The seemingly harmless case of Corona (beer), has unfortunately led to the far more dangerous case of Corona (virus), traveling on a well-worn path from Orange Walk to San Pedro on the backs of migrant workers; and now; angling its way back through the mainland with a fury we never imagined. This crisis has brought to the forefront the urgent need for a new modern National Migration Policy that will promote national development, fair business practices, and a balance between immigration, social welfare and protection for all Belizean Citizens.
Business
This balancing act is a tough one for governments, themselves questioning the wisdom of presiding over economic wreckage as predictions of growing economic doom hovers heavy in the months to come.
The current impasse with the informal exports of cattle and other commodities into Peten, Guatemala, unless resolved, will cause a fundamental impact on our domestic food security. In order to understand the reason for this informal trade, a review of the Partial Scope Agreement with Guatemala is important.
In this Age of Isolation, it means that in our own nation of Belize, we must reinvent ourselves. It means that Government, political parties, the private sector, and civil society must put aside petty squabbles and join hands in crafting a new nation that can operate and thrive self-sufficiently inside our proverbial national isolation ward.
While we take for granted that the ubiquitous corner Chiney Shop, open anytime, is convenient, this shift in retail control has led to the virtual demise of traditional distribution channels and has significantly impacted the health of our population, taxation, building standards, and the environment.
This segment of the economy, not in the shadows but open for all to see, represents a parallel existence of a separate culture, interacting with Belize purely for the profit that it brings, minus the burdens of tax, crime, or financial controls that the rest of Belize bears.