This evening, representatives of the Government and members of the local and international business community are enjoying an evening of relaxation in San Pedro, reflecting on the first day of the first Belize Investment Summit.
As we told you, that's an event that the Briceno Government is hoping will heat up Belize's investment climate. Our news team was in San Pedro for the first day of activities which lasted a continuous 9 hours.
Tomorrow, we'll have a deep dive into the event, but for tonight's coverage of the first-ever summit, we have an excerpt of the keynote addresses from Prime Minister Briceno and the Guest Speaker, Stephen Harper, the former Canadian Prime Minister:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I am truly excited to host the first ever Belize Investment Summit. I am eve more excited to see the interest that has been generated through our digital and face to face marketing which is evidence by your presence here and virtually. We change with the times and so today we are engaged in what is truly a hybrid event. You see we are fully convinced that we can create an environment conducive to economic transformation. Investment provides an opportunity for growth in micro, small, medium and large enterprises. I am convinced that if we create initiatives which include access to finance and a more seamless enabling mechanism that we can rebuild our economy with MSMEs at its foundation and without compromising economic initiatives of the larger enterprises. We also must look at the non-traditional industries and shouldn't forget the contribution of the service industries to our gross domestic product. This first of a kind summit is being hosted under the theme "Belize Open for Business". I know some of you may be asking why open for business? aren't you always for business? Well, the answer is simple. The covid19 pandemic has negatively affected economies worldwide and for developing countries like ours it is no different. I think it's not only more different, but it's even more challenging for our small developing countries like Belize. The global downturns affect us where supply chains quickly become disruptive causing challenge to trade. In addition, we hear about doing business in Belize and the challenges it has posed for investors both foreign and local. These challenges create problems and make us not as competitive as we should be. Our government's response is crucial. For this reason, cabinet is focused and our approach is all in. It's all hands on deck."
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Former PM, Canadian Government
"As we all know the tourist industry is a great provider of lots of jobs, but they are often large quantities of low paying jobs. There are other opportunities in sectors and the real opportunity for Belize, one frankly that I see reflected in a lot of current policies is getting some portion of that wealthy tourist segment to relocate here. In some cases, to start businesses but in others to at least use a greater volume of higher end professional services like accountants, investment managers, lawyers, medical professionals - lot of growth in those areas could significantly add to the growth you see here in business processing operations. But to fully seize that kind of opportunity I suggest a deliberate and strategic focus on your education sector. Attracting foreign expertise is important, but don't lose sight of Belize's successful model of integration and economic participation. Ensure that your own citizens have the opportunity to develop the skills that align with your economy starting with expertise."
