Tri-Country International Chamber of Commerce visits Belize

roger espejo

The economic downturn is hitting the country hard and every initiative that can make a difference is under consideration. Since Monday, the US Tri-county International Chamber of Commerce has been in Belize. The group is meeting with the private sector to discuss the possibility of trade agreements to boast the sagging economy. It is being hosted by the Belize City Council and according to counselor Roger Espejo, economic opportunities are at the top of the agenda.

Roger Espejo, City Councillor

“They’re meeting with local counterparts with local governments as well as members of the Belize Chamber of Commerce to explore economic opportunities and to galvanize on some of the relationships that they have started in the past.”

Marion Ali

“What are some of those that you, as the councillor from Belize City identify that we can get help or seek help on?”

Roger Espejo

“Well, there are several areas that we can seek help on. One of the main areas that we would seek their assistance on is in the renewal in partners in trade agreement, which Belize City formed with the city of Houston some years ago. The Tri-country Black Chamber of Commerce then, now International Chamber of Commerce, was very influential in that.”

Leondria Thompson, President/CEO, Tri-country Intl Chamber of

Leondria Thompson

Commerce

“Our focus is to look at our African American business owners and see how they need assistance and how we can create partnerships internationally and the benefits of those partnerships is economic empowerment.”

Marion Ali

“So at the end of all of this how do you see this all working out?”

Leondria Thompson

“For both countries it’s that we have technology that we can transfer and we have ideas that we can transfer. Businesses here have resources as well as ideas that can be transferred. So this mission is considered a bilateral trade mission.”

Roger Espejo

“We want to establish concrete relationships in terms of micro and small businesses. We want to, for our local businessmen as well as other businessmen to build ties to know what products are available, what lines are available, what services we can venture to provide that we don’t have in Belize City and other parts of the country.”

The Tri-Country International Chamber of Commerce representatives will leave on Friday.