MONROVIA-NOVEMBER 3, 2025: As issues mount incessantly over some fraudulent and/or non-performing contracts (offers), together with concessions and different enterprise preparations in authorities, the present Board of Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), has added pace to the implementation of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s public sector reform agenda, after paving the way in which for the suspension of one of the problematic and controversial contracts given to a personal entity.
Amidst rising issues over the what, when, the place and the way concerning the Worldwide Visitors Monitoring Companies Contract between the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and the Telecom Worldwide Alliance (TIA), President Boakai has, via Govt Order No. 154, suspended the deal.
The President, on October 31, 2025, issued Govt Order No. 154, instantly suspending the Telecommunications Visitors Monitoring contract with TIA, following what the Govt Mansion termed as damning audit and investigation studies from the Basic Auditing Fee (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Fee (LACC), each of which discovered severe irregularities and proof of fraud within the award and execution of the contract.
The findings present that the contract was awarded to TIA towards the suggestions of the Public Procurement and Concessions Fee (PPCC), in violation of Part 32 of the PPCC Act of 2010. It was additional revealed that TIA was established within the State of Delaware, USA, solely 4 days after receiving the bid paperwork, and was later included in Liberia almost ten months after being awarded the contract.
The LTA has due to this fact, been directed to stop all additional implementation of the TIA contract, whereas the Ministry of Justice is instructed to pursue the matter in accordance with the Penal Code and the rule of regulation.
“Recognizing the nationwide safety and monetary implications of telecommunications visitors monitoring, President Boakai has directed that the LTA and PPCC instantly interact a certified service supplier in compliance with procurement legal guidelines to make sure continuity of service,” the Govt Mansion launch added.
The Govt Department will even notify the Legislature and search applicable legislative motion to de-ratify any prior enactments referring to the suspended contract.
The intervention of the GAC and LACC adopted a decision handed by the present Board of Commissioners of the LTA, which known as for the assessment of the TIA Contact and its subsequent repeal by the Legislature.
The LTA Board, headed by former Lofa County Consultant and former Chair of the Committee on Funding & Concession, Clarence Okay. Massaqoui, based mostly its decision on the end result of a assessment course of which discovered that mandatory authorized processes, together with procurement legal guidelines, have been ignored and violated in awarding the contact to TIA.
The LTA Board of Commissioners has repeatedly raised questions concerning the validity, legitimacy and compliance standing of the contract, with many different stakeholders and business specialists additionally fearing that Liberia should have been, or is being grossly cheated in what’s now being described as fraudulent procurement and different processes and preparations resulting in the award of the contract to TIA.
Based on incontestable information, together with revelations from the intervention of the GAC and LACC, in addition to sources within the Telecommunications sector, in 2011, International Voice Group (GVG), the Spanish firm and CONNEX Liberia, a Librarian firm, have been collectively awarded a 5-year BOT contract to determine telecom visitors monitoring system for the LTA. The contract was prolonged for added two years – ending June 2018, at which period GVG handed over to the LTA, all tools bought, put in and used within the monitoring operation.
International Voice Group additionally skilled the LTA employees engaged on the system to take over its operation as a approach of transferring data and domesticating technical abilities for cost-effective and productive consequence.
On Issuance of Restricted Bid paperwork (LTA/RB/006/18/19), as an alternative of working the system and taking the income for the nation, previous LTA authorities selected to award one other contract utilizing Restricted Bidding methodology, and issued bid paperwork to five corporations — Stratum Telecom, Telecoms Worldwide Alliance (TIA), Waterlane Companies, Zone Voice and SIGOS in a Restricted Bidding course of, with solely two of the 5 corporations, Stratum Telecoms and Telecom Worldwide Alliance (TIA) submitting bids by the deadline of July 24, 2018 at 14:00 hours (2:00PM).
Data additionally present that TIA which was fashioned in Delaware, USA on June 15, 2018, the identical day the bid paperwork have been issued, was one of many corporations served with the bid doc, opposite to Sections 50 (1) (a) and the 51(1)-“restricted bidding could also be held: (a) When the products, works or companies are solely accessible from a restricted variety of bidders…” In that case, “all identified suppliers able to supplying the products, works or companies shall be invited.”
TIA’s bid worth was US$9.275M or 35% of anticipated income.
LTA constituted a Bid Analysis Panel comprising of seven (7) staff, and as per PPCC approval of procurement methodology, almost two months after issuing bid paperwork and receiving submission of tenders and forming of BEP, LTA requested and obtained PPCC’s approval to make use of Restricted Bidding (RB), which means bidding was carried out earlier than looking for approval of methodology in violation of Part 24(1)(c) of PPCA which requires the Govt Director to approve procurement methodology.
Within the Bid Analysis Report, the LTA’s BEP declared TIA’s bid as essentially the most responsive and due to this fact the winner, stating TIA’s bid worth as 35% of anticipated income with out a point out of the US$9.275M strict worth quoted by TIA, and due to this fact, LTA Procurement Committee endorsed advice of BEP for award of contract to TIA.
In its Request to PPCC for No Objection to award the contract to TIA as required by Part 37 of PPCA which supplies that the Procuring Entity shall promptly furnish the Fee (PPCC) with discover of every contract awarded, indicating the reference quantity used within the bidding course of, the contract worth, the title and tackle of the profitable bidder, a short description of the products, companies or work procured and the procurement methodology utilized in awarding the contract, the LTA offered a bid worth of three million United States {dollars} (US$3,000,000.00) per annu for six years, however PPCC Director of Compliance wrote the Govt Director highlighting a number of inconsistencies within the contract, together with (a) lack of particular references within the bid doc, (b) the required monetary capability not indicated, (c) no audited monetary assertion, financial institution assertion, or proof of monetary viability, (d) bid opening minutes lacks particulars as as to whether the bidders submitted the required eligibility and qualification paperwork, (e) lack of title for key employees and their related {qualifications} together with schooling and expertise, (f) BEP report handed TIA via preliminary analysis with out audited monetary assertion or financial institution assertion in addition to related expertise as required by the bid paperwork despatched out, (g) ambiguity in contract worth, and (h) ambiguity in contract length, and so forth.
As an alternative of addressing the queries made by PPCC, LTA, on August 16, 2018, issued notification of contract award with out PPCC approval which LTA requested, and on August 29, 2018, the 2 entities (LTA and TIA) carried out contract negotiation, and signed a contract on August 31, 2018, giving LTA (Liberia) 51% within the first 4 years and TIA 49% for a similar interval, whereas LTA takes 55% and TIA 45% for the final 4 years.
This contract worth (49%) which is sort of 50%, is totally different from the contract worth of 35% said by TIA in its bid and there’s no cause said anyplace to tell the rise.
Data additionally revealed that when TIA has not met key milestones together with coaching which might have allow LTA employees to inherit the system, and no duty assigned, the contract was amended reinstating TIA’s share of income to 49% as an alternative of 45% within the final 4 years, whereas the remaining length of the contract was modified from 4 years to twenty years.
Updated, the Authorized and Procurement Sections of LTA don’t have information of the modification and the way it proceeded, and there’s no indication of PPCC approval.
The Contract of August 31, 2018 was executed earlier than LTA promulgated the Ground Worth Order establishing 9% Regulatory Price in 2021. That is being shared with TIA on the similar price (LTA-51% and TIA-49%) with none information establishing a relationship or contract that might point out the job to he carried out.
The Basic Auditing Fee (GAC), in its Particular Investigative Audit, requested proof of relationship linking TIA to the 9% Regulatory Price however no such proof was supplied. GAC additionally raised the problem in its Administration Letter, and mentioned similar with present and former commissioners and employees throughout Exit Convention, however nonetheless the GAC, as mirrored within the Auditor Basic’s Report of 2024, couldn’t set up the connection.
There are additionally no information within the Authorized and Procurement Sections of the LTA on the making of a “concession”, and no indication of IMCC actions, course of or assessment, and clearly, no indication of PPCC approval. There are additionally no information of latest funding, or funding wants stipulated within the amended contract and/or concession.
Curiously, when the present Board of the LTA took over, no coaching had been carried out, however in 2024, (beneath the present board), 4 (4) technical employees have been taken to Ghana for two-week coaching.
One of many alarming findings which continues to generate issues from actors within the sector in addition to members of the Legislature and different stakeholders, is the revelation that TIA,’s bid worth was US$9.2M however has obtained over US$50M to this point.
Nevertheless, earlier than the arrival of TIA, beneath the primary monitoring contract with International Voice Group (GVG), the Spanish firm was given a 5-year BOT contract to determine the monitoring regime in 2011and operated it as much as 2016, therefore, TIA inherited the set of LTA tools bought, put in and utilized by GVG.
On the expiration of the GVG Contact in 2016 and the signing of the TIA Contract in 2018, LTA operated the system. GVG skilled LTA’s employees throughout its operations (2011-2016), and left them accountable for the system. Due to this fact, TIA met the LTA with the set of kit bought, put in and operated by GVG as much as 2016.
It may be recalled that through the affirmation listening to of the present LTA Board of Commissioners, senators have been eager to know why was the federal government, via the LTA, nonetheless outsourcing the monitoring operation and whether or not after almost fourteen (14) years of overseas operation, there was nonetheless not a chance or must switch data/abilities and transition the operation of the system to LTA employees.
Many Liberians, together with telecommunications specialists and income analysts, have voiced issues concerning the continued hiring of overseas corporations to function such a important system, in addition to the shortage of transparency within the administration of income therefrom.
With the TIA Contact now suspended by the President, it stays to be seen what new helpful strategy or mechanism the Board of Commissioners of the LTA and the Legislature 0would put in place and the way the operation of this important side of the nation’s telecommunications and its related income are managed to profit the nation and its individuals.
