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Today they signed a memorandum of understanding - which promises to do many things - including review the trade license regime:..

Darrell Bradley, Mayor Belize City
"To grow business in my City I need to talk to people who have done this for their entire life."

Jules Vasquez reporting
And for that the Council has turned to the Belize Business Bureau - with whom they signed a Memorandum of understanding this morning:

Darrell Bradley, Mayor Belize City
"We hope that with this memorandum and with the formulization of our relationship the Belize Business Bureau and the City Council can work together to develop a very specific strategic plan and an action plan to promote the economic opportunities within Belize City."

Arturo Lizarraga, President, Belize Business Bureau
"He has courage and what we are looking for in this country is leadership and whole vision and from the business community point of view we are willing to help."

And the first thing businesses want the Council to help with is trade licenses:

Darrell Bradley, Mayor Belize City
"That's one of the things that the business had indicated to us immediately was one of their concerns and so we are in the mode right now that we want to be listening and this is a problem that the business community raises - this is something that the city needs to respond to."

Open to discussion and open for business:

Darrell Bradley, Mayor Belize City
"The thing that we want to do is we want to start a campaign that is called Open for Business, so that we brand Belize City as being open for business."

And that means cutting down on red tape at City Hall:

Darrell Bradley, Mayor Belize City
"If any person wants to start a business in Belize it's very difficult - you have to go to 7 different departments."

City Hall hopes to set up a one-stop shop - and then they'll look to the north for a market:

Arturo Lizarraga, President, Belize Business Bureau
"We've always spent monies and a lot of effort in going to Chicago, LA, New York, Europe when we have 120 million Mexicans right across the border. All we have to do is be friendly, open the door, allow them to stay 7 days without paying border management fees and if they stay longer we charge them. These people can visit the small shop in Crooked Tree, the little restaurant in Belize City, a place in PG or Caye Caulker and its direct cash infusion."

But what about when it's the other way around? Like two weeks ago when the Council spent the cash for its Christmas party in Chetumal and the Free Zone?:

Jules Vasquez
"How do you feel that these same business whose regime or whose taxes in many cases - trade license fees - they have been in many case increase, you did not make an eye then for Christmas shopping for the council over in Chetumal and Free Zone?"

Darrell Bradley, Mayor Belize City
"I think it's an unfair question because 98% of the monies that I spent in the Christmas season have been spent right in Belize. I just bought my wife a gift and I bought it at Occasions - very nice store. The fact that I took one day and I went to Chetumal in all the days - I haven't been to Chetumal in 3 months, the fact that I did one day in Chetumal with my staff and for you to focus on that versus the other 364 days that I spent in the City and I spend money in the City I think that that is unfair."

"Jules, you travel - is it a problem when you go to the United States and you spend? One of the things that we have to do is that we have to be fair in our reporting. I am promoting business in Belize City. This is the main focus of this campaign and I am inviting people to come to the city - but it can't be an unfair thing and I think that that question is unfair."