States to rule on new Chairman for competition watchdog

Tuesday 12 July 2016

Michael O’Higgins is being proposed as the new Chairman of the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) and the Guernsey Competition Regulatory Authority (GCRA).

His nomination follows a joint Jersey-Guernsey recruitment process, and will discussed by States members in Jersey today, and by their counterparts in Guernsey after the summer break.

The Assistant Chief Minister responsible for competition, Philip Ozouf, said: “With extensive experience not only as an organisational chair and regulator, but also as a business leader and academic, Mr O’Higgins emerged from a strong field as an exceptional candidate. We are fortunate to have a candidate like Mr O’Higgins, who is excellently placed to continue and strengthen the work of CICRA. The recruitment panel, which represented an excellent partnership between officials in both Jersey and Guernsey and operated independent from politicians, was united in its recommendation of Mr O’Higgins.”

Deputy Peter Ferbrache, President of the States of Guernsey’s Committee for Economic Development, added: “I am delighted to be able to propose Mr O’Higgins for the role of Chairman of the Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority. Mr O’Higgins brings to the role significant professional experience in both the commercial and public sectors, and a clear appreciation of the need to ensure that regulation and competition works to the benefit of Guernsey’s economic development. I have no hesitation in recommending Mr O’Higgins to my colleagues in the States Assembly, who will be asked to approve his appointment in Guernsey at the next States Meeting.”

If approved by both assemblies, Mr O’Higgins would follow on from Mark Boleat.

Senator Ozouf said: “Mr Mark Boleat should be recognised for the excellent work he has done over the six years he has led the Authority. Mr Boleat was instrumental in bringing the GCRA and the JCRA together into the combined Channel Islands Competition Regulatory Authorities. As Professor Sir John Vickers, who acted as an adviser to the Review of our competition and regulatory framework said: ‘In small-island economies, such as Jersey, it is just as important that markets work well as it is in larger economies. But in smaller jurisdictions competition policy, and regulation, where competition is not possible, faces particular challenges. Conducting competition and regulatory policy well is hard, but the economic benefits can be substantial’.”