US Business Development Mission to Belize

to
Belize
“Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret”
April 20 - 24, 2006
______Female
Registration Deadline March 6, 2006
FORM
City _______________________________________________State____________ Zip_ _______________________
Home Phone: ____________________________ Office Phone: ______________________________
Fax____________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________
My check for $2,250.00 (per person) is enclosed and made payable to McColl & Associates/Belize
Return this form with deposit to:
Louise McColl
Senior Advisor to the Consul
P.O. Box 3415
Wilmington, NC 28406
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Business Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Business / Institution: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Passport number _________________________ Passport Expiration Date _______________________ Date of Birth_________________________
Name as it appears on Passport ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Please print or type]
ATTENDEE INFORMATION: ______Male
REGISTRATION
US Business Development Mission to Belize. . . . . . . . . . . . April 20 - 24, 2006
U.S. Business
Development Mission
Dear Friends,
CONSUL TO LEAD
TRADE MISSION TO BELIZE
T
he Honorary Consul of Belize will lead a U.S. business
development mission to the small nation of Belize from
April 20 - 24, 2006. This is the first business mission ever
from North Carolina to the Central American country. The mission
will highlight new U.S. business opportunities and stronger trade
ties with Belize and Central America.
“I look forward to leading this mission which will allow U.S.
interests to meet with Belizean officials and business leaders to
begin fully implementing important trade agreements and opening
new markets for both Belizean and U.S. businesses and products”
said Paul.
The Business Development Mission will target industry sectors including Agriculture; Aquaculture, Real Estate; Industrial
Supplies; Environmental Technologies; Food Processing and Packaging; Information Technology; Medical Equipment; Pharmaceuticals; Printing and Graphics; Shipping; Banking; and Spirits.
The mission will include two stops: Belize City, the industrial
capital of the country and San Pedro on the island of Ambergris
Caye. In each city, participants will meet with key government and
business representatives, Chambers of Commerce and industry,
trade associations, and potential business partners.
Individuals or businesses interested in
participating in this trade mission should contact :
Louise McColl
Senior Advisor to the Consul
P.O. Box 3415
Wilmington, NC 28406
phone 910-350-1211 • 10-350-0818 fax
mccoll18@bellsouth.net
or visit www.consulateofbelize.org
On behalf of the government of
Belize, we invite you to join us on the
first business development mission
from North Carolina to Belize! Our
mission is to promote investment in Belize and one
of our core activities is to support potential investors seeking to invest in the country.
Belize is becoming a niche for investors who
want to develop their business in a stable, strategic sustainable and business-friendly environment.
Belize’s government, recognized by investors as
non-intrusive, supporting and predictable, is wholly
committed to creating the conditions, policies and
institutions to supporting the country’s development model and preserving the country’s distinctiveness.
Various economic sectors are being targeted
by investors attracted to Belize’s natural resources,
convenient legal framework and export-oriented
infrastructure. Tourism related activities, agroprocessing, furniture manufacturing, real estate
and international financial services are among the
economic sectors that are focusing the interest of
potential niche investors around the globe.
If you have visited us before, we invite you
to visit us again as we continue to build Belize
for tourism and investment. From the ancient
Maya temples through the canopied jungle to the
crystalline sea, we welcome you and invite you to
come see why Belize truly is “Mother Nature’s Best
Kept Secret!”
Sincerely,
Edward Lee Paul, Jr.
Honorary Consul of Belize
Belize Business
Development Mission
April 20 – 24, 2006
Itinerary
Thursday, April 20
2:00 PM
Arrive / Radisson Fort George Hotel
Itinerary (cont’d)
Saturday, April 22
8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
10:00 AM Depart for Municipal Airport
11:00 AM Flight to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Tropic Air
5:00 PM Welcoming Session / Consul Edward Paul
5:30 PM
Cocktail Reception
7:00 PM
Dinner / Speaker: Michael Green, Esq.
“The Legal Aspects of International Business”
Friday, April 21
8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM Presentation by BELTRAIDE: Objectives &
Services, Investment Attraction & Climate,
12:00 PM Arrive / Ramon’s Village
Afternoon On Your Own
7:00 PM
Chamber of Commerce
Sunday, April 23
7:00 AM Continental Breakfast
Day at Leisure - Optional Tours:
1. Snorkeling – Hol Chan & Shark/Ray Alley
Investment Incentive Programs
2. Scuba Diving
10:00 AM Doing Business in Belize: Regulations & Pro-
3. Fishing
cedures
4. Maya Ruins – Lamanai
5. Golf – Caye Chapel
12:00 PM Lunch / Keynote Speaker: US Ambassador
Robert J. Dieter
2:00 PM
Banking in Belize / Presented by the Central
Bank of Belize
3:00 PM
Buying and Investing in Real Estate
4:00 PM
Retiring in Belize – Qualified Retirement
Program (QRP)
4: 30 PM Open Discussion
Dinner / Presentation by the Ambergris Caye
Monday, April 24
7:00 AM Continental Breakfast
11:00 AM Flight to International Airport / Tropic Air
2:00 PM
Depart for United States
Full Country Name...........Belize
Area...................................22,966 sq km
Population.........................266,440
Capital City.......................Belmopan
People................................52% Hispanic, 23% Creole, 11% Maya,
6% Garífuna
Language...........................English
Religion.............................54% Catholic, 23% Protestant
Government.......................parliamentary democracy
Head of State.....................(Symbolic) Governor General
Sir Colville Young
Head of Government......... Prime Minister Said Musa
GDP...................................US$1.28 billion
GDP per capita..................US$4,900
Inflation.............................1.9%
Major Industries................Sugar, bananas, fish products, garment
production, food processing, timber,
tourism, construction.
Major Trading Partners.....USA, UK, Mexico, Canada
Belize
“Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret”
Belize (formerly British Honduras until the name of the country was changed in 1973) lies on the eastern or Caribbean coast of Central
America, bounded on the north and part of the west by Mexico, and on the south and the remainder of the west by Guatemala. The inner coastal
waters are shallow and are sheltered by a line of coral reefs, dotted with islets called ‘cayes’, extending almost the entire length of the country.
There is a low coastal plain, much of it covered with mangrove swamp, but the land rises gradually towards the interior. The Maya
Mountains and the Cockscomb Range form the backbone of the southern half of the country, the
highest point being Doyle’s Delight (1124 meters above sea level) in the Cockscomb Range. The
Cayo District in the west includes the Mountain Pine Ridge, ranging from 305 to around 914
meters above sea level. The northern districts contain considerable areas of tableland. There are
many rivers, some of them navigable for short distances by shallow-draught vessels. A large part
of the mainland is forest.
Today Belize’s population is estimated to be at approximately 273,700. The country is a
melting pot of many races and over the years the muliti-racial make-up has risen through the
influx of many people of Central America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. Males outnumber the
female population only by 1%.
The population census shows that the main ethnic groups: Mestizo, Creole, Ketchi, Yucatec
and Mopan Mayas, Garifuna and East Indian maintains a large percent of Belize’s population.
Other ethnic groups: German and Dutch Mennonites, Chinese, Arabs and Africans accounts for a
small percentage of the population. The ethnic groups, however, are heavily intermixed.
Languages:
English is the official language of Belize. However,
English Creole is widely spoken and remains a distinctive part of everyday conversations for most Belizeans.
Spanish is also common and is taught in primary and
secondary schools in order to further develop bi-lingualism.
Spanish is spoken as a mother tongue by the majority of the people in the Orange Walk and
Corozal Districts, north of Belize and the Cayo District in the west, In the southern Districts:
Stann Creek and Toledo, there are people whose first language is Garifuna or Maya.
Capital:
Belmopan is the capital of the country. Built in 1970, it is the seat of Government and has
been classified as the Garden City of the country. It was created following extensive damage
to the former capital Belize City, caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Belmopan is geographically located at the centre of the country, some 80 kilometers to the south-west of Belize City on higher ground. It serves as a hurricane refuge for Belizeans and has the largest
number of hurricane shelters in the country. Its population today is estimated at 11,100 and is
increasing as more people relocate to the Capital. However, Belize City still remains the hub
of commercial activity and one of the most urbanized centers of Belize with a population of
58,000 people.
For more information, please contact: Louise McColl, Senior Advisor to the Consul
P.O. Box 3415 • Wilmington, North Carolina 28406
910-350-1211 • 910-350-0818 fax • mccoll18@bellsouth.net
Package information
Honorary Consul Edward Lee Paul, Jr. will accompany a group
of 20-25 business leaders, with varied investment interest, on the
trade mission to Belize.
Participants are encouraged to register as early as possible. To
register, please fill out the registration form on the previous page
and return it with your participation fee of $2,250.00 to:
Louise McColl, Senior Advisor to the Consul, P.O. Box 3415,
Wilmington, NC 28406. We cannot guarantee registrations
received after March 6, 2006. (Participation fee is non-refundable
if you cancel)
Participants will spend two nights on the mainland and will be
staying at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City where
The Consulate will host a variety of informational activities. The
US Ambassador, Robert J. Dieter has agreed to address our group
on Friday at 12:00 Noon.
Participants will then spend two nights on the island of Anbergris
Caye at Ramon’s Village Resort.
Beltraide, Belize Trade and Investment Development Service, will
hold Informative sessions mornings and afternoons on investment
related topics including:
• Incentive Programs
• Regulations and Procedures
• Real Estate
• Banking in Belize
• Investment Attraction and Climate
• Objectives and Services
The participation fee of $2,250.00 includes hotel, events,
continental breakfasts each morning, dinner on Thursday, lunch on
Friday, and air transportation to and from the island of Ambergris
Caye (provided by Tropic Air).
Airfare to Belize from the United States, optional tours and
excursions on Sunday, Day at Leisure, are not included in the
participation fee.
For more information contact:
Louise McColl, Senior Advisor to the Consul
P.O. Box 3415
Wilmington, NC 28406
phone 910-350-1211 • fax 910-350-0818
email mccoll18@bellsouth.net
or visit www.consulateofbelize.org
Accommodations
Belize City
T
he Fort George
Hotel is located
in the historic Fort
George area of Belize
City. The Fort George
Hotel draws adventure
travelers to Belize’s
ancient Mayan ruins,
exotic wildlife and
spectacular waters for
snorkeling and diving. The Fort George Hotel is just 11 miles from
Belize’s international airport and is also convenient to downtown
Belize City, U.S. Embassy, Handicraft Center and the Marine
Terminal & Museum.
Fort George Hotel is an award-winning resort hotel that is
convenient to the cultural and commercial attractions of Belize
City. The services and amenities of the Fort George Hotel make it
an ideal base for both leisure and business guests visiting Belize.
It features high-speed internet access, swimming pool and a fitness
center.
Ambergris Caye
R
amon’s Village
Resort is an
exotic beachside island
paradise. Marvel at
the stunning, authentic
thatched roof cabanas,
tropical lagoonstyle pool, fabulous
restaurant and the
world-famous Purple
Parrot all the while being pampered by our renowned staff.
The accommodations include sixty-one thatched roof cabanas
hidden beneath coconut palms and lush tropical foliage.
Honeymoon Suites, Presidential and International Suites,
Beachfront, Seaside and Gardenview rooms.... air conditioned and
fan-cooled for idyllic comfort.
Ramon’s Village Resort is located on the picturesque island of
Ambergris Caye, you’ll step back in time to the Caribbean of
yesteryear.
April 21 - luncheon speaker
Honorary Consul of Belize
Dr. Edward Lee Paul, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
AMI - Atlantic Medical, Inc.
Medical Research & Development
1213 Culbreth Drive
Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
Phone: (910) 509-7161
Fax: (707) 549-4364
Email: epauljr@aol.com
ed.paul@ami-research.com
Robert J. Dieter
The U.S. Ambassador to Belize
Ambassador Robert J. Dieter was confirmed by the Senate June 16, 2005. He
has been Clinical Professor of Law and
Director of Clinical Programs, Criminal
Law, Criminal Procedure, Trial Advocacy, and Evidence at the University
of Colorado at Boulder. He joined the
faculty of the CU School of Law in 1979
after spending several years as a deputy
district attorney and in private practice. Since that time, he has
focused his work at the Law School’s Legal Aid Clinic.
In 2003, President Bush appointed Ambassador Dieter to the
board of the Leal Services Corporation, which funds 163 legal aid
programs around the nation to help low-income Americans gain
equal access to the judicial system. In 2000, Ambassador Dieter
served as a Presidential Elector for the State of Colorado. In 1996,
Ambassador Dieter published Colorado Criminal Practice and Procedure, a two-volume overview and analysis of state and federal
criminal law in Colorado. A second edition was published in 2004.
AMBASSADOR of Belize
to the United States of America
H.E. Lisa M. Shoman
Embassy of Belize
2535 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington, DC, 20008
Phone: 202 332 9636
Fax: 202 332 6888
E-mail: edwambassador@aol.com
Ambassador Dieter is a member of the Board of Directors of
the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, D.C. and Chairman of its Finance Committee. He is a member of the Executive
Council, Criminal Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association
and Co-chair of the Criminal Section of the Boulder County Bar
Association.
Ambassador Dieter received his law degree from the University of Denver Collage of Law in 1972 and his B.A. from Yale
University 1968. He is married and has three children.
Benefits of Investing in Belize
Belize provides the three main elements sought by international investors:
• Stability: Long-standing, democratic tradition; independent judiciary, exchange rate fixed for
25 years
• Profitability: Flexible fiscal incentives and concessions, Commercial Free Zones, Export Processing Zones, Repatriation of profits and dividends
• Liveability: Subtropical climate, virgin rainforest, un-spoilt beaches and spectacular barrier reef, friendly people.
Furthermore, Belize is strategically located next to Mexico and Central America, near the US and the Caribbean islands, rich in natural resources with a stable and supportive economy, bilingual workforce and established infrastructure.
Trade Agreements
Belize enjoys benefits under trade agreements with several developed countries. Including:
• Preferential market access to the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM)
• Preferential treatment from the USA under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI)
• Duty free access to the European Community for certain commodities such as bananas and sugar
under the Lomé IV Convention
• Present negotiations is taking place with the Contonou Agreement which is intended to provide
more support to ACP countries
• Under CARIBCAN, certain Belizean goods enter Canada duty free
Government Investment Incentives
The Government offers a menu of incentives that attract even the most cautious investor:
• 100% foreign ownership of both land and company assets.
• Joint ventures with local entities are encouraged.
•
Legislation is in place providing incentives for the retirement industry.
•
Flexible fiscal incentives and concessions
•
Commercial Free Zones and an Export Processing Zone
•
Vibrant, International Financial Services Industry
For additional information, please contact the Consulate of Belize or:
The Belize Trade & Investment Development Service
Tel: 011-501-822-3737 Fax: 011-501-822-0595
beltraide@belizeinvest.org.bz
www.belizeinvest.org.bz