Chamber of Commerce calls on MHKs to support work permit suspension

Wed, 04 Oct 2023

The Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce is backing a move by the Enterprise Minister, Tim Johnston MHK, to temporarily suspend the need for work permits.

Chamber says feedback from its members and the wider business community “clearly indicates a strong consensus” in favour of relaxing the rules in order to help address the labour shortage affecting most sectors of the economy.

Earlier this week the Enterprise Minister said: “At a time when 99.9% of work permits are actually passed, it is just seen by business – in the present climate – as red tape and an unnecessary bureaucracy.”

Chamber CEO, Rebecca George, said that this view is shared by a majority of its members and the wider business community and believe it should have been addresses “several years ago”.

She added: “In this context Chamber sees this reform as one that’s long overdue, so we urge MHKs to support the work permits proposal. However, it’s important to note that this is just one example of unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy which need to be addressed in order to help employers recruit the employees they need to grow their businesses.

“It’s also one of several barriers to business growth which Chamber has been calling on the current Government to tackle for several years – so it’s important to remember the urgent need to address these issues too.”

The Enterprise Minister’s proposal to change the work permits system is scheduled to be put before Tynwald in the next sitting (October 17 to 19).

 

 

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