Belize has launched a drive to woo Jamaican investment, citing its rapidly expanding free zone industry as an example of the kind of enterprise in which Jamaican capital could make good returns.

The country, which is actually in South America but shares close business ties and culture with the Caribbean, says that Jamaican informal commercial importers (ICI's) and other shoppers could benefit from its highly competitive market.

"We would be happy to consider Jamaican investment -- like Jamaica, Belize was a founder of Caricom (Caribbean Common Market)... we want to see more in-depth participation in terms of investment from you," Florencio Marin, executive chairman of the Commercial Free Zone Management Agency in Belize, told Jamaican journalists and ICIs who were flown to the country last week in a joint collaborative venture between Air Jamaica and the agency.

"We must be able to collaborate to create jobs," stressed Marin. "We want to diversify into manufacturing."

Marin's agency is located in the six-year-old free zone on the Santa Elena border between Belize and Mexico. With 362 shops in the Zone it caters for mostly shoppers from Mexico. Belizeans are not allowed to shop there.

Marin explained that most of the goods in the free zone came from Panama, Hong Kong and Curacao.

"In addition to manufacturing we are expanding into hospitality and tourism. We already have one casino here and we want to build five others in the next few years. We will also be building two other free zones -- one in Toleda for shoppers mainly from Honduras and another on the Guatemalan border," he said.

The other two free zones will be managed by Marin's Agency. US$40,000 has been allocated for building the casinos.

"So far we have about 40 per cent Mexican investors, 50 per cent of investment from Belize and 10 per cent investment from Chinese, Panamanians, Venezuelans and others... We are interested in your business and will do anything we can to accommodate our friends from Jamaica," Marin said.

The free zone employs 2,000 workers and is situated on almost 3,000 acres of land. According to Marin, it had started out as a flea market and had been struggling up until three years ago when a concerted effort was made for its development.

"Three years ago, it (the zone) was struggling. Last year US$263-million worth of goods crossed our borders up from $30,000 three years ago. Our target is $300 million this year," he said.

With its close proximity to Mexico, the country's location on the northeastern tip of Central America is used in the promotional line '60 seconds from NAFTA' (North American Free Trade Agreement). The Americas and the Caribbean can also be easily accessed from Belize. Since November 27, 2002 Jamaica's local carrier, Air Jamaica, has been making frequent flights there.

"Since we were flying here we have been trying to encourage Jamaicans to come," said Air Jamaica's area manager, Parsha Buddo. "One of the pluses is that it's a good place to shop and Jamaicans love shopping."

Air Jamaica flies to Belize on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The country is 8, 876 square miles but sparsely populated, two hours north of Miami, New Orleans or Houston and is found between Mexico and Guatemala along the Caribbean coast.

Some of Jamaica's ICIs say they prefer shopping in that country than others like Panama.

"The approach here (in Belize) is different. We can choose from a wider variety of goods," notes Ferris Daley, an ICI for over 20 years and who operates a shop on Strand Street in Montego Bay. "You can choose the sizes that you want and the colours. In Panama you could not do that. There you have a set quantity of goods that you have to buy but here it is more flexible. I like that but the prices on some of the goods are not as competitive.

"The people here are more pleasant and easier to deal with but they have to work on the prices," she says.

Marin said that the infrastructure was still being put in place to attract the patronage of Jamaicans

"This is a new ball game for us. We have been catering mostly to the Mexican market but now we are looking at Jamaica," he said. "There may be shortcomings in the transportation system, for example. We are also still putting infrastructure in place so we will do our homework and put measures in place to accommodate you."

The free zone supplies household products, clothing and other commercial goods.

"I will come back but they have to import the goods we want directly from Japan," said Enid Gray, an ICI who sells in the Wolmer's arcade in downtown Kingston. "That way the prices will be better. Otherwise it would not be worth it."

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