Guatemalan business delegation visits Belize
Had the most recent diplomatic effort to end the Guatemalan claim been more successful, the visit of a high level business delegation from that country would be front-page news. But the fact is that profitable trade can flourish, even where politics falls short. News 5’s Janelle Chanona reports on the latest efforts in dollar diplomacy.
Mark Lizarraga, President, Belize Chamber Commerce
“Why are we worried about filling containers and filling ships and taking stuff to the Caribbean, and taking stuff to Europe and taking stuff to the United States when there’s a less sophisticated market in our region, right in our backdoor, right next door?”
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
A candid comment from President of the Belize Chamber of Commerce, Mark Lizarraga. This morning, the Chamber welcomed their Guatemalan business counterparts, to explore trade initiatives between the neighbouring countries. According to Jorge Briz, President of the Camara de Comercio de Guatemala, a closer relationship will bring benefits to businesses on both sides of the border.
Jorge Briz, President, Camara de Comercio de Guatemala
“This agreement we intend to generate jobs on both sides. It isn’t a business if you don?t have benefits and I have benefits. And we intend that both countries have benefits. And in the future, I see if we don’t have the frontier it would be great, because the frontier because the frontiers, for example in Central America we have six frontiers. Why?”
But breaking traditional trade barriers will take time and convincing, a fact that isn’t lost on the Belizeans, especially given the small domestic market and limited industrial capabilities.
Mark Lizarraga
“So I think that this is where we need to harness this potential and grow. Give our industries that step-by-step growth until they have the volumes. Then, that will merit then investing in putting up a big factory or putting up a big processing facility, or putting up whatever, because these things don’t come cheap. And most of the small equipment you buy now is to produce huge numbers of goods.”
For Lizarraga, support for this project has to come from the private sectors in Belize and Guatemala.
Mark Lizarraga
“When people cry hard time in business you have to look for new business. Why are we crying hard times? Because the money that was being invested is no longer there. But we all knew that that was not sustainable. We couldn’t keep up those levels of spending indefinitely. So this is why we have to move on to real business, an economy is grown by private sectors. Government cannot sustain the growth in any economy, it’s private sector initiative.”
There are plans underway for the initiative to receive financial assistance, more than two million Belize dollars from the United Kingdom to spend on trade shows, travel and partnership.
Mark Lizarraga
“Basically creating a home for the Guatemalan businessmen of Belize at our Chamber, and basically creating a home for the Belizean businessman at the Chamber in Guatemala. So if a Belizean businessman goes to Guatemala and he needs to use the offices to make contact for whatever, they’re over there to help him. In the same fashion, if a Guatemalan businessman comes to Belize, and he needs help, we’re here to help him.”
But the ever-present Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory does threaten business dealings between the businessmen despite the potential for profits.
Anthony Chanona, Mayor, City of Belmopan
“In the absence of a formal demarcation of our boundaries, our borders, the transhipment points for trade have always been a problem. And therefore I would think that we would move speedily towards that sort of arrangement with a clearly defined settlement on our border dispute.”
“I would think the economic benefits would be on the border towns of San Ignacio, and obviously in Punta Gorda. Removing the fear of dealing with Guatemala, in dealing with governments, in the minds of the Guatemalan government in dealing with the Belizean businessman so to speak.”
But while international negotiations continue, on the ground, it’s clear that these men and women will find ways to get down to business. Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
The delegation returns home on Sunday.
