Just £4.2m of savings have been made by government as part of an efficiencies drive, one of a number of end of term reports reveals.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan set a target in September 2024 for the civil service to find £10m in efficiencies and savings in the first year, building to at least £50m over five years.

But an annual report on the programme confirms that at the end of 2025-26, a total of just over £4.2m in savings had been released out of a total £15.8m identified.

Of this £4,267,172 figure, £706,000 related to the sale of property, which arguably cannot classed as a saving.

The savings in rates payments resulting from these property sales, which including Heathfield Drive, Peel, totalled £6,031.

In a foreword to the report, the Chief Minister said that on a recurring basis, the realised savings equate to in excess of £10m over five years, one fifth of the programme’s ambition.

He said the challenge he had set the civil service in 2024 had reflected the ‘reality our Island is facing’.

Mr Cannan said the savings had been delivered alongside more than £9.9m in cost pressures, including below-inflation department revenue budget increases and pay awards.

He cited practical examples of changes made in the last 12 months including more services being made available online and a government estate project which he said has initiated plans to manage over 1,400 properties in a better way.

At the outset of the programme, up to £5m was allocated as upfront investment to secure longer-term savings.

Also publised is the latest report on the size of the public service workforce.

This shows that that total headcount increased by 53.08 full time equivalent between January and March this year - that’s up 0.67%.

The largest increase once again was attributable to Manx Care, reflecting continued emphasis on strengthening frontline healthcare provision.

As the Cannan administration draws to a close, the government has also published its final Island Plan setting out what has been achieved.

Mr Cannan said: ‘The Island Plan has been an ambitious programme of work delivered during a period of considerable global and economic challenge, including responding to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, cost of living pressures and global conflicts.

‘While there is always more to do, the report demonstrates that despite these challenges, the Island Plan has ensured a sustained commitment to delivery, reform and responsible management of public finances, helping to protect and prepare the Island for the future.’

Over the lifetime of the Island Plan, 161 milestones have been completed, ranging from major and complex initiatives to smaller actions designed to support wider programmes of work aligned to the government’s strategic priorities.

At the end of the reporting period, 30 milestones remain in progress.

By the end of July 2026, all are expected to have either been completed or substantially progressed.

Mr Cannan said this provided a ‘strong foundation for consideration by the next administration’.