Minister aims to improve utility provision
(CNS): Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks, who has taken over responsibility for OfReg, the beleaguered utilities regulator, has said he wants to ensure its remit is clearly defined and it is empowered to deliver on that remit so that it can improve the utility services delivered by operators. OfReg oversees water, fuels, energy and telecommunications, which Ebanks said are critical to Cayman’s long-term sustainability.
According to a government press release, the minister recently met with members of OfReg’s senior management team and board to learn more about the issues and priorities facing the regulator. Afterwards, he said he hoped to find ways of working collaboratively with them.
OfReg has faced a barrage of criticism since it was established more than six years ago, facing broad public perception that it has done nothing to address issues relating to customer service and prices. The Office of the Auditor General has also identified a catalogue of problems with the regulator and found that it had failed to protect consumers.
The minister said that priorities include the management and integration of renewable energy power generation. He also spoke of finding areas of policy and legislation that could be updated to clarify and improve processes, increase innovation and create opportunities for future improvements to utilities infrastructure and services.
“I am pleased to have been able to meet the OfReg team and gain a greater understanding of what issues the regulator faces and how my ministry can assist with policy and legislative changes to improve our national utilities infrastructure and services,” he said.
Interim CEO Peter Gough said he supported working even more closely with the minister and welcomed his support in identifying areas of policy and legislation where change can improve OfReg’s ability to regulate the sectors effectively.
Officials said regular meetings will now take place between OfReg and the ministry to move the plans forward.
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Category: Business, Politics, Private Sector Oversight, utilities
Come on CNS lol button please. Jay?
Imagine all the other things we could be doing for Cayman with this payroll budget.
Sonji, what’s with the hands? Is that a signal for help? Or to appease some kinda secret society??
He is showing the hole your money is going into, but where it passes first.
😂😙
The lodge is strong in this one
It is.
How long will people of Cayman have to suffer 5G billings for mobile and data products delivered at 3G speeds, relabeled as LTE? My phone thinks I’m in Jamaica, and some kind of 90s-era Meridian Mail voice message interface can’t push notices. It’s awful.
Your phone is now based or headquartered in Jamaica unlike when generational Caymanians were running the phone company. They looked out for Caymanian interests and made sure we kept the infrastructure locally in Cayman. It’s now just like the CIG Legal Department, where we don’t have much presence, and a pile of non-Caymanians advocating for us, it is no wonder why we have lost our way.
Wait, we have a utilities regulator? Can they explain why our cell phone plans and home internet cost TEN TIMES what they do in the UK?
Looking at the photo of the board, I’m having trouble identifying one single member who can demonstrate any knowledge , expertise , experience or training in matters pertaining to utilities regulation.
They’re very nice people I am sure, but that’s no qualification for such an important
board.
‼️👍THE BEST COMMENT!👍‼️
Especially the Head Peter Gough what a waste of government money. Yes the never ending money pit for dear Peter… how old is he and refuses to give anyone a chance…
Not the UK again. Just think a bit, your salary is not taxed and is more than 10 times what you earned there.
not all clowns wear makeup.
OfReg is an absolute joke and the people of this country should be angry that hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent monthly for something that is completely dysfunctional. I see these brand new high end vehicles driving around on weekends – parked at bars, and everywhere- except their office. Now the wife of one of the people who created this mess and benefited from that lavish spending and trips is tasked with ‘fixing’ it. This is exactly the kind of thing that Eric loves – travel and rub shoulders with the right crowd. Wayne’s PACT will never fix this – they can’t even get people to come to work. Its a sad state for this country I’m afraid.
J, close it down they have never done the consumer or Cayman taxpayer one service but to create a collection of nest eggs for themselves. Shut it down!
Lets not get too political here. OfReg has been squandering public funds for too long, so dont try and make it a Pact or Wayne Panton’s sole issue. What you should be giving a lot of consideration to, is the fact that, the people we need protecting from are the people who control government.
And into town rolls the clown show.
Does anyone realize that right there in our picture is $1M of our taxpayer’s money? Add up the salaries and benefits. Thank God Caymanians are fools, and you can eat a food on us. We need to get rid of this circus.
another failing entity run by a private sector board.
Shut down awfulreg and return the function to civil servants.
The Minister needs to concentrate and fix the Planning Department, which he has failed to do so far.
Why should he? It works just the way he wants it to.
This is the first time that I can recall when the Planning Department is doing exactly what the Minister wants.
Actually the planning department can only do what the law allows.
It’s the laws that have to change, not necessarily the board that administers the planning process.
The current OfReg remit appears to be squandering public money to pay for lavish offices, company vehicles, expense accounts and procurement of consultancy services to bolster their argument for retaining the utilities status quo.
Minister Ebanks, why don’t you change OfReg’s remit to reflect what they actually do, not what they are supposed to do, this way it would be clear to all that OfReg aren’t perpetuating a big lie?
2:18 you forgot to mention massive salaries for Suckoo Faamoe, Gough Balderamos, Epp, Anderson and others.
Let’s not forget Mr. Gough who has somehow managed to retain a job after all these years. What say you DG? Don’t want to hear the usual excuse that no suitable candidates were available. Mr. Gough is also failing miserably
You definitely have a point about Gough being old 10:42 but I can’t see that he’s done any worse than these other people in the past that were brought in from overseas and never seemed to do anything. At least he spends his money in Cayman and doesn’t ship it offshore.
How do you know that? What is his claim to fame anyway except for being the puppet of the DG, and who seems to survive irrespective of any real functional expertise or experience in the sectors he is placed.
10:42 tell us what the DG has to do with ofreg?? i really want to hear this one ?????
Does the PACT government see the voters’ feelings and the facts about OffREg? Come on, Wayne, stop being hypocritical. Get rid of what does not serve us and clearly squanders our funds.
Eric Bush involved?? No improvements!!
Shut it down!!!
OfReg is not a “utilities provider.” You could call it a regulator, but it doesn’t really do that either.
CNS: Sorry, that was an error. Corrected now.
I do hope the good minister has no conflicts of interest.
Mr Gough and Mr Balderamos No the rest just being in this photo is not only a conflict but a travesty to the Cayman Islands
12:20, Well he does have shares in CUC.
Having said that, every other Minister has shares in CUC and most of the opposition members have shares too.
Has Eric signed off that J has no conflict? If so DG can you make this public please