BELTRAIDE to launch a “Buy Belize Campaign”

The Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) is hoping to grow the local economy with the launch of its “Buy Belize” campaign. The organization will be rolling out the initiative next month in hopes of encouraging the public to buy Belizean goods and services. The campaign will be kicked off with a fair where small business owners will have the opportunity to display their unique merchandise. BELTRAIDE’s Executive Director, Dr. Leroy Almendarez, explained that the goal is to have more Belizean-made products on the shelves in every grocery store.

Dr.Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE: “We’re promoting a buy Belizean campaign and buy Belizean campaign you will know all we’ll be focusing on is Belizean products and we’ll exposing these in a market place, we’ll be out there talking about it so that Belizeans can understand listen there are many things that are being produced here in Belize that we might not have known about those products if you walk around even in our building you will see because that’s what we promote Belizean products that’s what we want people to consume and as much as possible because what it does is grow the market place here, it creates employment, more revenue in this economy and what it leads to then is a growth that we all can share and benefit from. Protectionism is not a word that we use in the type of business in terms of trade but I understand what you’re saying. What you’re basically saying okay fine if we’re producing it here why are we importing so much ? There is a challenge when it comes to us meeting the quality and the quantity because if we’re going to say okay let’s use mayonnaise. If we’re going to stop importing mayonnaise are there entities that will provide for all those who want to do business in Belize ? That’s one of the things we have to look at. We believe that these incentives that are being provided will give them just that opportunity to produce even more because it reduces your cost of doing business.”