Caribbean utility regulators must collaborate and adapt, says OOCUR director
Published:Saturday | July 26, 2025 | 12:10 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Dr Marsha Atherley-Ikechi, the executive director of the Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR), is calling on utility regulators in the Caribbean region to become more adaptable to better manage the various issues they are now facing and are likely to encounter going forward.
Atherley-Ikechi expressed that view while addressing Thursday’s media launch of OOCUR’s upcoming 20th annual conference at the Bogue City Centre in Montego Bay, St James. The four-day conference, which will begin on October 26 at the Jewel Grande Resort, in Montego Bay, is being held under the theme, ‘Navigating Caribbean regulatory challenges – Opportunities, innovations and collaborations’.
“The Caribbean faces unique regulatory challenges that require unique Caribbean solutions, home-grown solutions. Our conference provides the platform where these solutions are born, partnerships are forged, and the future of Caribbean regulation is shaped,” said Atherley-Ikechi.
“In an era of rapid technological change, climate challenges, and evolving consumer expectations, regulators must be more adaptive, more collaborative, and more innovative than ever before. It is as though the goalpost is constantly shifting, but regulators are a special breed, and we are up to the task.”
Opportunity to collaborate
The OOCUR director noted that the regulatory bodies under the organisation’s umbrella have an opportunity to collaborate in crafting solutions together because they face similar hurdles as residents of the Caribbean territory.
“The Caribbean context itself makes this event unique. We share similar challenges, small market sizes, climate vulnerability, limited technical resources, and a constant balancing act between development and sustainability, yet we often tackle these issues in isolation. This conference transforms individual struggles into collective solutions,” added Atherley-Ikechi.
OOCUR, a non-profit organisation, was formed on July 26, 2002 with the aim of assisting in the improvement of utility regulation, undertaking research and training, and facilitating knowledge-sharing and understanding of regulatory issues. The entity has membership from 17 Caribbean utility regulatory authorities, to include Jamaica’s Office of Utilities Regulation [OUR], which last hosted the OOCUR conference in 2016.
Ansord Hewitt, the director general of the OUR and chairman of OOCUR, said the upcoming conference will solidify the Caribbean region as an upholder of regulatory structure.
“This year’s conference is particularly significant, as it marks two decades of regional like-minded regulators coming together to foster collaboration, strengthen regulatory frameworks, champion innovation, celebrate our achievements, and expand and enhance the knowledge and practice of utilities regulation. The theme of this year’s conference presents an excellent opportunity for us to showcase and reaffirm the region’s commitment to resilient, forward-thinking regulation in the face of global shifts in energy, telecommunications, water, and transportation,” said Hewitt.
Topics for discussion at this year’s conference include strategies for promoting private sector investment in sustainable water and wastewater technologies, as well as updating of regulatory frameworks for the adoption of fifth generation (5G) network technology and satellite internet services.