Belize Trade in Services- 2019

TRADE IN SERVICES D e c e m b e r

2 0 1 9

ENGINEERS

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

AUDIO VISUAL

Professionals

Transparency

Sound & Recording

w w w . d g f t . g o v . b z

T R A D E

I N

S E R V I C E S

2019

CONTENTS 03 06 08 09

Engineers in Belize

Belize Coalition of Service Providers

Belize's Trade in Services

Public Procurement: Securing Value for Public Funds

12

The Audio-Visual Industry

17

Expanding Tourism through Transport

19

Trade

The Signature of

in

services

records

6

IP Agreements

the

value

of

services

exchanged between residents and non-residents of an

economy;

including

services

provided

foreign affiliates established abroad.

through

Engineers

IN BELIZE

The WTO and Services Trade in Engineering Services are governed both internationally and domestically through the trade rules, Trade

policies,

regulations

Organization

and

(WTO)

is

laws.

a

The

member

World driven

multilateral organization that operates a system of international successive

trade

rules.

rounds

of

It

is

the

result

negotiations,

and

of its

operations involve establishing consensus among members.

"In July 1991, the WTO Secretariat compiled a services sectoral classification list (W/120)."

One result of such negotiations is the

General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which outlines the disciplines on trade in services among WTO members. To ensure Member States comparability

and

consistency

undertaken at the WTO, in July Secretariat

compiled

a

in

commitments

1991

, the WTO

services

sectoral

120 1

classification list (W/

). [

]

In

1999

, a Working Party on Domestic Regulation

was established for the purpose of negotiations, and

to

replace

and sub-sectors covered under the GATS. The

Working

Party

on

Professional Services to ensure the regulatory environment

160

in

Member

States

is

transparent

4

The Working Party is guided by Article VI.

70

(S/L/

contained in the United Nations Provisional Central

develop

Product

services

which

captures

a

of the

GATS and the Decision on Domestic Regulation

sub-sectors are less detailed than the categories

(CPC)

earlier

and fair.

This is a comprehensive list of services sectors

Classification

the

)

which any to

call

upon

necessary ensure

WTO

members

disciplines

that

for

measures

trade

relating

to in to

wider range of services. Within this classification,

qualification

Engineering

under

technical standards and licensing requirements

Services

and procedures are administered in a reasonable

Construction (CPC

Professional and

Related

Services

fall

Engineering

511 518 –

).

requirements

and

procedures,

and impartial manner.

[1] World Trade Organization W/120 sectoral classification: Business Services, Communication Services, Construction and related Engineering Services, Distribution services, Educational Services, Environmental Services, Financial services, Health related and Social services, Tourism and Travel Related Services, Recreational, Cultural and Sporting Services; Transport Services, and other services not included elsewhere.

PAGE 3 ENGINEERING

The Association of Professional Engineers of Belize Photo credit: Santander

International Networks In

the

case

of

Belize,

the

services

sector

is

With

the

assistance

of

the

Belize

Coalition

of

governed by various sector specific regulations,

Service Providers (BCSP), APEB has been able to

from medical professions to tourism-related jobs.

access

Among

employment

these

services

sectors

are

engineering

2001

more and

information markets

on in

professional

Belize,

and

has

, the Association of Professional

strengthened its lobbying presence in Government

Engineers of Belize (APEB) was formed to support

in order to improve the environment for professional

the development of the engineering profession in

engineering services in Belize.

services. In

Belize and assist in the development of national disciplines

for

engineering

the

expansion

sector.

Its

of

vision

trade

is

"to

in

the

provide

continuous development of an organization that will earn the respect of the community by providing exemplary and

services,

experience

applying

acquired

the

to

formal

produce

training

the

best

possible solution for clients at an affordable cost."

The APEB has been working with the Government to

ensure

measures

foster

the

ease

of

doing

business for local and international engineers. To date, the association has of

which

six

are

83

registered members,

women,

who

through

the

association have international ties with the Latin American grouping, the Pan American Association of

Engineering

secretariat,

Organization

and

the

(UPADI),

Caribbean

regional

Council

of

Engineering Organization (CCEO). Membership to the APEB provides opportunities for professional development,

participation

in

seminars,

networking, and legal reform in the industry. UPADI hosts technical and professional conferences and CCEO

provides

training

and

networking

opportunities in the areas of wind loads, building codes

and

other

areas

of

engineering association in Belize.

PAGE 4 ENGINEERING

interest

to

the

ENGINEERS IN CARICOM

An agreement is yet to be reached, with respect to adequate procedures to verify the competence of engineering professionals between Belize and other

2

CARICOM

[

]

Member

States.

Both

have

been

unable to synchronize the requirements (education and experience) for professional registration.

Nationally, foreign

with

firms

ten

in

locally

the

local

owned

firms

engineering

and

two

industry,

a Currently, foreign engineers can provide services in

coherent and enforceable regulatory framework is Belize required

to

manage

the

industry.

Currently,

the

positively

affected

the

without

registering

with

the

Engineering

Association, which should be prohibited because it Belize

Building

Act

has

does engineering however,

industry

the

weak

by

providing

enforcement

not

ensure

uniformity

in

the

industry.

standards;

of

the

legal

framework places the industry at risk. Additionally, as Government procures the services of foreign firms without requiring local partnership, especially

Additionally,

a

number

of

persons

are

posing

as

engineers without the proper qualifications; thus, putting the general public at risk and damaging the reputation of the profession.

with large projects, it may weaken the industry.

Despite the challenges, the demand for engineering

The most recent development in the engineering

services

industry was the amendment to the Belize Building

demand coming from the Belize district. This is no

Act Chapter Revised

131

of the Substantive Laws of Belize,

Edition

2011

,

39

SI

of

2017

.

The

continues

to

grow

with

the

highest

surprise, since the majority of engineering services are

located

in

Belize

City.

As

a

highly

skilled

amendment’s objective is “to strengthen and clarify

professional

the

international growth is immense. The export market

relationship

Authority,

Local

between

the

Authorities

Central

and

Local

Building Building

Authorities; and to provide for matters connected therewith

or

incidental

thereto.”

However,

more

needs to be done.

industry,

is primarily the

the

potential

for

local

and

Caribbean. Looking ahead, there is

optimism for a well-organized engineering service sector which would be firmly poised to effectively take advantage of the domestic market and access foreign and more diverse markets. As the CARICOM Single

Market

deepens,

and

trade

Economy

in

(CSME)

engineering

integration

services

within

CARICOM is likely to increase. The free movement of

professionals

Person's

Regime,

qualifications

[2] Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.

[3] A mutual recognition agreement (MRA) is an international agreement by which two or more countries agree to recognize one another's conformity assessments results (for example certifications or test results).

under

3

[

]

the

mutual

and

better

CARICOM

Skilled

recognition

of

Information

and

Communication Technology (ICT) links will enable trade in engineering services to increase via the internet and within countries.

PAGE 5 ENGINEERING

Who are We The BCSP, established in

2010

, is an alliance of service sector organizations and

associations that functions as a lobby and channel for addressing economic development and trade-in-services issues that impact the services sector. The BCSP was established to help the services sector stakeholders advocate for the creation of an enabling environment which will allow the Belizean services sector to survive in the competitive, global marketplace and meet the challenges encountered in exporting their services.

01

What we do

Organizational Capabilities Functions

as

associations

the

secretariat

and

for

improves

04

nascent

-

Standards Improves services standards and ensure that

members'

service providers adhere to them.

organizational capabilities through assisting with their incorporation.

02

05

Grant Funding

Reviews

Assists member associations, through donor

submits

funding,

for

to

cooperation

build

capacity

through

arrangements

and

technical

Forum for Views

existing

regulatory

recommendations

government

to

adopt

environment,

and new

advocates laws

and

regulations to support trade in services and

project

protection of the Belizean consumer.

implementation.

03

Regulatory Environment

06

Education & Research

Serves as a forum for collating and debating

Educate members

the views of its members and represent their

regulations

interests to the Government of Belize.

business prospects.

and

about how

current laws

these

could

and

affect

Membership ASSOCIATIONS

01 02 03 04 05

Association of Professional Architects (APAB)

Association of Professional Engineers (APEB)

Association of Real Estate Brokers of Beli ze (AREB)

Belize Associati on of Contracting Professionals ( BACP)

Belize Associati on of ICT Professionals ( BAICTP)

06 07 08 09 10

Beli ze Association of Planners (BAP)

Beli ze Audio Visual Industry Association (BAVIA)

Beli ze Medical Tourism Association (BMTA)

Beli ze Spa & Wellness Association (BS&WA)

Customs Brokers Association of Beli ze (CBAB)

PAGE 7 THE BCSP

BELIZE TRADE IN SERVICES

2014-2018

Data Source: Central Bank of Belize

Top Four Areas 1. Travel, 2. Other Business Services (e.g.

Professional and Research Services), 3. Government Procurement and Communication, and 4. Computer and Information Services.

PAGE 8

public procurement:

Securing Value for Public Funds The

public

procurement

of

goods,

services

and

works

is

a

standard

function

of

government which now constitutes a substantial share of international trade. Most countries now have vested interests in achieving "value for money" in the use of public funds for which governments are held accountable.

Government

Procurement

is

a

specific

built-in

agenda

in

the

Revised

Treaty

of

Chaguaramas (RTC) including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). In

239

Article

of the RTC - “Undertaking" – provides that “Member States undertake to

elaborate a Protocol relating, inter alia, to government procurement”. The World Trade

1

Organization (WTO) [

] Plurilateral Agreement on Public Procurement applies only to

those members who choose to sign onto it, but no Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member State has signed on so far. However, the WTO is now encouraging developing countries to sign. The current CARICOM position is to develop a regional regime, only, and to avoid commitments at the multilateral level.

In pursuing the RTC commitment, the CARICOM Secretariat has taken the lead role with the establishment of a Task Force on Public Procurement comprised of Senior Finance and Trade Officials. In Procurement

was

developed

2005

, the First Draft of the Community Policy on Public

and

disseminated

Secretariat secured funding under the

to

Member

States

for

review.

The

10

th European Development Fund (EDF) to

finance meetings of the Task Force to conduct related studies, procure computers

2017

and other electronic equipment which were distributed to Member States in

.

Belize is jointly represented on the Task Force by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce.

In

2018

the

, a final draft Protocol on Public Procurement was developed and submitted to

Council

on

approval. The

Trade

and

Economic

Development

(COTED)

74

2

[

th Special Meeting of the COTED convened on

]

for

its

review

14

th June,

and

2018

to

consider the draft Protocol which was endorsed for presentation and final approval at

39 4 5

the

th-

(LAC)

th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held in Jamaica from

th July,

2018

complete

. The COTED also mandated that the Legal Affairs Committee

the

legal

review

of

the

document

before

its

presentation

to

the

Heads of Government. Belize endorsed this course of action by the COTED.

[1] World Trade Organization (WTO) hasmany roles: It operates a global system of trade rules, acts as a forum fornegotiating trade agreements, settles trade disputes between its members andsupports the needs of developing countries. {2] COTED is one of the four organsthat supports the functions of the principal organs of the Community: TheConference of Heads of Government and the Community Council of Ministers.

"Price is what you pay, value is what you get" - Warren Buffet PAGE 9 PROCUREMENT

Protocol on Public Procurement The

provisions

comprehensive

of

the

in

Protocol

content

are

and

very

scope

of

application. It is divided into nine parts with a total of

41

Part Five: provides for transparency, fairness and supplier

challenge,

elements:

technical

the

specifications,

following

qualification

and eligibility of suppliers, limitation on disclosure

articles.

of

information,

anti-corruption

Part One: establishes the use of terms under the

interest,

Protocol,

challenge and review.

the

operating

featuring

objectives

principles

requirements

of

the

and

including

regime,

its

implementation

legislation,

institutional

norms

standards,

conflicts

and

of

supplier

Part Six: pertains to technical cooperation and assistance

arrangements and prohibition of restrictions.

and

and

targeting

participation

of

disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors in

Part Two: establishes the scope and coverage of the Protocol, including: its scope of application, provisions

for

contracts

review

valuation

(applicable

to

of

the

rules,

goods

thresholds,

the

rules

procured),

of

and

the

origin

for

the

the regime along with the mode, scope and extent of same.

Part

Seven:

provides

for

institutional

arrangements at the regional and national levels, including: establishment of the Permanent Joint

prohibition of offsets.

Council on Public Procurement, the Community

Part

Three:

treats

communication

with

information

technologies

to

be

and

employed,

Public

Procurement

Notice

Board,

and

the

Community and National Suppliers Register.

including

communication

modalities,

and

for Part Eight: deals with the special provisions of

Community

information

systems

comprising the Protocol, covering: dispute settlement, public

traditional and electronic media. procurement and the environment, general and security

Part

Four:

establishes

the

exceptions,

application,

proceedings,

which

include

the

signature

and

provisional

procurement following:

ratification

and

entry

into

force;

the amendments, reservations and accession to the

Community standard bidding documents, annual regime.

procurement

plans,

publication

of

procurement

opportunities, procurement methods, time limits, Annex A specifies the threshold values at and

submission,

receipt

and

opening

of

bids, above

which

a

public

procurement

contract

is

evaluation of bids and notice of successful bids, governed by the Protocol.

publication of notice of contract award, record of procurement

proceedings,

contract

administration; and statistical reporting.

Procurement inputs are grouped into three categories: civil works, goods, and services.

PAGE 10 PROCUREMENT

19

The

following

thresholds

for

procurement

will

therefore apply in member states, until amended:

The

Ministry

authority

of

Finance

responsible

for

is

the

public

competent

procurement

and officials have already received training on

1 2 3 4

150 000 150 000 3 000 000

. Goods: USD $

the establishment and use of a national portal.

,

. Services: USD $

,

Computers

. Works: USD $

,

distributed

,

. A combination of goods and works or services

3 000 000

and works: USD $

5

,

The

.

B

provides

a

listing

portal

to

Directorate

(DGFT)

Annex

regionally be

equipment

including linked

have

Belize

to

the

been

for

the

regional

USD

150 000 ,

other

notice board.

,

. A combination of goods and services: $

national

and

of

types

of

public

and

the

General Ministry

for of

Foreign

Finance

Trade

has

met

with the Economic Development Council (EDC)

procurement goods and services excluded from

and

the

Belize

the Protocol. The excluded items include:

Industry (BCCI) to discuss the regional Draft Protocol

on

Chamber

of

Procurement

Commerce

and

and

established

1

clarity on the procurement regime.

cultural performances, and products associated

with

Also discussed at the Thirty-Ninth Meeting of

. Goods and services relating to works of art,

creative

expressions

for

cultural

the Conference of the Heads of Government in

performances;

Montego Bay, Jamaica were two outstanding

2

. Goods and services relating to the staging of

productions

in

support

of,

or

associated

with,

matters: (i) the revision of the thresholds and (ii) the way the protocol may be provisionally applied.

creative expression and cultural events;

Member

States

were

encouraged

to

use the Community Public Procurement Notice

3

.

Medallions

and

insignias

for

use

in

national

Board

and

the

National

Advertising

Portals.

Belize intends to sign unto the Procurement

honours and national awards;

Protocol.

4

. Goods of a sensitive nature for use in, or for the

The Government of Belize continues to engage

purpose of national defence or national security;

with the private and public sector to secure

5

. Goods and services relating to, or connected

with,

the

operations

of

diplomatic

missions

or

buy-in

for

a

viable

regional

procurement

protocol.

consulates; and

6

. Goods and services relating to, or connected

with

the

operations

of

diplomatic

missions

consulates; and privately funded charities.

or

Threshold for

150 000

SERVICES: USD $

,

PAGE 11 PROCUREMENT

THE AUDIO- VISUAL INDUSTRY

WHAT IS AUDIO-VISUAL? both

Audio-visual services is one of the sectors with the

a sound and a visual component. It includes motion

lowest number of commitments among members

Audio-visual

refers

to

media

possessing

picture and video production, distribution services, motion

picture

television

projection

services,

services,

radio

radio

and

and

Outlook

to

and

2019

the Trends

audio-visual

Analysis (IOTA),

Industry

the

global

professional audio-visual industry is estimated to

325 2019 1

generate US $ billion in

.[

billion in

2024

many

of

the

bigger

producers

have

some

television

transmission services, and sound recording.

According

of the World Trade Organization (WTO), although

247

, from US $

commitments.

Commitments

tend

numerous

movie-related

services

in

to

be

more

than

in

television (TV) and radio-related services. A high number (MFN)

of

exemptions

treatment

to

(i.e.

most-favoured

nation

non-discrimination)

also

2

characterize the sector [

].

]

[1] Global Pro-AV Industry Will Reach$325 Billion in 2024, According to New Forecasts from AVIXAAvailableat https://www.prnewswire.com/newsreleases/global-pro-av-industry-will-reach-325-billion-in-2024-according-to-newforecasts-from-avixa-300874486.html.Accessedon the 5th August, 2019.

PAGE 12 AUDIO - VISUAL

[2]World Trade Organization https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/audiovisual_e/audiovisual_e.htm.Ac cessedon the 5th November, 2019.

Higher commitments to open the movie-related

Hollywood

industry can be attributed to the large revenue

terms

base it generates. The Indian film industry, known

largest in terms of revenue. A boom at the U.S.

as Bollywood, is the largest in the world in terms

box

of

record $

number

of

films

produced.

2 000

approximately

,

films

India

every

produces

year,

but

is

small in terms of revenue. The Indian film industry

37

is expected to earn US $

.

billion by

2020 3 . [

]

of

is

saw

41 1 6 .

audiences. [

30

third

number

office

US$

the

of

largest

films

worldwide

billion in

2018

film

industry

produced,

ticket

but

sales

in

the

hit

a

due to diverse U.S

] Hollywood collects an estimated

billion

from

cable

companies

and

streaming services, which is a major source of

7

Nollywood, which is the second largest movie

revenue. [

industry

is the most competitive in its ability to export

in

produces

the

world

1 500 ,

or

in

terms

more

of

films

film a

output

year.

4

[

]

According to the Nigerian Box Office Yearbook

2018 2019 24 45 /

rise to US $

, box office revenue is projected to .

million in

2020 5 .[

]

] The audio-visual industry in the USA

content production. Not surprising, of the world's top

ten

American

entertainment companies

companies, (Comcast

nine

are

Corporation

(CMCSA), CBS Corporation (CBS), DIRECTV, Dish Network, Netflix, Time Warner, Fox ,Viacom, and

[3]Economic Times, 2017:“The Film Industry in India to hit $3.7 billion by 2020, says Report”.

Availble at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media /film-industry-in-india-to-hit-3-7-billion-by-2020-saysreport/articleshow/60998458.cms?from=mdr.Accessedon 5th November, 2019.9thoct.

4] Video Age International, 2018, “A New Nollywood: A Close Second To Bollywood, Larger Than Hollywood.

Available athttps://www.videoageinternational.net/2018/01/09/cover-stories/a-newnollywood-a-close-second-to-bollywood-larger-than-hollywood/.Accessed on the 5th November, 2019.

[5]OlatunjiSaliu,Guo Jun, 2019, ” Feature: Fraught with challenges, Nigeria's film industryhopes for promising future.”

Availableat http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/201904/30/c_138025503.htm.Accessedon the 5th November, 2019.

Disney). The other is a Chinese company, Wanda Media.

[6] Hollywood Report, 2019, “Global BoxOffice Revenue Hits Record $41B in 2018, Fuelled by Diverse U.S.”Audiences https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/global-box-office-revenue-hitsrecord-41b-2018-fueled-by-diverse-us-audiences-1196010.

Available athttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/global-box-office-revenue-hitsrecord-41b-2018-fueled-by-diverse-us-audiences-1196010. Accessed on the 5th November, 2019.

[7] Jennifer Marsh, “How the Movie Industry Harnesses a CDN for Faster Streaming.”[2]Available at https://cdn.net/how-the-movie-industryharnesses-a-cdn-for-faster-streaming/Accessed on the 5thNovember, 2019.

PAGE 13 AUDIO - VISUAL

The

Caribbean

region

documentaries,

produces

television

a

number

commercials

of

In order to identify the ways that small economies

(TVCs),

can benefit from the creative or orange economy,

14

music videos and live television shows including

at the

news, talk shows, sports, and national events. The

November

liberalisation

Pacific (ACP) States adopted a new Declaration on

of

the

broadcasting

sector,

the

th Meeting of Ministers held in Brussels in

2017

,

the

African,

Caribbean,

and

emergence of cable operators, and the reduction

Culture.

in costs of digital equipment have resulted in the

recognised the key role of culture as a driver for

expansion

economic

of

the

broadcasting

sector.

Despite

“The

Ministers

growth

of

and

ACP

countries

sustainable

human

this, the quality of local production content still

development and reaffirmed their commitment to

falls short. However, with the increasing demand

making culture a priority sector in their countries by

from US cable and film companies to eliminate

implementing concrete actions and programmes.

piracy of US content in the Caribbean, matched

Among

with

the

increasing

demand

for

content

the

conclusions

of

the

meeting

of

from

Ministers, the ACP States stressed the need to

global VOD (Video On Demand) streaming services

support audio-visual production, while continuing

like NETFLIX and PRIMEVIDEO, more support and

to promote and market such works by using, inter

opportunities will exist for content that reflects

alia, digital technologies and legal measures” [

9

].

the daily lives of Caribbean people.

Numerous One

important

player

in

the

region

CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG). of

media

companies,

is

have

been

developed

to

The

support this declaration; one of the most recent

It is a group

being the Caribbean Development Bank’s Cultural

founded

Trinidadian/Canadian/British

activities

film

by

producer

and

Creative

which

Industries

partnered

with

Innovation

the

2019

Fund

(CIIF)

CaribbeanTales

Frances-Anne Solomon, that produces, markets,

incubator program to offer eight emerging and

and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for regional

established

and international distribution. Registered in both

development and to compete for a first prize of

Canada and Barbados since

US$

2010

, it is the first

10 000 2019 ,

and largest full-service film distribution company

the

that specialises in Caribbean-themed content and

of

content

worldwide. [

from

collection

of

the over

Caribbean

180

Diaspora

films

and

with

series.

a

The

four

film

for

Toronto International Film Festival, one

the

largest

festivals

10

for

independents

] The eight participants represented

projects from Jamaica, Trinidad, Belize and

Haiti. In August

its

Industries

th year celebrates the talents of established

opportunities

as part of the big pitch session during

CaribbeanTales International Film Festival now in

14

practitioners

2019

, the Cultural and Creative

Innovation

Fund

(CIIF)

also

partnered

and emerging filmmakers of Caribbean heritage

with Caribbean Export Development Agency, the

who

Caribbean

University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean

Diaspora worldwide. Its renowned CaribbeanTales

practise

their

Community (CARICOM), Caribbean Festival of Arts

Incubator (CTII) is a year-round development and

(CARIFESTA), Trinidad and Tobago Film Company

production

Limited

hub

for

art

across

Caribbean

the

and

Caribbean

(FilmTT),

the

Global

Services

2019

Promotion

Diaspora Producers that aims to create strong,

Programme

compelling and sustainable content for the global

Animation and New Media Festival to offer twenty-

market; CaribbeanTales-TV is a VOD streaming

five

service for Caribbean films; and CaribbeanTalesFlix

animation and gaming, the opportunity to enhance

is the production arm. [

their technical capacity in the area of

8

]

and

emerging

and

the

established

Animae

Caribe

practitioners

360

in

design

development –

[8]Carib-Export, 2019, Caribbean TalesDistribution.Available https://www.carib-export.com/forum_participants/caribbeantalesworldwide-distribution/.Accessed on 5th November, 2019.

PAGE 14 AUDIO VISUAL

at

[9] Carib-Export, 2019, Call forProposals: Support to ACP Audiovisual Coproduction. Available at https://www.carib-export.com/opportunities/call-forproposals-support-to-acp-audiovisual-co-production/.Accessedon 5th November, 2019 [10] Caribbean Development Bank, 2019, Caribbean Tales Film Accelerator Call for Application.

Available https://www.caribank.org/publications-andresources/resource-library/other-resources/ciif/caribbean-tales-filmaccelerator-call-applications? fbclid=IwAR1iQT2Z459BmzvKskRmxBECUv9ZU9BYXZq05clcatENjD4fpIwTKeCn3 O0at

1998

design of both an animated series and game,

In

based

First

on

a

single

concept.

The

training

presented within the scope of the of

Animae

and

Caribe

creative

Abrahams, towards

under

who

the

its

director, has

15

th Edition

Honorary

founder

Minister, then Minister of Budget Planning and Management.

of

the

worked

animation

11

]

History (NICH). In

country

regionally currently

and

potential

internationally.

The

his

passing

in

(OPM)

2008

, the Office of the Prime

appointed

Commissioner, encourage

Mr. and

the

second

Nigel.

P.

support

Belize

Miguel,

to

international

film, television and still photo shoots to Belize, and to expose both sides of the industry to new

TVCs, corporate documentaries, live television

practices and exchange of technical knowledge

shows, short films, a few feature films and a

and explore the opportunities for regional and

lot

international

news

stories.

broadcasting, Television

music

of

videos,

of

produces

to

time

facilitated by National Institute of Culture and

attract,

compete

the

, the Belize Film Commissioner (BFC) was

sector

great

At

2007

Film

has

Emory

Selvon-

The production output of Belize’s audiovisual but

Mr.

King. He initially reported directly to the Prime

Minister

small,

Commissioner,

visionary

industry throughout the Caribbean. [

is

Film

Camille

consistently

development

was

the Government of Belize appointed the

In

the

5

Channel

:

consistently

area

Great

receives

of

Belize multiple

coincided

partnerships.

with

the

His

creation

appointment

of

the

Film

and

Media Arts Unit of NICH which was tasked to

awards at the Annual General Assembly of the

facilitate

regional organization, Caribbean Broadcasting

Commission

Union (CBU) for its productions. This year the

development of best practices for the industry.

awards

Film

were

in

featured

stories

on

climate

the

activities

as

well

Commissions

as

are

of

the

work

Belize

on

usually

Film

training

and

established

to

change, best news items, disaster resilience

attract more films to the country with the idea

and

of

marine

life

in

Belize.

Other

broadcast stations include Channel Vision Limited; Channel TV.

Belize

is

International inception in

also

Film

2003

15

major

7

: Tropical

: Krem TV, and Love

home

to

Festival

the

(IFF).

Belize

Since

its

, this homegrown celebration

creating

Much

of

new the

Commissioner necessary film

jobs

and

work

of

revolves

as

infrastructural

the

to

well

development

GDP. Film

building

attract

as

the

current

around

relationships

projects

increasing

long

the term

investment into

the

in

country

that marries audiovisual art and industry has

while the FMAU/BFC facilitates film queries and

screened approximately a thousand films from

works

all over the world and held numerous training

ensure that the film experience in Belize goes

workshops with visiting filmmakers. Resulting

as smooth as possible.

collaborations

from

networking

along

with

industry

stakeholders

to

opportunities

at the Belize IFF have inspired the creation of

The economic impact of the film industry has

Belize’s first TV drama series, “No Matta Wat”

been tangible. As Table

as well as the production of several acclaimed

revenue

local

Belize is BZ$

films.

short The

Festival,

stories,

2019

screened

a

telenovela

Belize nine

and

feature

International

12

[

]

Belizean

Film films

generated

1 68 .

1

shows, the average

from

film

companies

million over the last five-year

period. For the first two quarters of revenue

from

international

including, Belize’s first animated film: Tecuani

Belize

and the Duende.

additional BZ$

has

totalled

12 850 ,

in

film

2019 2020 -

companies

1 206 362

BZ$

,

,

;

with

,

in an

from registration.

[11] Caribbean Export, 2019 Accelerator Training set to revolutionize the Caribbean’s Animation and Gaming offering.

Available at https://www.carib-export.com/news/accelerator-training-set-torevolutionize-the-caribbeans-animation-and-gaming-offering/. Accessed on 7th November ,2019 [12] Eworth, My Father Belize(Belize/USA), Harpoon (Belize/USA), One foot Down: The Strange Shooting of Antonia Alford (UK/Belize), Tecuani and the Duende, The Bottle, The Haunted Wife, The Lure of this Land (Belize/USA) and Time to Eat/Time Fu Eat

PAGE 15 AUDIO - VISUAL

Table 1: Revenue from International Film Companies in Belize, 2014-2019

Source: Belize's Film Commission 2019 Due to the requirement that all companies that

This

film in Belize must hire a local production manager,

membership with the Belize Coalition of Service

known in the industry as fixers, the demand for

providers (BCSP). The financial award allows for

the

the development and launch of project: BAVIA

services

of

fixers

is

great,

but

more

legal

grant

was

an

possible

reform and support is essential to stabilize this

Online,

sector.

Services

Directory

aims

vastly

to

Integrated

National

and

Website.

improve

and

Production The

project

modernize

audio-visual

capabilities while also connecting the industry

the

Belize

Audio

Industry Association (BAVIA). Founded in

Visual

2011

, it

production

services

the

interface

is

Belizean

BAVIA’s

One of the key champions and supporters of the sector

of

through

and

as a community.

has a vision that strives to educate and engage members in how to be full or active participants in

This

the

modelling

service providers and stakeholders of the Belize

decision-making,

audio-visual industry. As a web-based portal, it

transparency and cooperative governance. As the

will be inclusive of a mobile phone application

association

the

and electronic directory for service providers in

sector, it still faces limited funding and access to

the film and audio-visual industry in Belize. This

incomplete

open

workings

of

inclusion,

the

association,

democratic

works

to

statistics

garner

on

the

support

for

performance

and

platform

data

will

system

greatly

will

players in the audio-visual sector. Currently, the

relevant

information,

number of audio-visual companies in the country

business

and

is

putting

unknown.

committed create

an

Despite

to

this,

growing

effective

the

the

association

sector.

It

communication

plans plan

is to

that

benefit

give

public

access

policies,

training

international

technical

standards,

opportunities,

production

to

while

companies

directly in touch with a directory of competent, verified

suppliers

of

industry

services

utilizes different media platforms, foster stronger

established in every district in Belize. Also, the

partnerships with relevant government agencies

president

to

draft

and

legislation

implement

and

audio

encourage

visual

better

and

film

collaboration

25

th

of

of

BAVIA

2019

September,

Development

Bank

2018

at

the

(IDB)/

Belize

Inter-American

American

will

Festival’s Central American Film Series event in

partners. On Visual

25

Industry

the

assistance

th March,

2019

Association

of

international

, the Belize Audio

(BAVIA)

American

Film

Institute

need

Latin

on

with the public and private sector. The association also

(AFI)

represented

Film

Washington, D.C.

announced

the receipt of a sub-grant award for “Promoting an

Belize is making slow and positive strides in the

Open Government Ecosystem in Belize” from the

audio-visual

Trust for the Americas, in collaboration with the

the

Organization of Americas (OAS), with the support

lucrative

of the U.S. Embassy, Belize.

Belizean economy.

PAGE 16 AUDIO VISUAL

sector.

creative

Despite

economy

sector

for

can

the

these be

a

challenges, viable

development

of

and the

EXPANDING TOURISM THROUGH

transport

National

Both

by

the

infrastructure whether it be for the movement of

Economic Development Council (EDC) represented

people to access tourism service or the movement

the

well-

of goods across borders to support the expansion

climate-resilient

of tourism and agricultural exports. In particular, the

The

launch

of

Transportation

the

Master

government’s

organized,

Plan

sector.

preeminent

transportation

(CNMTP)

commitment

sustainable,

transportation Belize’s

Comprehensive

for

to

and

The

deliver

CNMTP

reference

facilitating

a

people

and

freight

within

sector

depends on the ability of people to flow into, within

country

and out of the country.

and Belize

already

benefits Belize’s

aviation)

faces

efficiency sectors

transport

and

such

many

sector

challenges

performance as

tourism

of

and

transport

of service by a resident of Belize to visitors-largely

between Belize and our main trading partners.

Today,

necessary

on

document

the

the

growth of Belize’s tourism service export- the supply

planning and more efficient and effective transport of

require

as

serves

strategic

industries

of

has

an

enhanced

transport

sector

that

affect

the

exponential growth of tourist arrivals into Belize as a

agriculture,

jointly

maritime

better

road

network,

connectivity.

In

recognition

new

fact, from

through

on

tourism

of

seen

the

and

result

as

of

ports

productive

exports

experience

(road,

its key

service

first-hand

air

Belize the

the

links

and

received

accounting for two-thirds of the economy’s gross

international

New

York

domestic product (GDP).

Financial Times via its Foreign Direct Investment

PAGE 17 TRANSPORT

(FDI)

magazine

as

the

Best

Enhanced

Airlift

for

2017

. On the other hand, the continuous expansion

of

tourism

demand

transportation

places

infrastructure

pressures

requiring

on

for

the

The

Public

Transportation

Project

will

undoubtedly improve and strengthen the public transportation

sector

in

Belize

thereby,

improving movement of people into, out of and

transportation sector to be adaptive and resilient.

within

Therefore, the ability of Belize to further expand its

for its citizens to access services.

Belize

as

well

as

provide

opportunities

Tourism service sector as well as meet its demand relies on the availability of a quality and efficient

While the project does not directly focus on the

transport

tourism sector, it will

sector

which

depends

on

a

well-

achieve improvements in

functioning regulatory, legislative and institutional

the policy and legal framework that include the

arrangement for the functioning of a high standard

promotion

public transportation system.

development of standards for public transport

of

sustainable

fleet

alternatives,

as it relates to bus operators and development Realizing networks

the for

importance

overall

of

economic

transportation

an

equitable

and

efficient

permitting

and

the

ticketing system which are all vital elements for

EDC under the Office of the Prime Minister with the

the flow of people. The further rationalization of

support of the Inter-American Development Bank

the

(IDB), seeks to build on its previous efforts through

design

the

will facilitate the movement of people from one

implementation

recommendations enhancing

the

of

from

policy,

the

development,

of

priority CNMTP

regulatory

short-term focused

and

on

public of

transportation a

destination

bus

to

routing

the

system

and

other,

through

ticketing

leading

to

a

the

system

greater

legislative

distribution of tourism revenues across Belize.

framework, while building institutional capacity at

This project further complements the efforts of

the Ministry of Transport.

the

Belize

Infrastructure

Limited

(BIL)

in

its

efforts to implement a National Bus Terminal as a pilot project in Belize City.

Undoubtedly,

the

improving

transportation

will

result

sectorial one

the

of

in

and

the

efforts

economic national

driving

by

the

sector

growth

scale.

forces

EDC in

both

in

Belize at

the

Transportation

for

the

supply

is of

tourism within a country. A modern, sustainable, accessible and efficient transportation sector will

revolutionize

Belize’s

Tourism

service

sector.

-Public-Private Desk in the Office of the Prime Minister. Technical Secretariat to the Economic Development Council.

PAGE 18 TRANSPORT

6

The Signature of 6 IP Agremeents

Ideas

and

National

knowledge

Trade

Policy

are

an

outlines

increasingly the

important

development

part

and

of

growth

trade. of

Belize's

intellectual

property as an integral part of the trade and development process. Thus, the Belize

Intellectual

Property

agreements; and in

1999

the Geneva (

Office

(BELIPO)

prioritized

the

signature

of

six

2018

, Belize ratified five of the agreements and acceded to

) Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International

Registration of Industrial Designs (the Geneva

1999

Act).

1

. The International Convention for Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting organizations (The Rome Convention);

2

. WIPO Copyrights Treaty (WCT);

3

. WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT);

4

. Beijing Treaty on audio visual performers;

5

. The Marrakesh Treaty Facilitates access to the published works for

persons who are blind, visually disabled or otherwise print disabled (The MARRAKESH Treaty); and

6

. The Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs.

All of the agreements, except the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performers, have entered into force.

PAGE 19 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TREATIES

A series of featured articles on trade in services produced in

2019

reflecting progress made in the

Belizean services sector December,

- Other Publications -

2019

.

TRADE IN SERVICES D e c e m b e r

2 0 1 9

The Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce 3rd Floor, Garden City Building, 3894 Mountain View Boulevard, Â Water Reservoir Area, Belmopan, Belize C.A. Tel: (501) 822-3263/2832/2833 | Fax: 822-2837 Email: foreigntrade@btl.net | Website: www.dgft.gov.bz BCSP Website: www.bcsp.gov.bz

Scan the

QR

code to

obtain a copy of Belize's national trade policy