The Directorate General for Foreign Trade launched Belize’s Trade Policy Framework in July 2016. The Cabinet approved framework provides government’s commitment and policy guidance for formulating Belize’s first comprehensive National Trade Policy aimed at stimulating and expanding trade for domestic and international markets.
Consultation with the Public Sector was held between the 14th and 15th March 2017 at the Best Western Plaza Hotel in Belize City. That was the first in a series of consultations with stakeholders from the public and private sector, civil society, women and youth groups to seek inputs for the development of the National Trade Policy.
With Belize’s peculiar geographical and economic position, the challenges faced to effectively compete with global standards, and the need to increase productive and trade capacity at the national level, the government of Belize has sought to align various policy instrument relating to trade. This move will ensure inclusiveness and sustainable economic development through the National Trade Policy. At the core of this significant national process is the contribution it has on attaining Belize’s Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy (GSDS) objective of a better quality of life for all Belizeans. These consultations will provide a forum for engagement in the process of creating a responsive national policy to stimulate trade, enable investments and facilitate Belize’s integration into the regional and multilateral trading system.
The Directorate General for Foreign Trade will develop a ‘people driven” National Trade Policy to include stakeholders from across Belize. Consultations on this very important national exercise has been sustained with the final leg expected towards the end of August.