|
Government Annual Report 2011 1 July 2011 THE final annual report of the current Government is published today (June 30, 2011) and will be moved for receipt at the July sitting of Tynwald by Chief Minister Tony Brown MHK. The 148-page report provides information on Government’s performance and activity in the past year. It covers progress made on the 132 actions identified for delivery of policies under the Government Strategic Plan presented to Tynwald in October 2007, in the four key areas of: Income, Employment and the Economy; Government Spending and Revenues; Legislation and Regulations; Quality of Life. The report also includes information on Government’s legislative programme (and the 62 new Government Bills introduced to the House of Keys since November 2006), capital and revenue spending, personnel and pay, public complaints, access to information reviews, and consultations. In his foreword to the annual report the Chief Minister says the major challenge for this Government has been maintaining economic confidence in managing the unprecedented ‘double whammy’ of the collapse of the KSF bank and the UK’s revision of VAT sharing arrangements. He writes: ‘The fact that the Island has avoided going into recession in the last few years and that our economy is still growing, with an estimated real growth rate of between four and five per cent in the last financial year, is a strong indication that the Island has indeed been successful in maintaining business confidence while dealing with a wide range of internal and external challenges.’ The Chief Minister says Government has made progress in such areas as reducing spending while continuing to support the most vulnerable in the community, achieving better value for taxpayers money, the regeneration of town and village centres, safeguarding gas supplies for thousands of homes, the reform of public service pensions and the creation of the Department of Economic Development to spearhead a renewed drive to generate more business for the Island. Mr Brown concludes: ‘It is the job of Government to do what is best for the Isle of Man as a whole, taking into account the longer-term as well as the short term. I believe that this Government has been responsible, realistic and honest in facing up to the unprecedented challenges of the past five years as well as planning for our future. ‘We have much to be optimistic about, and I hope that the changes this Government has put in place will help to secure a good future for all the people of our Island.’ The Government Annual Report 2011 is available here More stories >>>
|
