From Charles Webb, executive director, Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority.
I WRITE to correct some inaccuracies in the article written by Ben Quérée concerning potential additional licences in Jersey’s postal sector.

Contrary to what was reported, the JCRA’s consideration of these potential licences has not been delayed. The timing of this process is, and remains, subject to the legal requirements of Jersey’s postal law.

The first step in this process is for the JCRA to issue a document called an Initial Notice, in which the JCRA proposes to undertake a regulatory action. The law then requires the Initial Notice to undergo a 28-day consultation period, during which time any person can comment on the JCRA’s proposed regulatory action.

Here, the JCRA published Initial Notices proposing to grant licences to Citipost DSA Ltd and Hub Europe Limited on 31 March. The Initial Notices are subject to a public consultation which closes on 30 April.

The second step in the process arises if the JCRA receives comments during this consultation period.

If comments are received, the postal law requires the JCRA to consider the comments, and then issue a second document called a Final Notice.

In the Final Notice, the JCRA states whether or not it still intends to proceed with the proposed regulatory action, as set out in the Initial Notice. After the JCRA publishes a Final Notice, the postal law requires another 28-day period to pass before any proposed regulatory action takes effect, to allow any party to appeal the decision.

Here, the JCRA already has received comments to the proposed grant of licences. Thus, the postal law will require the JCRA to consider these comments before reaching a final decision and publishing a Final Notice.

As part of this process the JCRA may also consider other potentially relevant considerations, such as the ongoing efficiency review of Jersey Post.

This is the process required by Jersey’s postal law, which the JCRA is following in this matter.