to paint the CDC government ugly to the people of Liberia.

At the same time, Representative Gray has voiced that in the event should the GSM companies refused to pay the government her fair share of the money, he would ensure that LTA revoke said order because according to him these companies cannot be collecting money and refusing to pay what rightfully belongs to government, terming their actions as exploitation.

He lamented that no investor is bigger than the people and government of Liberian, adding that if these companies want to leave the Liberia they can leave.

“No investor is bigger than the people and government of Liberia, it does not matter what they do here in our country. Some of them have threatened that if you try us we will pack out, you can leave,” Representative Gray said.

Its not clear prompted Representative Gray’s comments but there reports of uneasiness building up between owners of GSM companies and the government of Liberia over continued equality payments of surge charges.

IPNews investigation continues…..