Utility regulator appoints more bosses
Duke Munroe
(CNS): J. Paul Morgan, the first CEO of the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg), has left office after just over 18 months on the job and the board of directors has now appointed two people to act in the post while a recruitment process to fill the CEO post is undertaken. Officials said that Morgan left on 6 August, which was when his contract ended, though it appears officials were not prepared for his departure. Duke Munroe and Gregg Anderson will now act as CEO on a rotational basis until someone is appointed, officials said, adding that this “mimics the co-CEO model which is becoming a widely used concept across a number of organisations globally”.
Several candidates are said to have come forward for the job.
Christen Suckoo, the former chief officer at the education ministry who was recently transferred to OfReg as COO, “will provide public administration support and management of internal operations”, a press release stated.
However, it is still not clear how Suckoo will fit it to what seems to be a management-heavy organisation, with a board of directors, several sector directors and now two CEOs.
The agency has faced considerable criticism from the public and those falling under its regulatory authority as it appears to have been slow off the mark in acting against some of the local challenges that led to the creation of the amalgamated regulator. (See PAC members accuse utilities of ‘robbery’)
Gregg Anderson
Following the departure of Morgan and the appointment of Munroe and Anderson as interim joint CEOs, an interim management committee was created made up of the sector and department heads to support the men during the transitional period, officials stated.
“This approach will provide stability and consensus for operations and overall management, while each executive director retains responsibility to manage their own teams and the regulatory work being done by them,” the release stated.
The joint CEOs have affirmed their joint commitment to developing the regulatory landscape by providing world-class consumer protection and safety in the fuel, electricity, energy, water and ICT sectors.
Morgan said, “Work continues in all of the four sectors OfReg regulates, ranging from the advances in the discussion on ensuring comparative high quality tri-Island-wide broadband connectivity and choice, optimum fuel pricing for motorists, assessment and analysis relating to licensing and relicensing negotiations for a number of key licensees, and alignment of some of the sectors within OfReg’s regulatory model. A public consultation on the water sector regulations has been recently issued and the public is expected to weigh in on this as these are the topics which impact our everyday lives.”
He added that everyone at OfReg was committed to the vision to ensure that all members of the public in the Cayman Islands are protected and have access to the very best in choice, quality products and services. The CEOs have also committed to further educate the public about the sectors that OfReg regulates, informing them of the latest developments in those areas, what that means for consumers, about consumer rights and responsibilities, and to being responsive to their needs.
Munroe, who is the chief fuels inspector and director for the fuels market, joined OfReg from core government, where he headed the Petroleum Inspectorate Department, the agency responsible for safety and compliance, as well as advising government on broad matters related to the fuel sector. His primary role under OfReg is to oversee all aspects of the fuel sector, having extensive regional background in the oil and gas industry.
Anderson is the executive director energy and utilities but had previously sat on the OfReg board as deputy chair before being appointed to a director position at the regulator. He had previously owned a firm supplying executive directorship and business consulting services. Before that he worked at Cable & Wireless and CBS Ltd.
Category: Politics, Private Sector Oversight
Have any of these fellas had any C-level experience before? Isn’t Anderson now at retirement age anyways? Oh what a woeful web we weave when we set out to deceive.
the lodge depot?!
Does nothing, just a waste of tax payers money, gasoline is still sky high, especially in the Btac
Yo, i have my issues with Franz DG, but this is not his clusterf… this is solely the Cabinet’s fault. OfReg is an authority created by the Cabinet.
Well, doesn’t Franz also sit in Cabinet?
Adding more foxes to the gen house…. I know we smart.
Sorry- ‘Hen’ house
Lost for words … yet again. The expert that was employed to head up OfReg spent his time traveling !!!! Employed numerous people to ‘train’ and ‘consult’ the staff…. was that not his job… as he was the expert. This is yet again so wrong the way he has been allowed to exploit this Government. This is just so wrong.
Caymanians have such a short memory
Any OfReg people do any due diligence??? Google works too.
Not sure why most of you remain anonymous. The fact is that our little country does not need an ofreg government department. One electric company and two Petrol suppliers?! At a cost of millions, and it seems like monies abused! The answer is simple, just shut it down. Do we all really think that our little country government can tell some of the largest oil producers in the world what we should be paying in the Cayman Islands? No! Wake up Government and their waste of valuable dollars than can well be spent elsewhere
Best Wishes
Mervyn
Straight shooting there 8.31 am!!
Really Merv, you’ve been here this long and gonna ask why we remain anonymous??? That’s funny.
And thank you for not remaining anonymous.
8:31 am, at least they should able to tell the local stations how much profit they can make, like they tells C U C
Man, I sure am glad that the Government is spending millions of dollars that is going to be passed on to us, so they can protect us from high prices. Makes perfect sense.
Pray tell where is the good governance in this set up? The two now acting CEOS also VOTE on the OfReg Board. But in their capacity of Executive Directors sitting in the Board they cannot vote! Of concern also is the balance of OfReg employees on the OfReg Board is equal to that of the private sector members. This does not make sense as if the 3 Executive Directors were to collide with the CEO (who CAN VOTE) then the Office has incredible sway to influence Board decisions. Stupid set up from the beginning. Should only have the CEO as a member of the Board and she/he should be NON-VOTING as it is in all the other SAGCs!!!
ofreg…. a perfect example of the the waste and incompetence of the civil service.
Incompetence of the Civil Service is correct. It was under the leadership of DG Franz Manderson and CO Alan Jones, that this poorly conceived and incorrectly formed Authority was established. Go right back to the beginning folks!
Sorry Ofreg is not part of the civil service. If it was it would be on its way to being world class.
The Board and senior staff are responsible for this fiasco.
I suggest we close it down and move it under the DG.
Since when does the DG job include setting up Authorities. Stop being jealous of our DG.
Its not part of the civil service. If it was, they could not have these outrageous salaries. They appointed a legal person a few months back on about $140k. He is a former Complaints Commissioner and was working in the civil service for about $85k. It pays to move to the statutory authorities.
Just when we thought Ofreg Board would not make a another bizarre decision. They do this. This is what happens when you put private sector persons on government boards. The private sector board members are clearly out of their league.
The car park at OfReg continues to expand with company vehicles… starting to look like a Chevy car dealership (and a hi-end one at that). I don’t understand how OfReg can justify this expenditure, the cars only appear to be used for getting to work and back and not even identified with OfReg branding?
They are very nice. No Ofreg identification of any type. Nice video players in back of headrests. No low price cars. Even admin assistant has one.
its extravagant enough without you telling lies! come on man.
Lodge can do anything?! ???? except use their memberships to get into gate….
asked before…
how many masons are part of government or members of the ppm?
This is a joke, right??? It has to be!!!
So why is no one laughing?
But we ARE laughing – only thing is we’re laughing AT them – not with them!!
Something obvious to bear in mind: OfReg is an expensive entity to maintain, given the numerous management positions, which, by the way, are occupied by many individuals who are not adequately qualified and/or lack the required experience to effectively achieve the entity’s mandate.
An unpopular opinion: We the people need to demand the dissolution of OfReg, or sack the entire management team and replace it with individuals with a proven track record in effective utility regulation.
Fully agree!
Run away train while Cayman consumers are stuck with some of the highest internet costs in the world.
Oh noooo how can you have two CEO’s what is the board doing? Premier it’s time to change the board. This is madness. The authority is broke their response. Let’s not have one overpaid CEO but two.
Mr Paul Morgan is a very professional and decent man. Sorry about his departure and we wish him Gods richest blessings and do look forward to his visiting the Cayman Islands in the near future. God Bless you Paul.
Let’s see who is left without a chair when the music stops playing. Does this now mean they have to travel to educate themselves like the last set. What a waste of money. I hope CNS keeps track of their up coming travel itinerary and expenses.
Those 2 were always there and a complete and total waste of time as it is their sectors that jeopardise the entire Authority. According to financial reports, Fuels and Water are the 2 areas not properly funded. People, please read more than the headlines and educate yourselves.
Hope the passports are in date. Now double the travel expense’!’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!