Selling Ourselves Around the World

Chief Minister Alf Cannan has a busy list of off-island engagements coming up in the coming weeks, as he seeks to drive economic growth and prosperity.

Mr Cannan is not only attending the Labour and Tory conferences, Alf Force Once will be heading to Belgium, Bahrain and South Africa in the coming weeks.

The Chief Minister will attend the Labour conference in Liverpool next week and the Tory conference in Birmingham in October.

Later in October the Chief Minister will visit Brussels and in November he will take part in the 38^thsummit of the British-Irish Council.

Further afield, there will be a visit to Bahrain in October at the invitation of the Crown Prince to explore opportunities for collaboration including in financial services.  In November there will be a visit to South Africa at the request of local businesses following a successful trip there in March of this year.

He said: ‘Growing our economy is vital to funding high quality public services and maintaining our cherished quality of life.  That is why securing a strong and diverse economy is one of the key pillars of our Island Plan.

‘To deliver on this ambition we must engage, build relationships and market ourselves in the UK, Europe and further afield, ensuring we seize opportunities and play to our strengths.  The rewards include attracting new workers, increased exports and growing inward investment.  This won’t happen on its own, nor will it happen overnight. It will take a sustained long-term effort that we must commit to if we are to succeed.

‘I recognise the current cost of living crisis is affecting everyone across the Island, but if we are serious about securing our future then we must roll our sleeves up and set about strengthening existing relationships and forging new ones. 

‘We want to create an environment where Isle of Man companies can flourish and grow, and Government has a significant role to play in this.’