1 week ago
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Belize’s trade licensing process is going digital as the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development and Local Government launches two new platforms aimed at modernizing local governance and rural development. The Trade License Management and Administration System, known as TRALMA, and the Community Profile Information System, or CPIS, were officially launched yesterday in Belmopan. TRALMA will digitize the entire trade licensing process across Belize’s municipalities and rural authorities, replacing paper-based procedures with separate online portals for applicants and government personnel. Business owners will be able to apply for a trade licence, monitor the status of an application, make payments and download a verifiable licence containing a QR code, all without having to complete the process in person. Chief Executive Officer Valentino Shal said the platform will support a cashless system while giving applicants greater access to information about their trade licenses.
Valentino Shall, CEO, Ministry of Rural Transformation: “Under the system we are unveiling today, there will be no handling of cash by any officer of the ministry. And except for a printed copy of your trade license, everything else is paperless. Applicants will be able to check the status of their application online and decisions of the licensing boards will be logged automatically for transparency. And also very importantly, there will be no lost files. The two digital platforms that we are launching today are a continuation of the digitization program that we have at the ministry. Indeed, we have an extensive digitization program aimed at modernizing administrative processes and service delivery mechanisms. Our drive seeks to improve operational efficiency, enhance accessibility and strengthen the quality and responsiveness of services provided to the public. We all want an efficient government. Accessing government services should be quick and easy. It should reduce travel time. It should reduce transaction costs. And also be cost effective.”
The system is being implemented under the Trade License Act, Number 19 of 2024. According to the Ministry, it is expected to reduce administrative delays while making the licensing process more accessible, efficient and transparent. The second platform, CPIS, will serve as a centralized and publicly accessible source of information on Belize’s rural communities. The system will contain demographic, economic and infrastructural data collected by rural community development officers using KOBO technology. Shal explained that the platform will form part of a national information network, providing authorities with a clearer picture of communities and allowing them to track the status of businesses across the country.
Valentino Shall, CEO, Ministry of Rural Transformation: “The community profile information system that we’re also launching today will allow for information on any village in Belize to be readily available. The system we have built is dynamic and so it can be used for any social or economic data. The built-in database will simply grow over time to meet the needs of any government agency. Our long-term goal is to turn this system into a rural data observatory that will track not only current challenges, but also the progress being made in the rural sector. The new trade license regime will finally allow rural communities to access much needed resources. All the fees collected will go right back into the village to be invested for the needs of those communities. Very soon we will revise and introduce new financial management systems for village councils in rural communities so that those resources are managed properly and transparently.”
The Ministry says the information will help policymakers and development planners identify community needs, measure economic activity and direct resources and interventions to the areas where they are most needed.
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