CHIEF Minister Allan Bell MHK said he welcomes Tynwald’s unanimous backing for a resolution highlighting the importance of economic growth.
Mr Bell said the motion from Michael MHK Alfred Cannan urging policies to support growth and promote investment and innovation was very much in line with government’s existing priorities.
He told the Examiner: ‘I strongly welcomed this debate. It has been very rare over the last few years for any backbencher to raise debates specifically about the economy and the need for economic growth. It is heartening that this should happen and with such strong support from Tynwald across the board, especially among the new members who see the need to place economic growth at the centre of government.’
Mr Bell said he recognised that by arguing that economic development is key to the future Mr Cannan was ‘pushing against an open door’ but he thanked him for initiating a debate underlining the critical importance of this issue.
He said government has the responsibility and ability to create the environment for business to develop and flourish.
It can do this by bringing in the legislation required, provide financial support schemes, remove as many obstacles as possible to economic growth and to ensure the education, training and vocational support is there to ensure the island has a highly skilled workforce.
Mr Bell has previously said his aspiration is to ensure the island as a whole becomes an enterprise zone committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurialism.
In a two-hour debate in Tynwald last Tuesday, Mr Cannan stressed the need to stay focused on the island’s economic policy and sustain its economic future.
He told the court: ‘The Isle of Man needs a more focused, centralised policy. Its difficulties might remain for some years to come but there are always opportunities to succeed.’
Mr Cannan said there needed to be emphasis on growth, clear targets and job creation. ‘We need to have more people employed and paying income tax,’ he said.
Rushen MHK Laurence Skelly, a member of the Department of Economic Development, said there were clear opportunities from so-called clean technology and there were good employment opportunities in fields such as e-gaming.
Concluding the debate, the Chief Minister admitted it was easy to have the debate and identify the challenges. ‘We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The next stage is solutions: that’s the challenge and that’s what’s always missing in these debates.’