Firms welcome pledge to change economic approach
PA MediaBusiness lobby groups on the Isle of Man have welcomed a political reshuffle which has seen the removal of the treasury minister to allow for an economic "reset".
Chief Minister Alfred Cannan asked Alex Allinson to leave the post as businesses had "lost considerable confidence in the government" to listen to their concerns.
At the forefront of the concerns raised by firms has been the planned 9.9% rise in the minimum wage, which new treasury minister, Chris Thomas, has pledged to "slow down".
President of the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, Claire Watterson, said it was the "right moment" to ensure government was "aligned around outcomes that genuinely support the island's economy".
The reshuffle, which included the removal of Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood, comes a month before the budget and eight months before the House of Keys general election.
Watterson said, with the current administration in its last year, "clarity, focus, and delivery" were "essential".
Secretary of the Local Economy Forum, Brett Martin, said members had been left feeling "ignored and frustrated" over the government's policy on the wage rise.
"From the get-go, our proposals for a partnership with government to achieve a sustainable improvement in minimum wage were rebutted by Treasury," he said.
The reshuffle had given businesses "renewed hope that they will be listened to and that a better way of delivering higher living standards can be found".
Echoing those views, the Licensed Victuallers Association (LVA) said it had shared concerns over the "lack of meaningful engagement between Treasury and large parts of the local economy".
"We are encouraged by the opportunity for more open, informed and meaningful engagement," LVA chairman Andrew Gibbs said.
The decision has also faced political scrutiny, with Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper stating the timing had "thrown everything up in the air," which was "not helpful".
"What you need is some certainty," he said, adding: "Throwing your toys out of the pram like this doesn't seem like a good way of getting things done."
Onchan MHK Julie Edge - who is set to ask Tynwald to approve a phased approach to the 9.9% minimum wage rise - said it had been "quite obvious to the public, particularly to businesses, that something needed to happen."
She said while the chief minister had "made the right decision and shown good leadership", Cannan had "left it too late to make this particular decision".
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