Email

Print

Tonight, we've put both their remarks so you can decide who's right and who's wrong. Here it is "he said, he said":...

David Zabaneh, Owner Belize Market Plaza
"We have already been granted a blanket trade license from the Trade License Board."

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
"The Trade License Act does not allow for any type of blanket coverage. It is stated that every person needs its own business license, its own trade license for business."

David Zabaneh, Owner Belize Market Plaza
"With that, let's say exorbitant fee, but we looked at it where if we did it that way, it would protect the small business owner because because getting a trade license in Belmopan could take six months, seven months, if you're a farmer and you want to go sell and you have to go through all that red tape, I mean, you have to plan it one season ahead."

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
"Part of the way whole trade license works is that your business is tied to a location. Once your business cannot be tied to a location, it is classified as a "peddlers license" and a peddlers license is a lot more straightforward. So, one of the only requirements for the peddlers license is the Social Security ID. I don't believe that should be a major problem for all vendors up the plaza."

David Zabaneh, Owner Belize Market Plaza
"They want all the vendors to apply for a trade license. But if they don't apply for a trade license, they give us, I think, April 15th, that basically a cease and desist that, you know, if everyone doesn't apply for a trade license at that point, they cannot conduct business."

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
"But we are not after these vendors. We are trying to properly secure when it comes to these small vendors, we are trying to properly secure their business by regularizing these vendors to ensure that they have, valid trade lines. Presently, these operators are operating under an MoU which contradicts the trade license act."

Jules Vasquez
"It's the law you need, you need a trade license."

David Zabaneh, Owner Belize Market Plaza
"Which we have."

Jules Vasquez
"You have as a collective."

David Zabaneh, Owner Belize Market Plaza
"Yes, we have a blanket trade license."

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
"It's not something I would have done and I will leave it at that."

"We actually believe that the true trade license fee is a lot less than what these vendors are presently paying. The only difference would be that presently, through the their present agreement that they have with the, the their present, host, they get a location."

Jules Vasquez
"What are you all willing to do? How far are you all willing to resist this demand from the City Council?"

David Zabaneh, Owner Belize Market Plaza
"Well, from my end, I think there demand is unreasonable, unreasonable and unlawful. So we will continue to conduct business as the constitution of the lease allows, right? We have a right to do so."

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
"We are always willing to work with people. We find solutions. This slight issue that has arisen, in my belief, we can still find a smooth transition on the way forward."

The matter was supposed to come to a head by April 15th which is the deadline for the vendors to have regularized their trade license status - but the mayor says that is flexible if he can work with them. We'll see where it goes.