Comium Says Partner Investors to Settle Arrears if PURA Lift Suspension

The Management of Comium GSM company has indicated that their partner investors are willing to settle the arrears the company is owing to the Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA).

Comium came under suspension after the company failed to settle a 65 million dalasi arrears to PURA. The company was given an ultimatum to settle the fees as of 1st October in respect of its unpaid license requirement. 

In a press briefing held earlier today at the company’s main building, the company said their investors have agreed to step in to settle the arrears if PURA agrees to lift the suspension.

“I want to emphasize this. We are ready to move forward, to make a way out. Our technical director is saying, the investor, whom we sign an agreement with, is saying if PURA lifts the suspension, they are ready, right now as I speak, to settle our arrears,” Joe King Mendy Promotions Supervisor Comium revealed.

According to Comium Technical Manager Lamin Drammeh, his company has partnered with Monty Mobile, a company that positions itself as a leading VAS and Telecom solutions provider. He stresses that they have already started doing the right talks and consultations between them and PURA to see that the suspension is lifted in order to allow the company back into the market. 

“As we speak, the investor had already given up because they have imputed 14 million dalasi without signing anything with the government in the name of moving forward. In fact, we had a meeting with PURA yesterday. They need to help us encourage the investor, and the only way they can help us encourage the investor is to help us show the investor that what they’re doing will pay dividends,” he said

This is the first time the third leading GSM company has come in contact with the harsh face of the Gambian laws since it started operation. Drammeh said Comium concedes that the company was going through some financial challenges, which has made it difficult for it to operate.

“Yes, we had issues of investment, and we were struggling financially in 2019 up to date, and the reason for that was the COVID 19, and unfortunately we had another incident in 2020 when we had one of our Privy platforms going down. That lasted for almost two months. We lost almost 50% of our customers,” he said. 

Haddy Dandeh Jabbie, the HR, Legal Affairs Adviser Comium, said it is important for them to be listened to by PURA in order for them to be able to continue having the staff, contracts, and other externals as partners in development. The suspension has affected almost one hundred and fifty thousand subscribers to the GSM company.