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Government is cognizant of the need to create
an enabling environment which will attract invest ments by both local and
foreign investors. Subsequently it enacted a series of legislation in the
early 90's to allow for a range of incentives which will encourage and assist
any feasible and genuine development activity in its ongoing search for
sustainable national development.
The criteria to qualify for the different incentives varies but once met
the recipient obtains full benefits which can be a tax holiday or import
duty exemption on inputs or a combination of both. Benefits, however, will
be dependent on the type of incentive awarded to the potential investor.
With abundant natural resources, strategic geographic location to export
markets in North, Central and South America, Belize offers excellent diversified
investment potential in several areas. These include agriculture,
agro-processing, horticulture, mariculture, tourism related activities and
grow ing service industries.
Investments are particularly welcome if they result in increased production,
introduce state-of-the- art technology, and enhances local management skills,
promote greater efficiency through competition, diversification of the economic
base and facilitate access to foreign markets.
Foreign investment will be particularly encouraged in export oriented activities
which lead to increased employment, and employment opportunities, and the
development of local technological capacity.
Belize continues to enjoy preferential access to markets in Europe, Canada,
United States of America, and the Caribbean. However, the realities of NAFTA,
GATT and other regional and international trading blocks require that the
Government of Belize shifts its emphasis away from the traditional exports
of sugar, citrus, and bananas to non-traditional products such as papayas,
mangoes, pine apples, and other exotic fruits and vegetables including export
oriented manufacturing and ser vices.
While government supports and encourages joint venture and partnership
investments as a preferred mechanism for investment capital it allows one
hundred percent foreign ownership of an enterprise. Indeed, Belizean laws
allow for the following categones of business ownership:
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