Sub-post offices to move to postal-only services

Sub-post offices will eventually only offer postal services, the chairman of the Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) has said.

MHK Stu Peters said in a written response to Tynwald the increasing number of people choosing to use online services meant having agency retailers in-branch was becoming "less sustainable".

It follows a move by the government to digitise driving licence services, and the government decision to scrap the pension and benefits payment system, MiCard.

But he said that IOMPO was being "flexible" to help maintain access to essential services despite the "fundamental" changes.

In November, the scrapping of the MiCard system was delayed by Manx Treasury by a year, but Peters insisted the move to postal-only services "remains the current position".

"I can confirm that no service contracts with current retailers providing services on behalf of the Isle of Man Post Office and its agency partners have been terminated or renegotiated in the financial year to date," he said.

"The IOMPO Board remains committed to maintaining convenient and accessible postal-only community services and to providing a glide path for agency partners and their customers as demand diminishes and they withdraw.

"Over time, IOMPO will transition to offering postal-only services under new retail contracts," Peters said.

He added that the transition would be managed "carefully and in a financially responsible way."

Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.