CRA
About us
Competition & Regulatory Authority
The Competition & Regulatory Authority is established by the Competition and Regulatory Authority Act 2019. It exercises economic and technical regulatory powers and functions, over sectors and entities designated by Act of the Cook Islands Parliament.
The Authority is not a government ministry or government department. It is an independent Crown Agency, which for the time being is solely funded by a specific Parliamentary appropriation. It reports to Parliament via the Minister of Finance & Economic Planning.
Under the provisions of the Telecommunications Act 2019, telecommunications became the first sector subject to the Authority’s jurisdiction. Further to the Cook Islands Utilities Regulation (Electricity, Water, and Sewerage Services) Act 2026, providers of electricity and water services are also to be independently regulated by the CRA, principally in relation to tariffs for services. In addition, the Authority will have oversight of electrical works and the registration and qualifications of water network technicians and electrical workers.
The Authority comprises up to three members, being suitably qualified individuals, appointed by the Minister in charge, on the recommendation of a special purpose Evaluation Committee. The Committee is made up of the Financial Secretary, the Public Service Commissioner, and the Solicitor-General.
Currently, the Authority has one member, the Chair, Mr. Bernard Hill. The Authority has one permanent staff member, the Office Administrator, Mrs Etuatina Drollett. The Authority’s requirements for specialized legal, economic and technical inputs are met by experienced offshore consultants, from around Australasia and the Pacific region.
- ANNUAL REPORTS
- Annual Report 2020-2021
- Annual Report 2020-2021
- Annual Report 2020-2021
- Annual Report 2020-2021
CRA Officers and Staff
Bernard Hill
Chair
Bernie Hill is a New Zealander, and former barrister and solicitor with extensive private and public sector experience in competition law and policy. As Chair of the Cook Islands CRA, he is in his fourth role as senior economic and technical regulator, having served as Telecommunications Commissioner of Solomon Islands; Head of Competition Affairs in Hong Kong, and as Director and Office solicitor in the former New Zealand Department of Trade & Industry. He is the author of two publications on New Zealand’s competition and fair- trading laws and has contributed to international anti-trust publications.
Etuatina Drollett
Office Administrator
Tina Drollett is a long-standing Cook Island resident, who for many years served as executive secretary to the office of Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management. As office administrator at the CRA Tina provides administrative and secretarial support and advice to the Chair.
John Deridder
Telecommunications Consultant
John Deridder is a Sydney based telecommunications consultant, specializing in telecommunications in the Pacific region. He was previously the Chief Economist at Telstra in Australia.
Dean Yarrall
Utilities Consultant
Dean is a New Zealander with extensive international public and private sector expertise and experience in the regulation of utility services. From a previous posting as Chief Economist in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, he also has extensive knowledge of the Cook Islands economy and its utilities.
Wilson Leguvaka
Radio-spectrum Consultant
Wilson is a Solomon Islands radio engineer, who’s career includes the design and build of terrestrial fiber and satellite telecommunications networks, as well as international experience in the regulation of radio-spectrum use category allocation and frequency channel assignments.