A report has highlighted growing frustration within the private sector over what businesses describe as a confusing, duplicative and commercially out‑of‑touch enterprise support system.
The Economic Policy Review Committee says the Department for Enterprise’s agency model, originally designed to give businesses a single, clear route into government, has instead created overlapping bodies that often duplicate each other’s work, leaving companies unsure where to go for support.
The Chamber of Commerce told the Committee that members frequently encounter mixed messages, repeated conversations and unclear points of contact, with Business Isle of Man, Locate Isle of Man and Finance Isle of Man all operating in similar spaces.
The result, they said, is a system that slows down decision‑making and “creates confusion rather than clarity”.
Commercial Capability
Businesses also questioned the commercial capability of the agencies themselves.
Some reported having to explain basic market dynamics to government advisors, raising concerns about whether the current structure is equipped to support scale‑ups, exporters or fast‑moving digital firms.
The Committee says this fragmentation has weakened the island’s ability to compete, with agencies setting their own priorities rather than working to a single, coordinated economic strategy. Opportunities, it warns, are being “diluted, delayed or lost”.
Despite early promises that the agency model would streamline government and become industry‑funded, staffing levels remain high and agency expenditure has risen by almost 92% since 2018-19.
The Committee is calling for a full independent review of the Department’s purpose and structure, warning that the current system is not delivering the clarity, commercial focus or strategic leadership businesses expect.
The full report can be found here.
