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Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Local Government
"Many people start businesses, many of them romantic. A lot of them failed because there is no proper structure. We have a good idea, we are excited about it, we run with it and then we crash."

"One of the ways we needed to do this was to create an institutional structure to support the small entrepreneur. Today's program is to help to informed elected officials of that role because that way business pay more taxes - the town and city council get more taxes. They are able then to better improve their municipality and so it's a win-win for everybody."

Michael Thompson, Keynote Speaker, Local Governance Symposium
"Our effort here isn't to tell you what to do but it si to work with you as visionaries, as leaders and the very smart people who understand what you need to do and in some instances the question is when do you start and what are some of the best practices? What are the models of success that you can look at and emulate?"

One delicate subject that was discussed is the fine line between just taxation and imposing an unjust tax burden. As CARILED's lead discussant explained - it's a process of dialogue- which Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley backed up by his experience:...

Mayor Darrell Bradley
"If you are telling me that we took certain decisions in terms of taxes you are correct. If you are telling me that we are prepared to put in place the kind of infrastructure including streets and drains that will lift the whole City then we have a different conversation."

"We are trying to look at things from a very systematic and analytic pint of view. Certain things that we are doing will enhance business in the City for example; I've often times talked about the Northern Highway project - building that 5.4 miles stretch of road and we see right now, if you look there are so many businesses being develop there."

"If the City were to invest in that infrastructure, which will seal the transformation of Belize City. But it can't be when we talked to the businesses its always tax, tax, tax. That can't be the only discussion. We have to look at it from a holistic point of view."

Michael Thompson, Keynote Speaker, Local Governance Symposium
"There is real need for more dialogue between business and government to look at what is the appropriate balance; the dialogue can't simply be that businesses think the taxes are too high and that the natural response that government has to reduce it because at that point is actually helps to increase more employment. That's not always the case. So often you find that there's a need for business to commit to an effort if taxes are lowered - that there is a corresponding increase in terms of what they are going to do in terms of investing in communities."

A Mayor from Jamaica Brenda Ramsay and a number of councilors from Canada attended.