Business input to guide competition law review

Wednesday 18 September 2024

A “long overdue” review of Guernsey's Competition Law and Regulation will allow business to have their say.

19 stakeholders are involved, including the Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority, Business and Consumer bodies, and other States Committees, and many of the themes seem to revolve around the same issues.

This includes noting that the current Regulatory body has 'limited resources', and 'isn’t as flexible with its approaches as their counterparts in the UK and Jersey. The review goes on to explain that this is this is because they can ‘use alternative regulatory approaches such as issuing guidance or using mediation’.

Those responding were also ‘keen to clarify the scope and accountability of the regulator’.

We’re still a little way off anything of substance from this review, the I’s need to be dotted and the T’s crossed, but once complete it will be brought before the States Chamber.

Deputy Neil Inder is the President of the Committee for Economic Development, he said in a statement “It's quite clear that a review of the competition law and regulatory framework in Guernsey has been long overdue and I would like to thank the business community for their input to date. I also hope that the public will respond to Island Global Research’s survey with their views.

“Government needs to ensure that the competition and regulatory framework is fit for purpose and meets the requirements of States strategic priorities, enables business growth and is proportionate to the size of our jurisdiction – in short, we need to “right size” our regulatory framework."

The committee commissioned Island Global Research to find out consumer’s views on Competition and Regulation, and you can have your say on the survey HERE.

It’ll go into a range of services Islanders interact with daily, including telecoms, household utilities, postal services, residential construction and off-island travel.