Standards and Regulation in Belize

Belize ranks 99 out of 183 countries in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report (2011). The country benefits from certain advantages, such as its small size which ensures an accessible market, an embedded history of using the English language and law system, and well-developed media for a nation of its size. The main economic regulators in the country include the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC), which regulates the offshore sector; the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which monitors utility infrastructure; and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), which maintains crop standards. The country possesses no stock exchange. Belize is not a member of the International Organisation of Standardisation, though it does possess a local official standards and accreditation body – the Belize Bureau of Standards.