The Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce is urging members of the House of Keys to appoint a Chief Minister capable of delivering economic growth.
The chamber, which represents more than 450 organisations, has outlined three overarching priorities that it believes the next Chief Minister and Council of Ministers should devote attention to:
- Develop a sustainable economic growth strategy, and introduce policies that will create a world class business environment.
- Address skills shortages and key issues affecting the ability of Island businesses to retain and recruit the best people.
- Modernise government decision-making and make government more agile and efficient.
This comes in the wake of the Manx economy contracting by 7.4% in the two years since 2024.
Chamber President, Claire Watterson, said: “A General Election is an opportunity for change. Air and sea links, affordable housing and rental accommodation, health and education issues, are all concerns that are raised repeatedly by businesses.
“These longstanding problems remain unresolved, all of which are limiting productivity and impacting GDP.”
She went on to add: “While it would be unfair to expect the new government to resolve these issues immediately, action can and should be taken before the end of this year to at least start to address the most pressing concerns.
“Chamber’s door is always open for members of Tynwald to pop into our office or call us. We can provide business insight, evidence, sector expertise and direct feedback from employers.”