Next year’s gathering in the island of finance officials and ’future leaders’ from small countries will be as important and relevant as it has ever been.

More than 20 men and women from the Caribbean, the Pacific region, Africa and the Indian Ocean would have been taking part in the 12th Small Countries Financial Management Programme next month.

But the Covid-19 pandemic put paid to that and the scheme had to be cancelled.

Mark Shimmin, MBE, has been executive director for more than five years. He was previously the government’s chief financial officer. He told Business News it was a ’shame’ but it was called off after it became clear that there was no practical way it could have happened.

But he said everyone who had been offered a place on this year’s event was being invited to next year’s gathering instead.

And indeed he believes the 2021 scheme should take on even more importance for finance officials and government officers following the coronavirus crisis which has reached far and wide across the globe.

Mr Shimmin said the programme helps ’develop future leaders and supports the growth and prosperity of small countries’.

One of the aims has always been to look at small countries and their handling of global challenges such as regulatory and compliance issues.

Mr Shimmin said the challenges facing delegates would no doubt be greater in the months ahead as the world tried to recover after the Covid-19 crisis.

This year’s scheme would have gotten under way in the island on June 28.

The first part of the programme would have been based in the island for a week before everyone would have moved on to Oxford for the second stage.

’We were once again looking forward to an intensive two-week programme with a group of highly-motivated and enthusiastic professionals from around the world.’

One of the many highlights was always a reception with the Lieutenant Governor at Government House.

Sir Richard Gozney is a keen supporter of the scheme and he has told previous gatherings that his experiences as a diplomat in various countries had given him ’a sense of the challenges you face’.

Mr Shimmin said Sir Richard has always been ’very positive about the value of the programme to the island and to the participants and their countries.’

The gathering at Government House is always a great chance for the group to meet members of the business community and politicians.

Last year it was announced that David Doyle CBE, of Cains, the former First Deemster, had joined the Small Countries Financial Management Centre as a director.