Posted: Wednesday, April 9, 2025. 6:30 pm CST.
National Border Control Officers at Philip Goldson International Airport cargo area – Photo Credit: BAHA
By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Belize recently hosted an important international border control meeting aimed at enhancing collaboration among CARICOM nations. As part of the National Border Control Officers Attachment Programme, 16 border officials from Barbados, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname visited key border stations across the country to exchange knowledge and improve regulatory procedures.
During the visit, Belize’s senior quarantine inspector provided an in-depth overview of the country’s border control process. Hernan Zetina, Director of Quarantine for the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA), emphasized the importance of the program.
“We had our senior quarantine inspector at all the points of the country that were visited by the team, explain what our process flows are, how we inspect products, what is required by the importer, and what procedures the importer has to undergo in cases of noncompliance,” Zetina said.
The delegation toured several key locations across Belize, including the Philip Goldson International Airport, the Belize Port Authority, the Belize Western Border Station in Benque Viejo del Carmen, and the Big Creek Port in southern Belize. These site visits allowed border officers to observe Belize’s procedures firsthand and compare them with the systems in their home countries.
Photo Credit: BAHA
A key focus of the exchange was identifying challenges within Belize’s border infrastructure. Zetina noted that the visiting delegation highlighted certain limitations at different ports of entry.
“One of the challenges that they identified in Belize was the infrastructure at the different ports of entry. For example, when they visited the northern border station at Santa Elena, they realized that there isn’t a lot of infrastructure for perishable products that come in,” Zetina stated.
As officials explored ways to improve border control systems, they also sought to learn from each other’s experiences.
“So, for us the most important thing was to exchange information on what our processes look like, what their processes look like, and see if we can learn from the different experiences,” Zetina explained.
The insights gained from this exchange are expected to help Belize strengthen its border management and enhance efficiency in handling imports, especially perishable goods. By working together, regional partners aim to improve trade facilitation and food security across the Caribbean.
Photo Credit: BAHA
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Posted: Wednesday, April 9, 2025. 6:30 pm CST. National Border Control Officers at Philip Goldson International Airport cargo area – Photo Credit: BAHA By Rubén Morales Iglesias:
The post Belize hosts International Border Control Meeting to strengthen regional collaboration appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
