By Government Press Office | BELIZE

BELMOPAN, Belize – The Economic Development Council (EDC), through its technical secretariat, the public-private desk in the office of the prime minister is proud to highlight the official launch of the first-of-its-kind, National MSME Roadshow.

The launch takes place at the Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel on Friday, August 5 at 10:00 a.m., will feature an access to finance panel discussion with representatives from the Development Finance Corporation, Central Bank of Belize, the Belize Credit Union League, the National Bank of Belize as well as remarks by the ministry of tourism and diaspora relations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a keynote address by prime minister John Briceño.

The approval by cabinet of a Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) Policy and Strategy 2022-2025, adds emphasis to the importance of the National MSME Roadshow and its alignment with the Plan Belize mandate of supporting small business growth.

The National MSME Roadshow underscores the significant contribution of micro, small and medium enterprises to Belize's economy as well as acknowledges the challenges faced by MSMEs. The roadshow has the overall objective of providing developmental support services to the MSME sector while raising public awareness of Belizean goods and services.

Specific objectives of the national outreach program include:

• Supporting an enabling environment for MSME development;
• Improving market access and facilitating linkages for MSMEs;
• Promoting buying locally to improve economic recovery;
• Increasing procurement of Belizean MSME goods and services by the GOB;
• Facilitating Access to Finance for the MSME Sector, and
• Building the business capacity of MSMEs.

The EDC, as a champion of business climate reforms and promoter of meaningful dialogue between the public and private sectors has, together with BELTRAIDE and the investment policy and compliance unit, collaborated to deliver this significant endeavour with the vital support of strategic partners including UNDP and the Mayors Association of Belize.

The National MSME Roadshow will visit each district delivering formalization and access to finance clinics for capacity-building together with agencies such as the Social Security Board, the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry, the Belize Tax Service, BELIPO, financial institutions, digital wallet and courier service providers and tourism industry associations.

The final day of the three-day events will host pop-ups for showcasing the wide array of creative and quality Belizean products and services available for especially operators in the tourism sector to consider choosing. The goal is to contribute to the economic resilience and growth of MSMEs by ensuring that they have access to support services and market opportunities.

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