What is the point of Cicra?

Under two years later Cicra decided to discontinue the investigation [May 18 2018: Cicra closes investigation into airlines on administrative priority grounds and cost implications, https://www.jcra.je/media/597838/c1220j-blue-islands-and-flybe-franchise-arrangements-media-release.pdf], and I implore interested readers to peruse the above reports. I then wrote another letter to the Press, which was again published, admonishing this appalling and disgraceful decision. After reading Cicra’s reply, another letter was produced and published seeking clarification on certain points whilst highlighting the fact pertinent resources were clearly wasted. Another reply came, the contents I disagreed with, and that was how it was left.

Within the last three years Cicra has been busy covering its remit and responsibilities, which are outlined on the website (https://www.gcra.gg/about-us/general-background/), seeking to ‘protect’ consumers from other malpractice or anti-competitive agreements that Guernsey businesses might enter into. These can be found on the Cicra website through its current investigations (11 live investigations at the time of writing), reports detailing what it has done and completed reports with outcomes.

However, to justify its existence, Cicra needs to make ‘newsworthy’ declarations and this came a couple of months ago with the alleged anti-competition/ collusion of JT and Sure, even though Airtel-Vodafone exists.

I would not have felt compelled to write this letter until I read the excellent, thought-provoking correspondence published in the Guernsey Press on 12 May 2021 by Alice Clarkson titled Investigation of telcos waste of time and money. After reading this fantastic article and the predictable, contemptible reply from Cicra, one question suddenly entered my head: What is the point of Cicra and where is it obtaining the money to pay for its investigations, reports and staff salaries? Cicra is not a charity but a regulatory entity, so where is it getting its money from? One would presume it would be from the States via the tax purse of Mr and Mrs Guernsey citizen. I sincerely hope this assumption is incorrect, as I and many other citizens would hate Cicra wasting our tax money on frivolous vanity projects and its, most likely, over-bloated employee salaries. Furthermore, I cannot recollect any ‘successes’ that Cicra has had that gave Guernsey consumers tangible, meaningful benefits. Who regulates the regulator and ensures Cicra is fit for purpose?

I wholly support what Cicra represents and accomplishes, but not if it is a law unto itself, wastes resources or is too toothless to see through crucial investigations to a satisfactory conclusion that would actually benefit citizens. I cannot see into the future, but would advise JT and Sure to do nothing because within the next two years Cicra will abandon the investigation due to boredom or whatever ‘issue’ it concocts.

I never thought my positive opinion, and that of others, would change to negativity towards Cicra, but then I think of its blatant dereliction of duty to the consumers it claims to ‘protect’ and the huge amount of resources it wastes on its vanity projects before realising where that pent up annoyance, frustration and negativity has manifested from.

KEVIN HAINSWORTH

Editor’s footnote: A GCRA spokesman says: The GCRA has no further comment to make regarding the ongoing investigation into JT and Sure and would like to clarify that the matter of the Flybe/Blue Islands arrangement referenced in the letter was entirely a matter conducted under the jurisdiction of Jersey, in which the GCRA obviously has no role in and therefore could not comment.