As part of its commitment to fulfilling the Isle of Man Government’s objectives of delivering Vision2020 and growing the economy, the Department of Economic Development (DED) is advertising two key new roles: a Director of Tourism and the Visitor Economy and a Marketing Director.
Minister for Economic Development John Shimmin MHK commented:
‘The best way to sustain effective and affordable public services is to grow our economy and so generate additional Government income, not simply tax the existing economy more. This Department has an outstanding track record of helping to do so, from the e-gaming sector to shipping, from the TT to corporate jet management. With our support, these sectors have created hundreds of jobs on the Island and £m’s in both our economy and in Government income.
‘During 2013 my Department worked closely with leaders in the private sector to see where there are opportunities to deliver further growth. This resulted in the Vision 2020 report, which showed we have excellent growth potential – if we take the right actions, including putting in place the right resources to pursue growth.
‘We would not commit additional resources unless we were convinced that it was in the taxpayers’ interests to do so. We developed a business case for additional resources, which was carefully considered both by my Department’s Political Members and by the Treasury. I am pleased to say the business case is a strong one: for every additional £1 we will spend, we will generate at least £3 for the taxpayer.
‘In addition, it is important that the public appreciates this additional investment is not at the expense of other public services. The additional funding is coming from my Department’s efforts. Our registries have been very successful in attracting international shipping and aircraft, which meant we generated over £1.8m in additional income last year above our budgets. This additional money is now being invested through the Marketing Initiatives Fund to fund the additional resources needed to support economic growth.
‘As part of our business case, we identified that additional marketing of the Isle of Man – both as an international business centre and as a tourist destination – are key if we are to achieve our potential. We know we need additional skilled individuals and activity in this area, and as a result we have created the roles of Marketing Director and Director of Tourism and the Visitor Economy. These posts are fixed term contracts for 3 years and so we can limit the long-term costs to Government while aiding economic growth now.
‘When people ask me why is DED recruiting people when other Departments are making cuts, the answer is simple: it is because the best way to fund public services tomorrow is to drive economic growth today, and so that it what we are doing.’
Details of the two roles can be found on the Isle of Man Government’s Public Sector Vacancies site at https://www.jobtrain.co.uk/iomgovjobs/vacancies.aspx
