The First Meeting of the Executive Council of the Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) was hosted by The Bahamas Public Utilities Commission and recently met at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel, Nassau.
The two-day meeting was held to review progress reports and ensure the implementation of matters arising out of the First General Assembly held in Jamaica in July, 2002 and to develop strategies appropriate for the proper functioning of the organisation.
The Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators was formally established in Jamaica in July, 2002 and was borne primarily out of the changing nature of the utilities regulatory environment in the Caribbean Region. It was formed to assist in the improvement of utility regulation in member countries.
The founding members are: Cosbert Manchester, Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL)-OECS, Justice Frank King GCM, Fair Trading Commission (FTC), Barbados, Winston C. Hay, Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) Jamaica, Peter I. Bethel, Public Utilities Commission, Bahamas, Justice Prem Persaud, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Guyana and Patrick Watson, Regulated Industries Commission (RIC), Trinidad and Tobago.
OOCUR’s membership is drawn from regulatory bodies in the Caribbean that have responsibility for telecommunications (including spectrum management), electricity, natural gas, water or transportation. Full membership is restricted to regulatory bodies in the CARICOM countries, with Associate membership open to other Government organisations within the Caribbean that have responsibilities related to utility regulators, non-Caribbean utility regulators, and non-Caribbean associations of utility regulators.
The main objectives of OOCUR are to:
1. Enhance the understanding of issues related to utility regulation;
2. Facilitate communication among members;
3. Facilitate the sharing of information and experience among members;
4. Facilitate the sharing and exchange of expertise on regulatory issues; through training, development and educational programmes; and,
5. Provide advice on the establishment and enhancement of effective utility regulation
The three main organs of OOCUR are the General Assembly, Executive Council, and the Secretariat which is located in Trinidad. Justice Prem Persaud of the Public Utilities Commission in Guyana serves as Chairman of the Executive Council and presided at the meeting. Justice Persaud said that the meeting was very productive and paved the way for OOCUR to be placed on a very strong foothold. He also indicated that the arrangements for the meeting were most satisfactory.
Other members of the Executive Council are: J. Paul Morgan of Jamaica, Vice Chairman, Rita Persaud-Kong of Trinidad, Secretary/Treasurer, E. George Moss of The Bahamas, Member, Glyne Barker of Barbados, Member, and Cosbert Manchester representing the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Member. Also in attendance at the Meeting as Observer was the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission in The Bahamas, Peter I. Bethel.
The next meeting of the Executive Council has been tentatively scheduled to be held in March, 2003 and will be hosted by the Regulated Industries Commission of Trinidad.
The Nassau Guardian
