Hon. Jay Ebanks, Minister for Planning, Agriculture, Planning and Infrastructure, and Ministry representatives visited the offices of utilities regulator, OfReg, this week.
Minister Ebanks met with members of OfReg’s Senior Management Team and Board to learn more about the issues and priorities facing the regulator in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Cayman’s critical national utilities infrastructure and associated services delivered by operators and licensees.
During the visit, the Minister and Ministry representatives expressed his hope to find ways of working collaboratively with OfReg and identify areas of policy and legislation where updates could clarify and improve processes, increase innovation and create opportunities for future improvements to utilities infrastructure and services.
Minister Ebanks said, “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.
The utilities sector is critical to the long-term sustainability of our islands and my Ministry and I look forward to working with OfReg to ensure its’ remit is clearly defined and empowered to deliver on it.”
This initial meeting included discussing medium term priorities and strategic plans for the next two to three years across all utilities which OfReg regulate, including water, fuels, energy and telecommunications. These priorities include areas of critical utilities infrastructure such as the management and integration of renewable energy power generation. It is planned that regular meetings between OfReg and the Ministry will now be scheduled to progress these plans.
OfReg’s Interim CEO, Mr. Peter Gough said he was looking forward to working with the Minister on a range of initiatives to improve OfReg’s ability to deliver on its’ remit as the regulator: “We are very positive about working even more closely with the Minister and welcome his support in identifying areas of policy and legislation where change can improve OfReg’s ability to regulate the utilities sectors effectively and efficiently.
Working collaboratively creates the opportunity to deliver world class utilities infrastructure and associated services for the Cayman Islands and its’ consumers.”
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