Belmopan’s commercial sector is confronting an unprecedented financial shock as municipal trade licence fees have skyrocketed by as much as 700%, creating widespread alarm among business proprietors. Khalid Belisle, a caretaker representative from the United Democratic Party (UDP), has revealed that these dramatic increases directly contravene legislative protections established under the Trade Licence Amendment Bill, which mandates a maximum 10% annual adjustment cap for a three-year period.
Documented cases illustrate the severity of the situation, with one enterprise experiencing a projected fee escalation from $2,500 to approximately $18,000. Belisle condemned these increases as unlawful under existing regulatory frameworks, emphasizing that such exponential hikes undermine legal safeguards designed to protect businesses from arbitrary financial burdens.
The Trade Licence Amendment Bill, which cleared the House of Representatives but awaits Senate ratification, was intended to modernize fee calculation methodologies. Its provisions explicitly state that for thirty-six months following implementation, fee adjustments “shall not be greater or less than 10% of the annual licence fee levied on that trade before the commencement of this section.”
Business owners report experiencing what one described as ‘death by a thousand cuts,’ with the cumulative effect of various regulatory pressures creating an increasingly hostile environment for commercial operations. The UDP has issued urgent appeals to municipal councils, urging responsible governance and adequate advance communication to prevent residents from being blindsided by financial demands.
The opposition party is actively pressuring local authorities to alleviate rather than exacerbate tax burdens, warning that sudden and severe fee increases could potentially destabilize small businesses and jeopardize numerous livelihoods throughout the community.