The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) is set to undergo significant reform and expansion as part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen consumer protection and utilities regulation.
This was revealed by Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, as she led off debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2025, in the Senate on Monday.
She also announced that from April 1, attorney Brian Reece will become the new chief executive office of the agency.
Cummins said Government has embedded key resources within her ministry to support developmental work. She added that the Regulatory Authority for Public Utilities has been assigned to collaborate closely with the FTC to facilitate the reform process.
“The FTC has not seen a reform for I don’t know how long, Mr President, if it has seen a reform at all. The FTC is responsible not just for the Utilities Regulation Act but also for the Consumer Guarantees and Protection legislation. They are charged with implementing those bodies of work, and we are very much looking forward to seeing the outcome of the work which has already started.”
Meet its dual obligations
She said that as part of the restructuring efforts, the FTC will undergo an organisational and strategic repositioning to enhance its ability to meet its dual obligations – utilities regulation and consumer protection. She added these initiatives were reflected in the Government’s Estimates for the coming
financial year.
Cummins said discussions about the FTC often centred on utilities, but its role extended beyond that. She reiterated that, as a quasi-judicial body, the FTC must remain independent and as such, Government ministers refrain from commenting on its decisions. “It is not appropriate for a Minister of Energy with responsibility for the FTC to be engaging in discussions about matters before that commission. And so, we do not do it. This Government does not do it.”
She also addressed misconceptions about the FTC’s regulatory scope, clarifying that its jurisdiction in the telecommunications sector was limited to fixed-line services.
“The FTC, as a competent competition authority, focuses only on monopolies. It does not regulate mobile telecom providers such as Digicel and Flow in terms of mobile services. Its authority extends only to fixed-line telecommunications.”
The planned expansion of the FTC includes the appointment of additional personnel and an increased budgetary allocation. According to Cummins, the Commission currently has a Director of Utilities Regulation, one electricity analyst and a single officer responsible for water service standards.
(CLM)
