Posted: Sunday, April 6, 2025. 8:03 am CST.
By Horace Palacio: Tension is brewing between over 300 vendors at the Belmopan Market Plaza and the Belmopan City Council, after the Council issued a warning stating vendors must hold a valid trade license in order to operate at the popular market.
The enforcement came despite vendors previously being covered under a 2021 agreement between property owner David Zabaneh and the former mayor, allowing the Plaza to pay $30,000 annually for five years to cover trade license costs on behalf of all vendors.
According to the current City Council, that agreement is no longer valid, as they deem it legally non-binding. The Council has formally notified Zabaneh that the arrangement is now terminated.
Zabaneh, who took to Facebook to voice his frustration, called the move an attack on small businesses. “This is the reality facing over 300 hardworking vendors at Belmopan Market Plaza today,” he posted. “Instead of supporting small businesses, this administration has chosen intimidation and oppression.”
The vendors, many of whom are farmers, women entrepreneurs, and small business owners, now face uncertainty as they risk being shut down if they do not individually obtain trade licenses.
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