Belmopan Market Vendors Concerned about Trade License Regulation

The Belmopan Market Plaza is buzzing with frustration after vendors were informed that they now need individual trade licenses to operate. Since 2021, vendors have been paying a rental fee to market owner David Zabaneh, who covered a thirty-thousand-dollar blanket trade license. However, that agreement is no longer valid. News Five’s Britney Gordon visited the market today to get more details on the situation. 

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

It’s less than twenty-four hours before market day at the Belmopan Market Plaza, and things are pretty quiet. A few vendors have set up their stalls, hoping to make some sales, but many are worried they might not be able to keep doing business. Recently, the Belmopan City Council told the vendors they now need individual trade licenses instead of the umbrella license that market owner David Zabaneh had been paying for since 2021.

 

David Zabaneh, Market Owner

“We got granted a trade license in 2021 by the Trade License Board. With that trade license, we entered into a five year MOU with the Belmopan City Council to conduct market day activities. And it was something that was, renewable. So in 2023, we went back to the table  because we had some, I’d say not really issues, but the landowner at that time, he really wanted to sell. So being that we already had the commitment to our vendors, we decided, we have to see how we proceed to purchase this property and not let it get in the hand of, any other investor because we’ve had a lot of people showing interest in wanting to buy the property. We’re for our vendors first.”

 

 

Zabaneh and the city council worked out a new thirty-year agreement for a group trade license, based on a promise to buy the market property. However, this deal was made with the previous administration under former mayor Sharon Palacio. The current mayor, Pablo Cawich, says the agreement is not valid.

 

David Zabaneh

“We already made our investments and they want to come in and charge each vendor individually when we already have a blanket trade license agreement. So it’s not, maybe it’s new to them, but it’s nothing that’s unheard of to have a blanket or umbrella trade license. They do this kind of arrangements all over the world. If you want to go check in the commonwealth. You could find that being done. For us, I would say, the fee we pay annually, we would see a huge reduction in that. We’d probably see ninety to ninety-five reduction in that if they come in un charge vendors a trade license. But on our end, we can’t allow that to happen because a lot of times the small business owners they get trampled on by, different administrations and we’re just in a position where we have to protect them and their livelihoods.”

 

Veronica Barcenas has been selling tacos at the market for over eight years. She shared that the old trade license setup was a huge help for her and many other vendors, making it easier for them to keep their businesses running.

 

Veronica Barcenas, Vendor

“I feel very happy here in this place, and I don’t want the City Council to invade our market plaza because I worked with them for many years. At first, it was fine, but later, it seemed like they wanted to do something, I don’t know what, and they took away our selling space. So, we moved here with Mr. Zabaneh at Market Plaza. I know that this place is very nice, and there are a lot of sales of clothes, food, and I am happy about that.”

 

 

 

Zabaneh explains that the city council’s cease and desist order was not shocking, since he has faced several hurdles with the new administration.

 

David Zabaneh

“In December they the city council, they called us into a meeting and told us their intention. And, we stood our ground saying, hey, we have an MOU have an agreement in place already, probably paying a significant amount of blanket for vendors. And they would just make it difficult, for small business owners to operate. We have a lot of seasonal people. We have a lot of farmers that come in here and they can’t afford to go through the bureaucracy, probably rather just not getting business.”

 

 

The cost of a trade license varies based on the business’ size and location. To get one, vendors must first register their businesses and then have them assessed by the city council to determine the fee. Elizabeth Garcia, a fruit and vegetable vendor who has been selling at the market for about four years, is worried she won’t be able to afford both the annual license fee and the rent for her spot in the market.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Garcia, Vendor

“ I am a single mom and I don’t understand why since we paid the owner of the markets, we already paid the City Council trade license, so now they want to come in and charge individual. To me, that’s not fair and everything goes up, product doesn’t, the price doesn’t come down and we have to try keep a standard balance for the customers, but business are low right now.”

 

 

 

According to Zabaneh, about three hundred vendors will be impacted by these changes in regulations. The council remains firm that the previous MOU should not have been enacted and has no plans to reinstate it.

 

David Zabaneh

“For communication wise. I think we’ve reached out a few times. I reached out a couple times over the last week and I’ve had no response, so I don’t think they want to negotiate. I think they’re pretty firm on their position, so I have to be firm on mine and we’re gonna do whatever it takes to protect our vendors.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.