Regulator not giving public value for money, says deputy
Monday 29th March 2010, 1:00PM BST.
THE Office of Utility Regulation is not giving the public value for money, according to a deputy keen to see the organisation restructured.
Housing minister Dave Jones (pictured) is bringing a requete this month asking the Commerce and Employment Department to review the office’s mandate.
The OUR was set up in 2001. It aims to ensure islanders get good service from its utilities and is watchdog for Guernsey’s post, electricity and telecommunications.
However Deputy Jones claims this is not happening.
‘The regulator needs to be looked at carefully to see if we are getting value for money,’ he said. ‘I don’t think we are currently. I think the whole make-up and function of the regulator needs to be looked at.’
The regulator is already expanding, including the recruitment of four additional staff, to handle the new competition law.
The regulator could not be contacted yesterday.
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Dave seriously bad timinig on the headline
“NOT GIVING PUBLIC VALUE FOR MONEY”
Dont you states members think you should get your own house in order before deflecting elsewhere?
Who are our states members to make judgements about value for money??
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Simon
I am not responsible for the headlines in the Guernsey Press, I was asked a question by one of their reporters and I answered it. It was not about whether the States are getting value for money, this is about consumers getting value out of the commercialisation and regulatory process, nothing to do with the States. I believe the States were seriously misled at the time of commercialisation of our utilities, that it would lead to better services and lower prices. The reality is that the opposite has been true.
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I agree Dave. I hope your requete succeeds and the OUR has its wings clipped. They seem to be a complete waste of money. I see they need even more staff to police the new areas they are taking on. Where are these people coming from? UK I assume then. How many licences do they have? How many of these are long term i.e. 15 years? These question all need answering.
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Dave
I would love to disagree with you but I also think your right on this one.
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Another four staff and £400.000 to run it ,i,m not sure i want to be a member of the income tax club anymore ,just when we thought the ministry of stupid ideas had got the message that the O,U,R was ineffectual,and did nothing but wind providers and taxpayers up with it,s limitless expertise in all areas ,on how things should be run ,they go and expand it ,(defies logic).
I,ts just another position on the growing list of bull***t jobs alongside health and safety,data protection,freedom of information ,elevation of pavement commitees,and the, (banks are doing well which dosen,t benefit anyone but them, so guernsey can,t be in recession followers) all it means is more non local positions being taken up by people who have not got a clue what guernsey wants or needs,send them home .
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just a thought but maybe we could employ an expert to review our regulator, then if we didnt like what they said we could ignore it eh !
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