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Putting aside the moral issue of sun-loving gringos taking jobs away from Belizeans for a moment:
I am sure Pedro is correct that work permit regulations are often bent and that you may well succeed in working without a permit even if you are supposed to have one.
That is because every Belizean law and regulation has a loophole built in called "Minister's discretion." That means that high ranking pols can do whatever they want and so can their cronies and those who display appropriate "gratitude" towards said pols.
The danger in such a system is that it cuts both ways. You may think you have "unofficial permission" to do something (like work without a work permit) but the worm can easily turn. If some pol or someone connected to a pol does not like what you are doing (or wants to compete with you or wants something you have) you can just as easily be tossed unceremoniously out on your ass.
This is called "lack of transparency." Proceed at your own risk.

susan

Things have changed since your day,and indeed since I came here-people just do not care,and if you are a gringo(without a permit)it appears you/they have a god given right to work at 6.00bzd per hour

Let's get the facts right for this girl. There are more jobs in Belize than there are Belizeans willing to fill them. Thus, the influx of people from other countries especially Central American countries. If you find a job that you are interested in the employer, or someone he knows working as what are called "expiditors", can get you the proper legal documention to work. Belize issues these work permits all the time. You can do all the paper work yourself, but most find using an expiditor is much easier. The only stipulation is, if there is a qualified Belizean who wants that job, the employer must give them preference. Those are the facts. Don't listen to all this wrong information about being "tossed out on your ass or proceding at your own risk". What you are talking about doing can be done totally legal in Belize. The reality is most of the jobs that "gringos" are interested in are the jobs that Belizeans are also interested in, so finding a job that you want is not always easy. Anyway, go for it and good luck.

Dr. Sersland can be contacted through MUA (Medical University of the Americas)Belize....I think the website is muabelize.com

As the immigration officer yelled at me, read what it says in the printed part of your passport, you cannot work without a work permit, and then proceeded to throw me into jail because I yelled back to not treat me like a child. You cannot volunteer, or work without a permit even with pay, I was an owner working ( that is the key word) supervising and they still harassed me. Don't even try it.

sorry that should have been without pay.