Isle Of Man Restructure Approved By Tynwald

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

22 February 2010

The Isle of Man’s parliament, the Tynwald, has approved the comprehensive restructuring of government departments, which was announced in early February to focus efforts on growing the economy to generate new income for the island.

The change, to take effect from April 1 this year, will see government functions reorganized under nine Departments, six of which will be entirely new. At the centre of the plan is the creation of a new Department of Economic Development to co-ordinate the support and promotion of key sectors including financial services, manufacturing, tourism and e-business.

There will also be a new Department of Social Care to be responsible for a cohesive social policy embracing social services, social security and housing. There will be six entirely new Departments: Economic Development; Social Care; Health; Community, Culture and Leisure; Environment, Food and Agriculture; Infrastructure.

Treasury will see responsibility for the promotion of financial services transferred to Economic Development. Home Affairs and Education will remain intact, though the latter will be renamed Education and Children.

Commenting, the Isle of Man’s Chief Minister, Tony Brown, stated:

“The change to the structure will not affect the level of services provided to the public. What it will do is drive greater efficiencies within government through a more coordinated and effective framework of departments. Importantly, the new structure will focus on the need to secure further economic growth for the island by creating an Economic Development Department, bringing together the economic strands of the government into and under the control of one department.”

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