Mayor Wagner Clarifies Comments on Welcoming Foreign Franchises

Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner says his recent comments on welcoming more franchises to Belize were taken out of context. Last week, Bernard spoke to the media at the opening of the country’s first US franchise and said he welcomed the idea of more US companies coming to Belize. But his comments on providing tax breaks and incentives to such companies rubbed several local entrepreneurs the wrong way. Today, we spoke to him about the backlash and explained that his words were twisted.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City: “That is their view and my view remains. I’ve enjoyed all the coffee shops in Belize. I am an avid, I go to Brew, I buy from Brew, I buy from Baked, I buy from Biltmore, I like their coffees but my point is that having a franchise doesn’t mean it will be an international owner. A franchise doesn’t mean that the business establishment will be owned by international. It means that a local person goes and applies for a franchise and that franchise in the United States, wherever comes in and gives them the sort of assistance in terms of how they go about getting their brand on their business. But there’s no where that you will say a franchise is coming in it’s owned by foreigners. A franchise most of the franchises I know are run by locals. But I enjoy all the local coffees. I am a coffee drinker and I just believe that there are other options available. We need to get out of this thing where we just want to hold on. We need to give our people options.”

Reporter: What about giving the small coffee shops a run in the same fashion ? 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City: “We have always done that. We are the biggest supporter of our local business. You go and see the Super Sale that we do on a quarterly basis that is promoting local economic development. There is no way we ever go against our local business owners. We have been the biggest champions of our local business community. So the way that was twisted by the media to create disharmony I am against that totally.”

Notably, the government has introduced several incentives for local and foreign businesses to drive the sector’s growth.