Government Defers Trade License Act Rollout

There’s an important update for Belize’s business community, especially those in rural areas. The Trade License Act, No. 19 of 2024, which was set to introduce a new licensing system for both urban and rural businesses, has been put on hold. That means, for now, only businesses in towns and cities will need to pay trade license fees. Rural businesses, including those in places like Caye Caulker, won’t have to worry about those payments until the law officially kicks in for the 2026 licensing year. The government says the delay is necessary to meet all parliamentary requirements before the Act comes into force. In the meantime, the old Trade License Act remains in effect. And if you’ve already paid application fees for the upcoming changes, don’t worry, those payments will still count when the new law rolls out. For more details, affected businesses can reach out to the Ministry of Rural Transformation.