Former Mayor Says New Trade License Fees Not Yet in Effect, Reform Still Inevitable

With the complaints emerging from businesses in the capital following the rollout of a new trade license fee structure, former Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle reminded all businesses that the new fees have not come into effect yet.  In his address via a UDP press conference this morning, Belisle noted the inevitability of the new trade license regime, saying the reform has been more than a decade in the making and is intended to overhaul how municipalities assess and collect trade license fees. According to him, the new system is designed to modernize the framework and create fairness across business categories.

Belisle explained that the restructuring aims to standardize assessments and reduce long-standing disparities between different types and sizes of businesses, though he acknowledged implementation may be difficult in the initial stages.  The bill, once approved by the Senate, is expected to fully replace the existing system and reshape municipal revenue collection nationwide, but debate continues over how the transition will impact small and medium-sized enterprises.