Belmopan residents concerned over increased fees and taxes

Several businesses in Belmopan are raising concerns tonight after receiving trade license bills for 2026 showing dramatic increases, some by as much as 700 percent. The hikes come despite a government announcement delaying the implementation of the new, higher-fee trade licensing regime. Area Representative Oscar Mira had previously told the media that he was working with the Belmopan City Council to reverse the increases, noting that they should not have taken effect under the deferred 2024 Act. Today, we sought clarification from Belmopan Mayor Pablo Cawich. The mayor explained that the increases are not the result of the new tax regime, but rather a citywide review carried out by the newly appointed trade board. According to Mayor Cawich, the board conducted a reassessment of businesses in the capital to ensure trade license fees were being correctly calculated. He says that during the review, several businesses were found to have incomplete or blank files and were paying what appeared to be unusually low license fees. In the absence of documentation to support those figures, the trade board ordered reassessments. Mayor Cawich insists that the new trade license fee increase regime has not been implemented.

Despite the sharp increases reflected in some bills, the mayor maintains that City Council acted only to correct discrepancies, not to introduce new taxes. He elaborated further. 

Mayor Cawich also says that all affected businesses will receive a follow-up letter from the city council. Businesses that have already paid the higher amount will have the excess credited toward next year’s trade license fee or applied to other outstanding payments owed to the council