Isle of Man Government News

No new cases of COVID-19 detected – 21 January 2021

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:10:47 GMT

No new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the Isle of Man over the last 24 hours.

The current number of active cases of COVID-19 on the Island is 48.

Chief Minister's statement on COVID-19 - 21 January 2021

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:50:24 GMT

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us today.

We are now into Day 15 of our circuit break lockdown.

Once again, we have our Director of Public Health joining us on Zoom and the Minister of Health & Social Care here in person.

As I mentioned to you on Monday, the Council of Ministers met today to consider what the emerging situation meant for us and most importantly for you and the measures we have in place. I told you on Monday that if the situation continued to move in the right direction, that we would be able to consider some changes.

I want to take you through that. And also through our view on next steps. But before I do, I will invite the Minister of Health & Social Care to update us on the testing numbers. And I know he has a couple of other important updates.

David.

Thank you, David. This now makes today the ninth consecutive day where we have not seen any unexplained community cases. Every day without cases is of course a cause for optimism but we must not forget this is often an invisible threat. Let me invite our Director of Public Health to set this in context.

Dr Ewart.

Thank you, Dr Ewart.

Dr Ewart, along with senior colleagues from across Government who have been leading the response to this outbreak joined the Council of Ministers this morning to review our current situation.

We wanted the most detailed picture of what the situation might be now that we have passed this milestone of one week with no evidence of community transmission - no unexplained cases.

As the Director of Public Health rightly reminds us, we are not out of the woods yet. While the risk may be receding, it has not gone.

The last thing we want is to step boldly out of lockdown and find ourselves having to go back in because we moved too quickly.

We have to tread carefully. As I indicated on Monday, most of the immediate changes that we considered today are around outside spaces where there is a broad consensus that the risk of transmission is significantly lower. Especially if social distancing, face coverings and good hygiene are also used.

This will be a first step. But we are starting on our path back to normality.

Let me take you through the changes that we are ready to bring in from first thing Saturday morning. I will then come back to the strategic picture – of how we see the rest of the circuit break lifting - and beyond.

From midnight Friday night to Saturday morning – so the first minute of 23 January - we will be easing a number of the measures in place.

We will allow a range of construction and trades to return to work. This includes trades like electricians, telecoms, utilities, roofers, decorators, gardeners, builders, joiners, window cleaners etc.

The next part is important. As they all go back to work, they must still have mitigations in place. What do we mean by this? Outdoors, this means either working alone or maintaining social distancing. Where this is not possible – for example if you really have to share transport - please use face coverings.

Tradespeople may work indoors only if they are working alone on an empty property.

The principle here is for this transition phase to allow only very low risk activities and - importantly - not to have any level of additional household mixing.

So moving on to households. Given the evidence that outdoor settings with social distancing are very low risk, we are also able to lighten some of the restrictions on us all being able to see people from other households.

That means if you wish to meet other people, such as friends or family, or wish to exercise with people from other households, you can do all this again as long as this is outdoors and you maintain social distancing.

But I have to underline that despite these changes coming in Saturday, social distancing will remain with us and continues to be important. And we will be asking you to continue to wear face coverings as much as possible.

So if you are a gardener returning to work. Or if you go for a walk with a friend along the seafront. Or if you deckchair with your aunt. Please keep your distance and if possible wear a face covering.

The removal of social distancing and face coverings we hope will come at some stage soon and I will talk about that shortly. But that moment is not now.

It might be useful for me to go through what we are NOT changing today.

For now, we need you to avoid indoor meetings with people who are not members of your household. Deckchair-ing, sitting in the park or a walk together is OK. But stay two metres apart. And please don’t be tempted to go indoors. We still need to minimise the links between different households a little longer.

We need people to continue to work from home as much as possible.

We are not quite ready to reopen even low-risk indoor venues like non-essential shops.

And we will not be asking our schools to open their doors to all students quite yet.

I have said before – and stand by this – that we will only have measures in place for as long as we judge they are necessary.

So where does this leave us going forward?

To give people as much clarity and certainty as possible, we want to approach this in two simple phases.

During the lockdown last year, from the moment we allowed construction to when we lifted all restrictions was around twelve weeks. This time we hope to be able to move through these phases in around twelve days.

To some this may sound awfully rushed. But you will recall that we entered this circuit break lockdown as a precaution – we did not know what we might be up against.

But from where we are today - and from what we understand from analysing the cases - we have collectively agreed that we should work towards a full exit after twenty-one days of no community transmission.

That means - subject to no further community cases - we would plan to lift all restrictions – on all activities – on or around 1 February.

This of course is only a plan – it may change - but it is the latest position we have and it is what I wanted to share with you all today.

So from tomorrow we move to a new phase. A transition phase before we lift all lockdown measures.

I mentioned that this could be as early as 1 February. I cannot guarantee that will be the precise day when we return to the old normal. We need to keep the position under review. But 1 February would be twenty-one days after the last evidence of community transmission. And this is the date we are working towards.

I hope that it provides you all with a line of sight to the end and a return to the life we enjoyed for over six months at the end of last year.

I know there has been a certain amount of speculation that the Council of Ministers would seek to continue longer term with some of the restrictions we now have in place. But no. If we are confident we have dealt with this recent outbreak then we will lift the measures.

We will be refreshing our guidance as soon as possible.

What does this mean for schools? It is important that students do not miss any more school than is necessary.

Discussions are underway with colleagues in the Department of Education, Sport & Culture. They will be speaking to Headteachers shortly to ensure that if all is well they will be able to open to all students from 1 February.

So if we are able to lift all restrictions on 1 February we will be back to where we were at the end of last year. Where all business are back up and running. Where social distancing is not needed and where face coverings are more a matter of personal and business choice.

BUT. There are of course some risks to all this.

The first risk is that there is in fact some virus still circulating in our community that we have not yet seen. When I say in our community, we know there are cases where people are in self-isolation. What I mean is if we see cases pop up where we struggle to see a clear link to a case we are aware of. This virus can be invisible and can pass from person to person without any signs.

What would happen then? Well we may have to pause while we identify and isolate again.

If a case does spread then we may even have to go backwards in our phases. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. But I did want to be 100% honest with you that the risks of course exists – as it has done all the way through this pandemic.

I should stress that we are still likely to have cases occurring – for example from travellers in isolation, but our key concern is of course cases of unknown transmission.

Another risk is that another case of the virus arrives onto our Island as seems to have happened around Christmas. I do not need to go over here how the virus – and particularly its more easily transmissible variants – is sweeping through our neighbours.

As we head into this phased approach to exit our circuit break lockdown, we need to be incredibly careful not to import new risk. We cannot jeopardise what you have achieved.

We will NOT be making any changes to our border controls at this stage. Our borders remain our strongest shields against the virus.

We believe that the three-test regime that we have in place at the moment - focused on the traveller - is fit for purpose. I know it is not easy. And again I have to thank all those who have been doing it. But it is the right thing to do to protect our Island while we roll out the vaccine to protect our most vulnerable.

We of course review our border position regularly.

The Council of Ministers did take a look at whether we were ready to allow applications to resume for compassionate travel, and for those looking to move here and make our Island their home. Some of these cases are heart-breaking.

We decided that as long as we apply exactly the same controls as we do to returning residents – three tests or twenty-one days isolation - then the risks that compassionate and contractual travellers pose are no greater than that of returning residents and the absolute numbers are far more modest.

So we have agreed that from next Tuesday - 26 January - we will accept new applications for compassionate and contractual travellers only.

I would like to repeat again my advice to everyone – please do not travel off Island unless absolutely necessary.

We had a positive debate in Tynwald yesterday about what the future might look like regarding our borders. A real look ahead. The word 'pivot' came up a lot. Members were rightly asking government at what point might border restrictions be a thing of the past.

It is of course an impossible question to answer with a high degree of certainty. But I think some important principles emerged.

First of all, we all accepted that we cannot keep these border restrictions in place for ever. It is not good for the people or the economy of our Island.

The key moments in the future will be when we have vaccinated at least all those at most risk of getting sick from the virus, so that they are protected, and then of course when we have offered the vaccine to everyone on our Island. This means when we know they – and our health service - are safe. On current planning, this first priority group could be by the end of May. This depends on a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control.

It will depend also on how things are going with our neighbours.

The Lord Bishop had a good way of describing it in Tynwald yesterday. He said that while the world may never fully eliminate the virus, it has to try to get to a point where it has eliminated the 'threat of the virus' and the danger it poses.

This feels right to me. For the moment, we need to continue our policy of local elimination while we vaccinate our most vulnerable. Once that is done, then maybe we can pivot. Mapping out what this might look like and what the triggers might be is underway. When I have more news then of course I will share that with you.

You have heard me speak a lot today. Time to go to questions from the media.

Thank you for those questions.

So from first thing Saturday we will be into a transition phase towards our exit from lockdown. I know this will be welcome news for many.

But please let’s not forget that there is still a risk that there is virus in our community. The best thing is to continue to act like it is out there.

The basics are what got us here.

Wash your hands
Keep your distance
Wear a face covering if you can

And of course if you have any symptoms then stay at home and call 111 as soon as you can.

Please keep doing the right thing. This is what will see us through to the end of the month and hopefully out of all measures. We must not drop our guard.

Make the right decisions to keep you, your family and your Island safe. And to protect our vaccination programme.

Vaccination Programme maintains current jab intervals

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 19:58:06 GMT

Vaccinations to protect Island residents from serious illness caused by COVID-19 will continue to be given at 21 and 28 day intervals, in line with the full clinical evidence from the manufacturers.

The Island’s vaccination programme began on 4 January 2021, with health and care workers given their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Newlands hub at Noble’s Hospital, to include the over-80s in subsequent weeks. Vaccination rollout expanded further with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on 18 January 2021 administered in the community with care home residents.

The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is planned after a 21 day interval, and after 28 days for the Oxford jab. These intervals were set out in when the medicines regulator authorised the vaccines’ use – and a significant number of second jab appointments have already been booked for Island residents in the top two priority groups, starting next week.

The interval between doses has since been reviewed in depth by senior clinicians, scientists and regulators in the UK, who agree that the 21 / 28 day interval for the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines respectively, can safely be extended to up to 12 weeks.

The UK Government subsequently changed its approach, extending the timescale for second doses of the vaccine against a backdrop of rising case numbers, severe pressure on hospitals, and deaths. Given the prevalence of the virus in the UK, the UK Government is focusing its resources on providing first dose protection to a greater number of people in the top priority groups more quickly.

The option to extend the intervals between first and second jabs has also been comprehensively reviewed and discussed by the Department of Health and Social Care Executive Leadership Team, taking into account the views of senior Island clinicians and those involved in the vaccination board. A wide range of factors has been considered, with a final recommendation based on the current low prevalence of COVID-19 in the Isle of Man, the current risk of transmission, the continuing debate worldwide about the extent of protection one dose of either vaccine provides and the timing of vaccination supply.

A recommendation to retain the status quo was made by DHSC Executive Leadership Team to Minister David Ashford and his four political departmental members who have unanimously approved the policy position. The decision has since been endorsed by the Council of Ministers.

Minister Ashford said:

‘The recommendation to maintain the 21 and 28 day intervals between jabs is the best solution for the Isle of Man. There is no clinical reason for us to diverge from that position. It is true we could vaccinate a greater number of people in a shorter period of time if we changed tack, but our circumstances are not the same as those in the UK, where the gravity of the situation requires getting vaccine into the arms of as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. The two doses offer fuller protection and our focus is on delivering them.

He added:

‘I acknowledge there are different views on this here as there are in the UK and beyond, and we will continue to keep the matter under close review - and we can of course reconsider our position if the circumstances change and/or further clinical evidence is received. We believe the decision to maintain the current intervals between jabs is the right one for our Island.’

Current rollout plans based on the delivery schedule of vaccine from the UK should see care home residents and staff, the over-80s and health and care staff having been vaccinated with their first dose by end of February, with the remaining vulnerable groups receiving their first vaccination by May. The focus remains on preventing a surge of demand on hospital and health services and protecting the most vulnerable.

Statement from Dr Alex Allinson MHK – Re: NASUWT

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:38:22 GMT

I welcome the news announced on Tuesday 19 January that the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers has agreed to suspend its Action Short of Strike.

I recognise their concerns and personally thank union members for their trust and support.

The Department and I are dedicated to resolving the ongoing industrial dispute and this announcement demonstrates the commitment of the NASUWT to work with us and the other teacher unions, so we can move forward together and deliver a resilient and student-focused education service that is fit for the future.

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with all unions and their representatives to overcome any outstanding areas of concern, and continue to build an education service that we are all rightly proud of.

On Tuesday the Department presented its Implementation Plan to Tynwald that includes a new Interim Organisational Framework and programme for change that will provide a solid foundation for the Department in improving culture, policy development and partnerships.

I acknowledge that whilst resetting and rebuilding relationships to create a new culture will take time, considerable progress has already been made, and I firmly believe that with the continued commitment of all those that work within the service, we can improve the culture within which we all work for the benefit of all our young people.

I am extremely proud of the education service on the Island that has so many great qualities and provides an excellent education for our students.

During the pandemic our entire education service has demonstrated dedication, resilience and dynamism and has kept our services functioning, even when our schools and University College Isle of Man have had to close. And for that I would like to say thank you.

Isle of Man Government Approves Regulatory Framework for Cannabis Export Sector

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:02:34 GMT

The Isle of Man Government has passed new regulations to create a comprehensive framework to issue licenses for the production, distribution and export of cannabis products from the Island. Tynwald has approved changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations which will permit commercial operators to produce medical cannabis products.

The growing global cannabis market provides significant opportunity for economic development in Isle of Man. The new regulatory framework responds to industry and consumer demand for stringent and flexible licensing of a broad range of cannabis products ranging from outdoor grown industrial hemp to indoor grown medicinal products.

The Gambling Supervision Commission (‘GSC’) will serve as the launch regulator for the sector, which is estimated to bring approximately 250 new jobs and generate around £3 million in annual benefit in the coming years.

The Commission has now laid regulations, has begun issuing guidance for licensing of the industry and will accept hemp applications from Isle of Man growers shortly. Detailed guidance for high-THC operators will become available in February.

The GSC is well suited to launch this new sector: its regulatory checks on the fitness of people, their funds and their competence are easily adapted to the medical cannabis sector; it already boasts a world-class system for assessing regulatory risk and conducting physical inspections for its licensees. The GSC has been given access to cannabis industry expertise as it has worked up its guidance material. It is also familiar with working with its counterparts in other countries, which will form an important part of the project’s success.

Lawrie Hooper MHK, political member with responsibility for Business Isle of Man, said:

‘We are delighted to launch this exciting new sector in the Isle of Man and to take advantage of the expertise in regulating new, complex industries while providing stringent consumer safety. We’re confident that GSC’s regulation will once again attract quality businesses to the Island transforming the cannabis export sector into a key contributor to the Isle of Man’s post-COVID economic recovery.’

Mark Rutherford, responsible for preparing the new regulatory framework at the GSC, commented:

‘The Island has a track record as an early adopter of new sectors. Over the course of the past 20 years acting as the regulator for the Island’s eGaming sector, the GSC has developed expertise in keeping the industry crime free, protecting consumers and providing transparency, and this experience is complementary to the skills that will be required for this new and emerging sector.

‘This is an exciting opportunity and we have a sophisticated framework for supervising gambling which can be easily adapted to regulate the cultivation and processing of cannabis. We recognise there is huge potential for this new sector to create real positive economic benefit so we need to ensure we treat the new cannabis sector like we have treated the gambling sector: that license stakeholders that are competent, credible and crime free from the outset.’

The GSC will work with all relevant Government Agencies and law enforcement to oversee the stringent regulations under proposed changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Details will soon be published on the guidance which will support the new regulations, providing interested parties with details on the license requirements. The regulations are designed to provide a safe and regulated export market for cannabis products ranging from industrial hemp to high quality medical cannabis. The regulations are also aligned with current UK cannabis regulation and practice and do not change Isle of Man’s domestic policy toward the use of cannabis by residents.

Cannabis is an emerging global sector, and the GSC will look to foster, recruit and retain the necessary expertise within the industry in order to provide a world-class regulatory regime for the sector.

The Department for Enterprise consultation into the export-only sector closed on 19 November. The response document is available on the Consultation Hub.

Isle of Man’s most popular baby names in 2020 revealed as Leo, Oliver and Ella

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:08:58 GMT

The Civil Registry has revealed the most popular first names given to baby girls and boys in 2020 were Ella, Leo and Oliver.

Leo, Oliver and Noah were the most popular boys names chosen in 2020, followed by Theodore which was also the most popular boys name in 2019. Other popular names in 2020 included Archie, Arthur, Rory and William.

In terms of baby girls, Ella took over the top spot from Lily and Isla which were previously the most popular names in 2019. Ava was the second most popular girls name, with Isabelle, Ivy and Matilda falling closely behind.

To find out more about the Civil Registry please call +44 1624 687039 or visit: www.gov.im/categories/births-deaths-and-marriages/

Extension to temporary VAT reduced rate

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 15:47:44 GMT

The Value Added Tax Act 1996 (Reduced Rate) (Amendment) Order 2020 was laid before Tynwald yesterday. This Order extends the temporary reduced rate of 5% VAT introduced last year to assist those in the hospitality and catering sectors most severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic until 31 March 2021.

Further details can be found in the following notices and guidance

709/1: Catering and Takeaway Food

701/14: Food products

VAT on Admission Charges to Attractions

No new cases of COVID-19 detected – 20 January 2021

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 16:03:50 GMT

No new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the Isle of Man over the last 24 hours.

The current number of active cases of COVID-19 on the Island is 50.

Financial Sanctions: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 08:58:15 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise amendments to a further 15 entries under the Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions regime.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/433) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies which are, or have been, involved in the commission of a serious human rights violation or abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a violation of international humanitarian law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or obstructing or undermining respect for democracy, the rule of law and good governance. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Sanctions) EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions(Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0475].

Details of the amendments can be found in the Annex to this news release.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated individuals they are not required to report these details again.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence

Further details of the sanctions regime related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and links to the Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to these and other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Counter-Terrorism (International)

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 09:01:36 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the amendment to the details of one existing entry under the Counter-Terrorism (International) sanctions regime.

The Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/573) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in terrorist activity. The Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Counter-Terrorism International(Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0501].

The following entry has been amended and remains subject to an asset freeze.

HAMAS INCLUDING IZZ AL-DIN AL-QASSAM BRIGADES (Group ID: 7855)

Full details can be found in the attached Annex to this news release.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated entity, they are not required to report these details again.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Counter-Terrorism (International) and links to the UK’s Sanctions List may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Syria

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:34:54 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the amendment to the details of 9 existing entries under the Syria sanctions regime.

The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/792) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in repressing the civilian population in Syria or who is or has been involved in supporting or benefitting from the Syrian regime and who are or have been carrying on prohibited activities related to chemical weapons. The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Syria Sanctions(Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0503].

The following entries have been amended and remain subject to an asset freeze.

Mohammad Abdul-Sattar AL SAYED (Group ID: 12765)
Waseem AL-KATTAN (Group ID: 13824)
Mohamed KHADDOR (Group ID: 12475)
Hazwan AL-WEZ (Group ID: 12772
Mohammad Mouti’ Mouayyad (Group ID: 13159)
Mohammed AL-AHMED (Group ID: 13401)
Adnan Abdo AL-SUKHNY (Group ID: 12781)
DREX TECHNOLOGIES S.A. (Group ID: 12732)
INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENT OF DEFENCE (Group ID: 13031)

Full details can be found in the attached Annex to this news release.

Financial institutions and other persons are requested to check whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise hold funds or economic resources for, or provide financial services to, the designated individuals and entities. If so, they must freeze such accounts or other funds and, unless licensed by the Treasury, refrain from dealing with said funds or economic resources, and suspend the provision of any financial services. They must also report their findings to the FIU.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated persons and entities, they are not required to report these details again.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Syria and links to the UK’s Consolidated List of Individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Russia

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:31:04 GMT

This news release publicises an amendment to four existing entries under the Russia sanctions regime.

The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/855) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol and continued destabilisation of Ukraine. The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Russia Sanctions (Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0504].

The following entries have been amended and are still subject to an asset freeze

Denis Valentinovich BEREZOVSKIY (Group ID: 12925)
Sergey Yurievich KOZYAKOV (Group ID: 13170)
Viktor YANUKOVYCH (Group ID: 12891)
Pyotr Anatoliyovych ZIMA (Group ID: 12972)

Details of the amendment can be found in the Annex to this news release.

Financial institutions and other persons are requested to check whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise hold funds or economic resources for, or provide financial services to, the designated individuals. If so, they must freeze such accounts or other funds and, unless licensed by the Treasury, refrain from dealing with said funds or economic resources, and suspend the provision of any financial services. They must also report their findings to the FIU. Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated individuals they are not required to report these details again.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Russia and links to the UK’s Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Government working with seafood sector to overcome post-Brexit obstacles

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:52:55 GMT

The Isle of Man Government is working closely with the seafood industry to explore support options in light of the obstacles it is facing since the UK exited Europe on 1 January.

The Island’s seafood sector, including processing, is worth around £20m a year, however the combined effects of new Brexit rules and the ongoing pandemic have put businesses under increased pressure and impacted markets.

Exports of fresh fish and seafood have been disrupted due to new administration requirements, restrictions on normal working practices due to Coronavirus, and reduced export market demand - however these challenges are being worked through with some success.

The Isle of Man Government is following the situation in the UK closely, and in Scotland particularly with its large fishing and seafood interests, where many small businesses are claiming the new post-Brexit rules are affecting their livelihood.

Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said:

‘The seafood sector is extremely important to the Island and the combined impact of the UK’s exit from Europe on top of the pandemic has presented obstacles that must be overcome.

‘It is a rapidly evolving situation and we are actively considering the requirement for financial support and we are working with businesses to help.'

Currently, the Island’s catching and processing sectors continue to operate, although there are some challenging constraints on processing businesses due to the restrictions imposed during the Island’s second lockdown.

The Isle of Man Government has reintroduced a number of support schemes for workers and businesses including the Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance (MERA) and Coronavirus Business Support Scheme that are available to those in the sector who are eligible.

During the first lockdown a package of specific financial support was made available to seafood businesses. This support was extended twice to provide an overall package that lasted for nine months in 2020.

Financial Sanctions: Belarus

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:59:56 GMT

This news release is issued in respect of the restrictive measures directed against Belarus.

The Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/600) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the unresolved disappearances of four individuals in 1999 and 2000. The Republic of Belarus (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Island by means of the Republic of Belarus Sanctions (Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0479].

The following entry has been amended and is still subject to an asset freeze.

Andrei Vasilievich GALENKA (Group ID: 13939)

Details of the amendment can be found in the attached Annex.

Financial institutions and other persons are requested to check whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise hold funds or economic resources for, or provide financial services to, the designated individuals. If so, they must freeze such accounts or other funds and, unless licensed by the Treasury, refrain from dealing with said funds or economic resources, and suspend the provision of any financial services. They must also report their findings to the FIU. Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated individuals and entitiy they are not required to report these details again.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Belarus and links to the UK’s Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

No new cases of COVID-19 detected – 19 January 2021

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:08:08 GMT

No new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the Isle of Man over the last 24 hours.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK, commented:

‘This is great news for the Island. Although there is still some way to go the early signs are very positive that the measures we have in place are working.

‘I know the Manx people will continue to do the right thing and continue to make sensible choices. One day without a positive COVID-19 case does not mean now is the time to relax or become complacent but I am cautiously hopeful that this is an indication of yet more positive signs ahead.’

The current number of active cases of COVID-19 on the Island is 52.

Financial Sanctions: Chemical Weapons

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:21:38 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the amendment of the details for three existing entries listed under the Chemical Weapons financial sanctions regime.

The Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/618) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the proliferation and use of chemical weapons. The Regulations, were applied in Island law by the Chemical Weapons Sanctions (Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0452].

Details of the amendments can be found in the Annex to this news release. The two individuals and entity remain subject to an asset freeze.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated individuals and entity they are not required to report these details again.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Chemical Weapons and links to the UK's Consolidated List of Individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Iraq

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:10:19 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the removal of two entries listed under the Iraq sanctions regime.

The Iraq (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/707) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the former Government of Iraq and its state bodies, corporations or agencies. The Iraq (Sanctions) EU Exit) Regulations 2020 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Iraq Sanctions (Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0500].

Delistings

Individuals

AL-NAQIB, Zuhair Talib Abd-al-Sattar

DOB: --/--/1948.

Nationality: Iraq

Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref): IRQ0092 (UN Ref): IQi.031

Listed on: 02/07/2003 Last Updated: [31/12/2020] 19/01/2021 Group ID: 7588.

AL-UBAIDI, Amir Rashid Muhammad

DOB: --/--/1939.

POB: Baghdad, Iraq

Nationality: Iraq

Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref): IRQ0094 (UN Ref): IQi.033

Listed on: 02/07/2003 Last Updated: [31/12/2020] 19/01/2021 Group ID: 7597.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Iraq and links to the Consolidated List of Individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Libya

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:11:57 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the amendment to the details of four existing entries under the Libya sanctions regime.

The Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1665) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the

freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the commission of a serious human rights violation or abuse in Libya; the commission of a serious breach of international humanitarian law in Libya; activities undermining Libya’s transition to a democratic, peaceful and independent country or any other activity that threatens the peace, stability and security of Libya. The Libya (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Libya Sanctions (Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0584].

The following entries have been amended and remain subject to an asset freeze.

Khalifa GHWELL (Group ID: 13347)
LIBYAN INVESTMENT AUTHORITY (Group ID: 11666)
SIGMA AIRLINES (Group ID: 13915)
KINLOSS PROPERTY LIMITED (Group ID: 11769)

Full details can be found in the attached Annex to this news release.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated person and entities, they are not required to report these details again.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Libya and links to the UK’s Consolidated List of Individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:23:25 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the amendment to the details of 9 existing entries under the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sanctions regime.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/411) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the facilitation of any of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea's military programmes . The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea anctions(Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0502].

Full details can be found in the attached Annex to this news release.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated persons and entity, they are not required to report these details again.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and links to the UK’s Consolidated List of Individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Financial Sanctions: Burma

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:13:01 GMT

This news release is issued to publicise the amendment to the details of one existing entry under the Burma sanctions regime.

The Burma (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/136) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Burma. The Burma (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Burma Sanctions (Application) Regulations 2020 [SD 2020/0474].

The following entry has been amended and remains subject to an asset freeze.

Khin HLAING (Group ID: 13735)

Full details can be found in the attached Annex to this news release.

Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated person they are not required to report these details again.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Burma and links to the UK’s Consolidated List of Individuals and entities subject to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.