More than £2m committed to government's efficiency programme, with savings of up to £15 million projected

Digital upgrades and automation among early initiatives aimed at unlocking long-term government savings

Three business cases worth a combined £2.3 million have been approved under the Isle of Man Government's Efficiency Programme, according to a written Tynwald response.

Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper asked the Minister Without Portfolio Tim Crookall, to provide a breakdown of the approved actions, their cost, and the expected savings and timescales.

In his response, Mr Crookall confirmed that £2,296,579 has been allocated to date, with just under £42,000 spent so far.

He describes the investments as "short-term" commitments aimed at unlocking "meaningful long-term benefits".

The largest portion – £1.73 million – has been set aside for 25 digital projects over a 14-month period, which government claims could deliver up to £15 million in benefits over five years.

These projects include the digitisation of services such as Income Support applications, the introduction of online driving test bookings, and a new direct debit system for pre-paid prescriptions.

A further £535,086 is being used to support the set-up and governance of the Efficiency Programme itself, covering staffing and resources during its initial phase.

The smallest allocation – £29,250 £29,250 – will fund a six-month project to automate statutory checks during the government’s contract award process.

Government anticipates this could save up to £600,000 over three years.

Mr Crookall says these were the first business cases to be approved since the programme launched and that more are expected to follow across five core workstreams.

A benefits tracking system is also being developed to monitor both financial savings and service improvements, which will be reflected in quarterly public reports and Treasury's management accounts.