A CHRISTMAS message for isleofman.com readers from the Island's Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK.
"The end of the year is always a time for reflection.
"2011 has been a very busy year and after a long election campaign the past few months have been very demanding.
"Settling into a new department has taken up a lot of my time and I have tried to ensure that my dedication to dealing with constituency issues has not been impacted.
"The Christmas holidays will certainly provide me with a welcome break and I’m looking forward to spending some quality time relaxing with my family.
"The New Year will bring with it many challenges as we face more and more financial and political pressures.
"Financially the Budget I deliver in February will be closely scrutinised – although we are in a position most western countries would envy having reserves which substantially exceed our borrowings, we still need to rebalance our finances to account for the reductions of income to our economy over recent years.
"Politically we will continue to face growing pressure from external organisations such as the OECD, FATF and G20.
"I intend to address the challenges as they arise and will communicate our proposals as soon as possible to try and limit any uncertainty.
"For the moment I would like to wish you, and your loved ones, a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year."
