3 Belize Logistics Services

3.1 Belize Fuel

Fuel Pricing
Fuel Transportation
Standards, Quality and Testing

In terms of fuel distribution in Belize there are two terminals with a combined storage capacity of 26,300 m³, 14 retail sites and one airport dedicated to this purpose. Puma Energy is the sole importer of petroleum products in the country. It currently operates 14 branded retail sites and two convenience stores. Puma Energy has also invested in offshore mooring systems.

For more information on government and fuel provider contact details, please see the following links:

4.1 Government Contact List

4.7 Fuel Providers Contact List

Information may also be found at: http://www.mytravelcost.com/petrol-prices/ which is updated monthly.

Fuel Pricing

The Ministry of Finance in Belize controls the price of the fuel in the country, the taxes on fuel are approximately 45.25% and the commercial margin for the fuel retailers is 13.46%. Gasoline is imported as oil production in the country is not sufficient to build a local refinery. Taxes already include import tariffs. The numbers in the table represent the prices from the plant. Prices at gas stations might vary. (Source: PUMA Energy)

More information can be found here: https://mof.gov.bz/index.php/2012-08-30-03-42-02/2012-10-04-16-57-37

Fuel Prices per Litre as of: 16 DEC 2016 (*USD - $)*
Premium Gasoline	USD $5.175
Diesel D-2	USD $4.510
Regular Gasoline	USD $4.840
Jet A-1	USD $2.830

Seasonal Variations

Seasonal Variations
Are there national priorities in the availability of fuel? (i.e. are there restrictions or priorities for the provision of fuel such as to the military?)	No
Is there a rationing system?	Yes
Is fuel to lower income / vulnerable groups subsidized?	No (Only sugar cane farmers are subsidized)
Can the local industry expand fuel supply to meet humanitarian needs?	Yes
Is it possible for a humanitarian organization to directly contract a reputable supplier / distributor to provide its fuel needs?	Yes

Fuel Transportation

Fuel is imported via barge in a two-to-three-week cycle. Some products if needed are transported via trucks from other Puma facilities, although barges are preferred. Fuel is distributed in the country via trucks. Each distributer outsources trucks to do the deliveries to their clients at a regulated price set by the government.

Standards, Quality and Testing

Foreign independent surveyors (OTI or Intertek) are in charge of fuel sampling. The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) is the regulatory agent and has approved both laboratories.

Industry Control Measures
Do tanks have adequate protection against water mixing with the fuel?	Yes
Are there filters in the system which monitor where fuel is loaded into aircraft?	Yes
Is there adequate epoxy coating of tanks on trucks?	Yes (JET-A1)
Is there a presence of suitable firefighting equipment?	Yes

Standards Authority
Is there a national or regional standards authority?	Yes
If yes, please identify the appropriate national and/or regional authority.	National: Belize Bureau of Standards
If yes, are the standards adequate/properly enforced?	Yes

Testing Laboratories
Are there national testing laboratories?	No

Fuel Quality Testing Laboratory
Company	Intertek
Name	Intertek Guatemala
Address	Calle 21-53 Zona 12 Expo 46. Edificio No. 10 Guatemala City, Guatemala 01012
Telephone and Fax	(502)-2303-5800
Contact	Products Division
Standards Used	N/A

Fuel Quality Testing Laboratory
Company	Oiltest
Name	Oiltest, Inc.
Address	67 Walnut Avenue Suite 107 Clark, NJ 07066-1640 USA
Telephone and Fax	+1-(732)-396-0585
Contact	Cetral Laboratory
Standards Used	N/A

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

3.2 Belize Transporters

The transportation industry in Belize faces constraints due to poor infrastructure. Several projects have been suspended since 2004 when austerity measures were implemented. During the wet season, major roads and sections of highways are subject to closures due to possible damages.

The Belizean Ministry of Works and Transport estimates that there are slightly over 3,000 truckers in the country. 80 percent are involved in the agricultural sector and particularly the sugar industry in one way or the other.

Truckers in Belize have two major points of entry into the country, which also serve as exit points. The first entry point is between the towns Subteniente Lopez and Santa Elena, located on each side of the Mexico-Belize border point. Once customs and immigration officials have approved the vehicle permit and stamped the passport of the driver and other passengers, drivers need to purchase insurance for the duration of their stay from the Insurance Corporation of Belize. The vehicle permit is used in the vehicle importation process. The other point of entry is between the towns Benque Viejo del Carmen and Melchor de Mencos, located on each side of the Belize-Guatemala border.

Because most trucks are dedicated to supporting industry and farming activities, it is sometimes complicated to get a company to do freight transportation.

For more information on transport company contact details, please see the following link:

4.8 Transporter Contact List

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

3.3 Belize Manual Labour

Unemployment rates in Belize are lower than in other countries in the region, this is also due to the country's small population. It is possible to obtain work force to carry out projects in the country, in addition, organisations can hire personnel with temporary contracts,

There are seven major trade unions in Belize organized under a federation, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB). Membership is estimated at around 5,500, representing less than 4 percent of the labour force and around 6 percent of all government and private sector employees. Union membership is concentrated in the public sector. The two largest unions are the Belize National Teachers Union and the Public Service Union, each one with 1,600-1,800 members.

There is limited union representation in the private sector. The tourism sector, including hotels and restaurants, is not unionized nor are any of the call centers, a growing segment of the service sector.

Trade unions are more prevalent in the public sector and their impact on the labour market is more likely to be indirect than direct. Public sector unions via wage and other compensation demands influence fiscal outcomes. These in turn can influence government borrowing and interest rates, and hence, private sector development and labour demand.

The numbers in the table below display the labor rates for workers in US-Dollar per day (Source: UNDP).

Labour Rate(s) Overview
	Cost	Rate as of 2016
Daily General Worker (Unskilled casual labour)	25 USD	04/2016
Daily General Worker (Semi-skilled labour)	35 USD	04/2016
Skilled Worker	50 USD	04/2016

3.4 Belize Telecommunications

Overview

The Belize Telecommunications Act No. 16 of 2002 liberalized telecommunications and made the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) the industry regulator. A process of consultation with prospective players on license terms and conditions for new entrants and on price control and inter-connection sets the stage for competition. License conditions and legal obligations require license holders to behave in a fair and non-discriminatory manner, to provide cost-oriented services to competitors and to refrain from abuse of a dominant position with predatory or other anti-competitive practices.

The sector is also responsible for Regulatory Framework both internationally and regionally in conjunction with recommendations laid out by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

Belize is becoming one of the fastest-growing telecom markets in the Caribbean and has seen an increase in the teledensity as well as a sharp decline in tariffs for various services within the sector thus, contributing to the economic growth of the country. Telecommunications along with Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), has vastly accelerated the growth of the social and economic development of the country.

For more information on telecoms contacts, please see the following link:

4.11 Additional Services Contact List

Telephone Services
Is there an existing landline telephone network?	Yes
Does it allow international calls?	Yes
Number and Length of Downtime Periods (on average)	Not often
Mobile Phone Providers	Digicell Smart
Approximate Percentage of National Coverage	85%

Telecommunication Regulation

Broadcasting and television are regulated under the Broadcasting and Television Act overseen by the Belize Broadcasting Authority.

Regulations on Usage and Import
	Regulations in Place?	Regulating Authority
Satellite	Yes	PUC
HF Radio	Yes	PUC
UHF/VHF/HF Radio: Handheld, Base and Mobile	Yes	PUC
UHF/VHF Repeaters	Yes	PUC
GPS	No	-
VSAT	Yes	PUC
Individual Network Operator Licenses Required
Yes

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

Existing UN Telecommunication Systems
	UNDP	WFP
VHF Frequencies	Yes	No
HF Frequencies	Yes	No
Locations of Repeaters	-	-
VSAT	-	-

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

BTL (Belize Telemedia Limited) is the largest Internet service provider in Belize. However, 27 companies have been granted licenses to provide Internet in Belize. At least one other company, Southern Cable Network (formerly known as Mirror Net), is in Belmopan and has started to offer Internet service again. Some Belizeans also use satellite service to connect to the Internet, although the connection speed tends to be slower compared to other services. For some remote areas, satellite services are the only options.

Internet Service Providers
Are there ISPs available?	Yes
If yes, are they privately or government owned?	Private
Dial-up only?	No
Approximate Rates *(local currency and* *USD - $)*	Dial-up	BZD $4.00 / USD $2.00
	Broadband	BZD $15.00 / US $7.50
Max Leasable ‘Dedicated’ Bandwidth	100 Mbit/s by TS2

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Belize is well served by cellular service which covers most of the country and certain marine areas close to major coastal population centers. The major telecommunication company, Belize Telemedia Limited, is government-owned. The second-largest company and mobile operator is Smart Telecom Belize.

Belize Telemedia Limited offers its cellular service under the “DigiCell” brand, a digital service with GSM dual band 850/1900 MHz technology. Cellular plans in Belize are easy to understand and they can be broken into two segments: post and pre-paid. Most Belizeans use Digicell or SMART pre-paid service, as there is no need of a contract and no forms need to be signed.

For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

3.5 Belize Food and Additional Suppliers

Natural disasters have contributed to a reduction in agricultural production and exports and to short-term increases in food imports. The aggregate impact from Tropical Storm Roxanne in 1995 and Hurricane Keith in 2000 in Northern Belize, together with Tropical Storm Chantal and Hurricane Iris in 2001 in Southern Belize, resulted in more than US$ 200 million in losses and damages to the agriculture sector alone. These natural disasters caused short-term shortages of domestic commodities such as rice, corn and beans, and contributed to reduced exports of shrimp, lobster, papayas and bananas in the corresponding years. Damage to agriculture and fisheries infrastructure contributed significantly to the resulting shortfalls in production.

Generic country information can be located from sources which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a general overview of country data related to the service and supply sectors, please consult to following source: The Observatory of Economic Complexity–MIT (OEC)

For more information, please visit the following sites:

World Bank - World Integrated Trade Solution - Belize

Trading Economics - Belize

Index Mundi - Belize

3.5.1 Belize Food Suppliers

Overview
Retail Sector
Wholesale - Madisco

Overview

Food availability is not a problem in Belize, but large numbers of households living in poverty are prone to food insecurity, due to a lack of access to food because purchasing economic capacity is not possible. It is estimated that more than 25% of Belizean households live in poverty.

Belize has a high degree of dependence on imported goods that supply the population with 60% of its food. The country imports most of its cereal (21 849 t/year in 1998–2000), although as a proportion of total imports it decreased from 22% in 1964-66 to 9% in 1998-2000. Imports of animal fat as a percentage of total DES decreased steadily, while vegetable oil imports increased after 1989–91. Meat and offals imports decreased slightly. The import of milk and milk products peaked in 1979-81 (16% of total DES) but decreased to 6% of total DES in 1998-2000 (FAOSTAT, 2003).

For more information on food supplier contact details, please see the following link: 4.10 Belize Supplier Contact List

Retail Sector

In Belize City large food suppliers are easy to find, in the rest of the country inefficient distribution chains and high transport costs may result in scarcity of imported products.

Types of Retailers Available
Type of Retailer	Rank 1-5, where 1 is the most commonly used by the population and 5 is the least
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains.	1
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative.	2
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options.	2
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options.	5
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments.	5

Wholesale - Madisco

Madisco has a 22,000 sq. ft. storage facility warehouse in Belize City, which also includes 654 sq. ft. of cooler/freezer capacity. Madisco also owns a fleet of vehicles for distribution along the country.

Supplier Overview
Company Name	Madisco
Address	1894 Clerghorn Street, Belize City, Belize
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity?	Yes
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities?	Yes
Approximate Turnover in MT	300/month
Payment Methods Accepted	Cash, Credit Cards, Checks
Other Comments or Key Information

Other Locations
Region(s)	Service Location(s)
Central Coastal Belize	Belize City

Primary Goods / Commodities Available
Commodities by Type** (SITC Rev 4 Division Code - Title)	Comments
00 - Live animals (other than fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.)	Locally sourced and imported
01 - Meat and meat preparations	Imported
02 - Dairy products and birds’ eggs	Locally sourced and imported
03 - Fish (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs…	Locally sourced and imported
04 - Cereals and cereal preparations	Imported
05 - Vegetables and fruit	Locally sourced and imported
06 - Sugars, sugar preparations and honey	Locally sourced and imported
07 - Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof	Locally sourced and imported
09 - Miscellaneous edible products and preparations	Imported
41 - Animal oils and fats	Imported
42/43 - Fixed vegetable fats and oils, crude, refined or fractionated	Imported

**For FUEL/PETROLEUM products please see section 3.1 Fuel.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.