Search Results for 'OFREG Auditor general'
OfReg set back ICT progress, says director
(CNS): The executive director responsible for the regulation of the telecommunications sector under the umbrella utilities regulator, OfReg, has said the creation of this entity had not only failed to meet public expectations but had also undermined the progress of ICT regulation and development. Alee Fa’amoe told the Public Accounts Committee that the creation of […]
Chairperson deflects blame for OfReg failings
(CNS): Dr Linford Pierson, who chairs the board of the beleaguered utilities regulator, OfReg, arrived at Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday ready for a fight. The former Cabinet minister blamed everything and everyone, from Cabinet to the staff, for the multitude of failings surrounding the authority identified in a report by the auditor general. Pierson […]
OfReg costs more, fails to protect consumers
(CNS): Three years after the creation of OfReg, auditors have taken a close look at the beleaguered utilities regulator and found that it has cost more than its predecessors but has failed to address its fundamental purpose of consumer protection. Inconsistent leadership, limited governance and oversight, a lack of strategic planning and direction or understanding […]
Auditors keep eye on public cash
(CNS): A new report released by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Tuesday outlines its plans to keep an eye on government’s handling of public cash during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this year’s audit plan has changed, Auditor General Sue Winspear said the document sets out the basic principles guiding the OAG and its […]
OfReg accused of wasting more public cash
(CNS) Updated with correction: The utilities regulator, OfReg, which has already faced criticisms for its lavish spending of public cash while failing to address any of the issues it was created to tackle, wasted well over CI$200,000 in 2018 on renting an office it never used. The regulator also exceeded its travel budget for that […]
Auditor warns gov’t about travel expenses
(CNS): Some government departments are still not justifying their travel expenses and the auditor general is warning public sector accountants that there should be business cases for entertainment, hospitality and travel costs because the area is vulnerable to “abuse and misuse”. In her latest report reviewing the state of government’s financial reporting, Sue Winspear said […]
OfReg and CIMA directors top pay of SAGCs
(CNS): A new report from the Office of the Auditor General has revealed significant disparities in how much staff, bosses and board directors are paid across statutory authorities and government companies (SAGCs). The report shows the board chairs of OfReg and CIMA are making $4,500 and $4,000 per month and their directors are also the highest […]
MPs to grill fuel suppliers on price
(CNS): Chris Saunders MP (BTW) successfully steered a motion through parliament last month to establish a select committee to determine how the price of fuel is arrived at here in the Cayman Islands. He said there is at least $2 charged on every gallon sold that, to date, has never been explained. Although this was […]
Telecom provider fined $400k over rate hike
(CNS): Regional telecommunications company Flow has been fined $400,000 by the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) after breaching its licence. Flow increased its business customer rates from $30 to $34.99 from January 2019 to April 2022 without approval. OfReg also said the firm failed to comply with its obligation to provide the regulator with […]
Policy falls short of a legal right to green energy
(CNS): The draft updated National Energy Policy includes changes promoting more equitable access to green energy sources. But officials have said the proposed new implementation plan only considers consumers’ right to access the national grid but doesn’t mandate it. Fourteen years after the CORE programme began, only 3.5% of local power comes from renewables, and […]
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 […]
