_{Photo: Some of the many business in violation of regulations}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Jan. 9, 2025

Earlier this week, the Supplies Control Unit (SCU), under the umbrella of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE), released a list of businesses throughout the country that have violated price control regulations.

Throughout the country, an estimated 153 stores have been ticked by the SCU for “Offering Products for Sale Above the Control Price” or for “Failure to Display Price for a Controlled Good”. San Pedro Town garnered the most tickets, with 29 retailers being in violation, followed by the Cayo District with 28. In Belize City and Belize District some 12 and 27 retailers, respectively, were ticketed; while Caye Caulker registered 6 offenders.

In the Toledo District, 6 businesses were found in violation; the Corozal District had 6, Orange Walk had 15, and the Stann Creek District had 18 offenders.

A statement from the MAFSE noted that the SCU has been reviewing several cases, and the public will be updated on the findings as they become available. Amandala noted that while reviewing the list of offenders, there were several stores that were repeat offenders for the crime; and Hon. Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture expressed that those offenders will be penalized.

“I haven’t seen the list, but we’ll look at what the law says about it, and if they need to close them down, then we do that. We publicize them first by showing the people that these businesses are gouging, and after that, then we follow the law. There’s a law for it, right? So, we have to follow what the law is,” he said.

While reviewing the penalties, it is noted that a ticket of $300 will be issued to each violating business, and it must be paid within 15 days. However, there was no indication of increased penalties for repeat offenders. Nonetheless, additional measures are being implemented to expand coverage and improve compliance with the regulations.

The SCU is working with NEMO San Pedro to train designated individuals to identify violations and issue tickets, particularly during emergencies. A specialized training package has been developed, and sessions will be conducted shortly. The Belmopan City Council is to report violators to the Trade Licensing Board and identify means of facilitating residents with filing complaints. Approval has been granted to hire additional personnel and establish regional offices in the Orange Walk District and Independence Village, and monitoring activities have been expanded to include the wholesale segment of the supply chain to detect and address non-compliance effectively.