House of Representatives Gives Libtelco 5-Years Tax Holiday
The "Act to award Tax Incentives to the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) as a Government Owned Entity" will be engrossed and transmitted to the Liberian Senate for occurrence upon resumption or work hopefully in October.
Liberia's sole licensed telecommunications company that provided fixed-line telephone services, the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (Libtelco), has been granted a five-year tax holiday.
The Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (Libtelco) is a telecommunications company providing services in Liberia. Headquartered in Monrovia, the company provides telephone, Internet, fax, and radio services. Prior to the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 2007, Libtelco possessed a legal monopoly over the country's fixed-line services, and today it remains the sole company licensed by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority to provide fixed-line telephone services.
On Thursday, September 2, the 60th day sitting, 25 members of the House of Representatives voted to grant a 5-year tax incentives to the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation by passing the "Act to award Tax Incentives to the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) as a Government Owned Entity" following a communication from Hon. Dr. Rev. Isaac B. Roland of Maryland County District #3.
The "Act to award Tax Incentives to the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) as a Government Owned Entity" will be engrossed and transmitted to the Liberian Senate for occurrence upon resumption or work hopefully in October. The motion to award the five (5) years tax incentives to LITELCO was proffered by Nimba County District #9 Representative Johnson Gwaikolo.
But three members of the House of Representatives, Rep. Francis Nyumalin, Rep. Samuel Kogar, and Rep. Larry Younquoi abstained, arguing that the "Act to award Tax Incentives to the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) as a Government Owned Entity" should have been sent to Committees room for lawmakers to have an in-depth cost analysis before passage.
The LIBTELCO's Tax Incentives Bill was passed following the suspension of the House's rules and procedures, in that the first reading on Thursday should constitute the second and third readings respectively, and that any motion of reconciliation must only be tried on Thursday.
It may be recalled that in 2020, LIBTELCO Act of 2007 was amended so that LIBTELCO provides, among other services, GSM-voice and data services, mobile money services; and LITELCO granted a technologically neutral INDIVIDUAL UNIVERSAL Telecommunications License , to install, maintain, and operate a Public Telecommunications Network for the purpose of providing converged telecommunications services, meaning voice and data.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives during its Thursday's session voted to forward Senate’s Engrossed Bill #2 - "An Act to Create the Trehnbo Vocational Institute (TVI), Grand Kru County, Republic of Liberia" to the Committees of Education & Public Administration, Judiciary and Ways, Means, Finance & Development Planning and to report within two weeks. The motion was made by Maryland County District #2 Representative P. Mike Jurry.
The August Body also voted following a motion from Margibi County District #2 Representative Ivar K. Jones, to send the Senate’s Engrossed Bill #4 - "An Act To Amend the Public Authority Law to Establish the National Center for the Coordination Response Mechanism (NCCRM) to the Committees on State Enterprise, Judiciary and Ways, Means, Finance & Development Planning.
Members of the House of Representatives furthered voted to forward Senate’s Engrossed #5 - "An Act of the National Legislature to Amend Certain Provisions of the Act to Ban Trafficking in persons within the Republic of Liberia of July 5, 2005, also known as ‘Trafficking in Persons Act of 2005;’ and, the Act to Amend the Panel Law Regarding Extortions, Environmental Crime, and Illicit Trafficking in Human Being and Migrant Smuggling, 2012 (Approved April 29, 2013); to all other Treaties signed and ratified by Liberia" to the Committees on Judiciary, Labor, Gender and National Security and report within two weeks. The motion was proffered by Nimba County District #9, Representative Johnson and to report within two weeks.