The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is the regulatory body for non-bank financial services in Belize, particularly for those services provided by entities licensed or registered under the Financial Services Commission Act, 2023 and the Securities Industry Act, 2021 (SIA). The services include licensing, supervising, and regulating the securities industry in Belize. To deepen Belize’s financial industry and promote capital mobilization, among other objectives, the securities legislation is a forerunner to capital market development and a potential vehicle to encourage economic linkages between Belize’s IFS sector and the real economy. With the enactment of the Belize Companies Act, 2022, the FSC was further entrusted with the responsibility for the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry (BCCAR). The Financial Services Commission of Belize regularly issues warning notices on its website against any unlicensed promotional activities on the internet involving Belize.
The Belize International Financial Services Association (BIFSA) is a corporate body comprised of professionals in Belize’s International Financial Services industry and steered by a Management Committee which deals with Financial, Legislative, Educational and Marketing issues that concern the Association and the Industry.
BCCAR is Belize’s registry for business entities or legal vehicles including Belize Companies Act. 11 of 2022, Business Names Cap. 247, Limited Liability Partnerships Cap. 258, International Foundations Cap 24:02, International Limited Liability Companies Cap. 270:10 and Non-Governmental Organizations Cap 315. On July 31, 2022, the Belize Companies Act. 11 of 2022 was enacted appointing the Director General of the Belize Financial Services Commission (FSC) as the Registrar of BCCAR.
The Attorney General's Ministry has four units: (1) The Litigation Unit which handles all government litigation, (2) The Legislative Drafting Unit which drafts all legislative instruments enacted by the National Assembly or made by the Executive, (3) The Legal Advice Unit which provides legal advice to the Executive, and (4) The International Legal Affairs Unit which handles all mutual legal assistance offered to foreign states. These Units are all run by Crown Counsel who are trained attorneys at law dedicated to the public service and the business of governance.
The International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize, Commonly known by its abbreviation of IMMARBE, is an office that falls under the authority of the Ministry of Finance in Belize. The Registry operates through a network of Designated offices. In 1997, IMMARBE moved forward by appointing a Designated Office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands that is managed by the deputy Registrar Erik A. de Koning of Hubel Marine B.V. The office is completely empowered to process all applications for temporary and permanent registration of a vessel and including the registration of maritime Liens, issuance of seafarer endorsements, obtaining transcript of registry amongst many other IMMARBE related vessel documentation.
The Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit exists under the Ministry of Finance and was established on 12th November 2013 pursuant to our High Seas Fishing Act 2013. It is the primary authority responsible for the regulation and control of Belize-flagged vessels which engage in fishing or related activities on the high seas. The High Seas Fishing Act 2013 clearly outlines the powers and functions of the Unit.
The Association of Real Estate Brokers of Belize (AREBB) represents the top real estate professionals in Belize, with a growing membership that includes not only brokers and sales associates, but developers, attorneys, consultants, surveyors, appraisers, and other professionals intimately involved in the industry. AREBB members are the experts in their field and cover the entire country operating under strict standards of ethics and professionalism.
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