The Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority has published a Call for Information as a first step towards a strategic review of Postal Services in Jersey.
The Authority is the statutory regulator for postal services in the Island and is required to protect and further the use of those services and, where appropriate, promote competition in the sector. At present Jersey Post is the only licensed postal operator in Jersey with a universal service obligation, which ensures all users receive a minimum level of service.
The Authority provides oversight of Jersey Post’s customer service and prices, as well as ensuring Jersey Post meets the required level of quality of service. There is also currently one other licenced postal operator which the Authority oversees, High Speed Freight Services. This operator provides a limited international mail service to businesses.
The last major review of postal services was undertaken in 2012, and there has been significant technical, cultural, and economic change over the following decade.
Peter Hetherington (pictured), Senior Economic Case Officer at the Authority said: “We have launched this non-statutory call for information as a first step towards our strategic review of postal services in Jersey.
“Our world has changed dramatically over the last ten years and our aim is to ensure the existing regulatory framework is fit for purpose and effective. We are interested in exploring how the significant global events of the past ten years have impacted the sector, and the challenges and opportunities these changes have created for the sector in Jersey.”
The Authority is not making any policy proposals at this point, instead it is inviting views on four main themes which will form the basis of the strategic review. These are:
- The interests of postal users
- The universal service obligation
- The future regulation of postal services
- Wider influences on postal services
To help gather information that will help inform the strategic review of Postal Services, the Authority would like to invite all Islanders to participate in a short survey. The survey can be found here.
To find out more information about the planned review or to comment on the ‘Call for Information’, please visit the Authority’s website.
The closing date for both the survey and the formal response is Friday, 20 January 2023.
