San Pedro Business Association

The San Pedro Business Association wants YOU to become a member

To the Business Community of Ambergris Caye:

Tourism provides the fuel for the economic engine of San Pedro Town, but it is the business community of our island that drives it. Business people know better than anyone when a crisis affecting the whole community is about to strike at the heart of our island and business people, more than any other group, can help ensure that Ambergris Caye holds on to the prosperity that people here have worked so hard to achieve.

Proof of this is easy to find. During the 2006/07 rainy season the ridiculous state of our roads threatened the very being of our island economy. Our island was close to shutting down. The recent lobbying by you, concerned business people of Ambergris Caye, to the Government of Belize and the San Pedro Town Council with regards to the deplorable state of our roads showed what a united front could achieve for our island. By your efforts funding was obtained to pave some critical sections of our island roads.

It was a great start. By showing a united front we (read “you”) were able to politely but firmly make the case for the repatriation of at least some of the taxes our island pays. Without that amazing business people meeting at the Lion’s Den last December NOTHING was being done to address a situation that was nearing critical mass. Now we need to press on.

To this end we would like to invite you to become a member of a new organization. The “San Pedro Business Association” will be dedicated to the following goal: To improving the business climate of Ambergris Caye in order that members of the business community can ensure the future prosperity, security and well being of every honest and hard working resident of our island.

How can we achieve such a goal on a continuous basis?
1. Identifying potential problems before they reach critical status.
2. Discussing, within the framework of a powerful and respected organization (yours) solutions to those problems and identifying the bodies that need to be approached for assistance.
3. Meeting with those bodies, whether it be the Town Council, the Central Government of Belize, emergency service or anyone else responsible and alerting them to those problems and suggesting solutions.
4. STAYING UNITED and pooling our resources and combining the spirited and entrepreneurial thinking that made us believe that being in business on Ambergris Caye the right decision for all of us.
Think about just 2 items that might be reaching critical mass: 1. The road situation will be far from being solved even after the paving is completed on the main road heading south to Victoria House. More wet “Wet Seasons” will make life miserable on the 80% of the roads that will still be unpaved. 2. The appalling state of garbage. A project to keep La Isla Bonita clean.

These are just two urgent items we want to pursue on behalf of the Business Community of the island. Fixing the dire road situation directly affects the economic well being of Ambergris Caye in ways that were obvious to all during the 2006/07 rains. With the success of Span Pedro Lobsterfest, which was organized by the SPBA and future events that are already in the planning stages, we aim to support all of the business and improve the quality of life on Ambergris Caye.

Full meetings will be held once per month at the Lion’s Den. At these meetings members will have the opportunity to discuss community issues, and also to raise new issues for consideration. All members have access to the ‘Members Area’ of this website, where issues and ideas can be raised and discussed in between scheduled meetings. Membership fees of the San Pedro Business Association are:

Basic Membership: $500 Bz per year.
(Membership + Basic Listing on sanpedrobusiness.com)

Advanced Membership: $800 Bz per year.
(Membership + Advanced Profile listing on sanpedrobusiness.com, including Photo and Links)

We invite you to become involved.
Contact us at info@sanpedrobusiness.com

Chairman: Elito Arceo
Vice Chairman: Andre Perez
Secretary: Rebecca Arceo
Treasurer: Terry Anderson.