RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/S/O/BLZ 
11 December 2006  
 (06-5902) 
Council for Trade in Services 
Special Session Original:   English 
 
  
BELIZE 
 
Initial Offer  
  
 The following initial offer, dated 5 December  2006, from the delegation of Belize is being 
circulated to the Members of the Council for Trade in Services.   
 
_______________ 
 
 
The Government of Belize herewith submits its  initial offer under the negotiations on trade in 
services under Article XIX of the General Agreement on Trade in Services and pursuant to paragraph 
15 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration of 14 November, 2001 and Annex C of the General Council 
Decision of 1 August, 2004.  
The Government of Belize reserves the right to make any technical changes or corrections to 
this offer throughout the course of the negotiations.   The Government of Belize further reserves the 
right to reduce, modify or withdraw this offer at any time during the course of the negotiations based 
on its assessment of the progress of the negotiatio ns and the extent to which the development 
aspirations of Belize are supported by the outcome.     
  TN/S/O/BLZ 
Page 2 BELIZE – INITIAL OFFER 
 
Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
I. HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 ALL SECTORS 
INCLUDED IN THIS 
SCHEDULE  
  
  
  4)  None, with respect to categories of persons 
indicated in market access.  Unbound fo r all 
other categories of persons.   
 
 4) Unbound except for senior managerial 
personnel and technical experts not available in the labour market. 
  No limitations with respect to managerial 
personnel and technical experts. 
 
 Unbound for all other categories.   
II. SECTOR-SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
1. BUSINESS SERVICES    
A. Professional Services  
    
(h) General Medical Services 
 (93121)  1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures.    
 1) None 2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures.  
 Neurosurgery Services  1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures. 1) None  
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures. 
  
 Epidemiological s Services 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under  horizontal 
measures. 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures.   
   TN/S/O/BLZ
 Page 3Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
 CATSCAN Series  Services 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures.  
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under horizontal 
measures.  
F. Other Business Services  
 
 Conference Centre 
Services (CPC 87909**) 
  
 
1) None 2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
  
 
1) None 2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
  
2. COMMUNICATION 
 SERVICES 
 
C. Telecommunication 
 Services  
    
 All sub-sectors  
 
(a) Voice telephone services 
excluding trunked radio 
services  
 (CPC 7521) (f) Facsimile services  
 (CPC 7521**, CPC 
7529**) 
 
 
 1),3), Subject to the availability of the desired 
frequency .   
1) Reserved to existing exclusive operator . 
Callback and refile not permitted. Bypass of  
the network of existing exclusive operator not 
permitte d. Only through licensed facilities 
based operators  
2) None 
3) Reserved to existing exclusive operator . 
Subject to economic needs test. Water, 
electricity and gas utilities in Belize cannot 
own 25% or more of shares in company and vice versa.  
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under 
horizontal sector  measures.   
 
1) None  
 
  
2) None 
3) Articles of Association of Belize 
Telecommunications Limited limits share -
holding to any one entity to 25%    None  
  
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures.   See attached 
additional 
commitments on regulatory disciplines  TN/S/O/BLZ 
Page 4 Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
(b) Packet-switched data 
transmission services  
 (7523**) 
(c) Circuit-switched data 
transmission services  
 (CPC7523**) 
(d) Telex services  
 (7523**)  1) Reserved to existing e xclusive operator.  
Bypass of the network not permitted.  Only 
through licensed service providers.  
2) None 
3) Reserved to existing exclusive operator . 
Water, electricity and gas utilities in Belize 
cannot own 25% or more shares in 
company and vice versa  1) None 
  
2) None 
3) Articles of Association of Belize 
Telecommunications Limited limits share -
holding to any one entity to 25  None  
  
(e) Telegraph services  
 (7522) 4) Unbound except as indicated in the  under  
horizontal sector  measures.  4) Unbound except as indicated in the  under  
horizontal sector  measures.   
(g) Private leased circuit 
services (7522**, 7523**) 
(h) Electronic mail 
 (7523**) (i) Voice mail (7523**) 
(l) Enhanced-value-added 
facsimile services, incl. store and forward, store and 
retrieve (7523**) 
(o) Other Internet and internet 
services (except voice) 
(CPC 75260) 
     
   TN/S/O/BLZ
 Page 5Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
(j) On-line information and 
data base retrieval  
 (7523**) 
(k) Electronic data interchange 
(7523**) 
(m) Code and protocol 
conversion 
(n) On-line information and/or 
data processing (incl. 
transaction processing 
(843**) 
 1) Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
December 30, 2007 and thereafter only 
through facilities supplied by the existing 
exclusive operator providing voice telephone 
services (CPC 7521).  Only through facilities 
supplied by the licensed operators.  
2) None 
3) Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
December 30, 2007 and thereafter only 
through facilities supplied by the existing 
exclusive operator providing voice telephone 
services (CPC 7521).   Only through facilities 
supplied by licensed operators. Water, 
electricity and gas utilities in Belize cannot own 25% or more of shares in company 
and vice versa. 
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures.  
 1) None 
  
 
  
2) None 
3) Unbound   
 
  
 
  
 
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures.  
  
 
(o) Other   
 Trunked radio services 
(CPC 75213*) 
 
 
   
  
1) Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
December 30, 2002.           None  
2) None 3) Reserved to existing
 exclusive operator until 
December 30, 2002 , and thereafte r, Only 
through joint venture arrangement with Belizean national. Water, electricity and gas 
utilities in Belize cannot own 25% or more 
of shares in company and vice versa. 
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under 
horizontal sector  measures.   
1) None 
 
2) None 3) Unbound 
 
  
 
 4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal section  measures.  
   TN/S/O/BLZ 
Page 6 Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
 Paging (CPC 75291) 
 1) Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
providing voice telephone ser vices (CPC7521) 
until December 30, 2007 . None  
2) None 
3) Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
providing voice telephone services (CPC7521) 
until December 30, 2007, and thereafter, Only 
through joint venture arrangement with Belizean national. Water, electricity and gas 
utilities in Belize cannot own 25% or more 
shares in company and vice versa.  
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures.  1) None 
  
2) None 
3) Unbound  
 
  
 
 4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures. 
  
  
 Tele-conferencing Services   (CPC 75292) 
 1) Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
December 30, 2002, and thereafter o nly 
through facilities supplied by the existing 
exclusive operator providing voice telephone 
services (C PC 7521).   Only through facilities 
supplied by licensed operators.  
2) None   
3)  Reserved to existing exclusive operator until 
December 30, 2002, and thereafter only 
through facilities supplied by the existing 
exclusive operator providing voice telephone 
services (CPC 7521) . Only through facilities 
supplied by licensed operators. Water, 
electricity and gas utilities in Belize cannot 
own 25% or more of shares in company and vice versa.  
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures.  1) None 
 
 
  
 
2) None 
3) Unbound 
  
 
  
 
  
4) Unbound except as indicated in the
 under  
horizontal sector  measures.    
   TN/S/O/BLZ
 Page 7Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
9. TOURISM AND 
TRAVEL-RELATED SERVICES  
    
A. Hotel and Restaurant 
Services    
   
 Hotels and Lodging 
Services (CPC 64110) 
  
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None for hotels in excess of 50 rooms; hotels 
of less than 50 rooms may be subject to an 
economic needs test. 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures.   1) None 
2) None 
3) None  
 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures.   
  
 Letting services of 
furnished accommodation  
 (CPC 64193) 
  
 
 Camping and 
caravanning site services  
 (CPC 64195)  
 
  Meal serving services 
with full restaurant 
facilities (CPC 63210) 
 
 
  1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
 
1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
  1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
 
1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measured. 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  TN/S/O/BLZ 
Page 8 Modes of supply:  1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
 Meal serving services in 
self services facilities (CPC 63220) 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures.  1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
  
10. RECREATIONAL, 
CULTURAL AND 
SPORTING SERVICES 
    
 Rental and leasing of 
yachts  with or without operators limited to class 
1 under 12 passengers 
with or without  crew and with multiple days on 
itinerary  
 (96499**, CPC 83103**)  1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 1) None 
2) None 3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
  
 
11. TRANSPORT 
SERVICES 
 A. Maritime Transport 
Services  
 c. Rental of Vessels with 
Crew (CPC 72119**) 
  Passenger transportation 
for live -aboard, limited 
to class 2 boats  under 100 passengers but with 
multiple days on the 
itinerary    
 
 
  
1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
  
 
 
  
1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated under 
horizontal measures. 
    TN/S/O/BLZ 
  Page 9 
 
 
 REFERENCE PAPER  
 Scope
 
 
The following are definitions and principles  on the regulatory framework for the basic 
telecommunications services.    Definitions
 
 
Users  mean service consumers and service suppliers.   
 Essential facilities
 mean facilities of a public telecommunica tions transport network or service that 
 
(a) are exclusively or predominantly provided by a single or limited number of suppliers; 
and 
(b) cannot feasibly be economically or technically substituted in order to provide a 
service. 
 
A major supplier  is a supplier which has the ability to materially affect the terms of participation (having 
regard to price and supply) in the relevant market for basic telecommunications services as a result of: 
 
(a) control over essential facilities;  or 
(b) use of its position in the market. 
1. Competitive safeguards  
 
1.1 Prevention of anti-competitive practices in telecommunications  
  Appropriate measures sh all be maintained for the purpose of  preventing suppliers who, alone or 
together, are a major supplier  from engaging in or continui ng anti-competitive practices. 
 1.2 Safeguards
 
 
 The anti-competitive practices referred to above shall include in particular: 
 
(a) engaging in anti-competitive cross-subsidization;   
(b) using information obtained from competit ors with anti-competitive results;  and 
(c) not making available to other services suppliers on a timely basis technical 
information about essential facilities and co mmercially relevant information which 
are necessary for them to provide services.  
2. Interconnection  
 2.1 This section applies to linking with supplie rs providing public telecommunications transport 
networks or services in order to allow the users of  one supplier to communicate  with users of another 
supplier and  to access services provided by another supplie r, where specific commitments are 
undertaken. TN/S/O/BLZ 
Page 10  
 
 2.2 Interconnection to be ensured  
  Interconnection with a major suppl ier will be ensured at any tec hnically feasible point in the 
network.  Such interc onnection is provided. 
 
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions  (including technical standards and 
specifications) and rates and of a quality no less favourable than that provided for its 
own like services or for like services of non-affiliated service suppliers or for its subsidiaries or other affiliates; 
(b) in a timely fashion, on terms, conditions (including technical standards and 
specifications) and cost-oriented rates that ar e transparent, reasonable, having regard 
to economic feasibility, and sufficiently unbundl ed so that the supplier need not pay 
for network components or facilities that it does not require for the service to be 
provided;  and 
(c) upon request, at points in addition to the network termination points offered to the 
majority of users, subject to charges that reflect the cost of construction of necessary 
additional facilities. 
2.3 Public availability of the procedures for interconnection negotiations
 
  The procedures applicable for interconnecti on to a major supplier will be made publicly 
available. 
 2.4 Transparency of interconnection arrangements
 
  It is ensured that a major supplier will make  publicly available either its interconnection 
agreements or a reference interconnection offer. 
 2.5 Interconnection:  dispute settlement
 
  A service supplier requesting in terconnection with a major supplie r will have recourse, either: 
 
(a) at any time or 
(b) after a reasonable period of time which has been made publicly known to an 
independent domestic body, which may be  a regulatory body as referred to in 
paragraph 5 below, to resolve disputes re garding appropriate terms, conditions and 
rates for interconnection within a reasonable period of time, to the extent that these 
have not been established previously. 
3. Universal service
 
  Any Member has the right to define the kind of universal service obligation it wishes to 
maintain.  Such obligations will not be regarded as anti-competitive per se , provided they are 
administered in a transp arent, non-discriminatory and competitiv ely neutral manner and are not more 
burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal service defined by the Member.      
 4. Public availability of licensing criteria
 
  Where a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available:  TN/S/O/BLZ 
 Page 11 
 
 
 (a) all the licensing criteria and the period of  time normally required to reach a decision 
concerning an application for a licence and 
(b) the terms and conditions of  individual licences. 
 The reasons for the denial of a licence w ill be made known to the applicant upon request. 
 5. Independent regulators
 
  The regulatory body is separate from, an d not accountable to, any supplier of basic 
telecommunications services.  The decisions of and th e procedures used by regul ators shall be impartial 
with respect to all market participants.  6. Allocation and use of scarce resources
 
  Any procedures for the allocation and use of sc arce resources, including frequencies, numbers 
and rights of way, will be carried out in an obj ective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory 
manner.  The current state of allo cated frequency bands wi ll be made publicly available, but detailed 
identification of frequencies allocated for specific government us es is not required. 
 
 
__________