Compliance Assistance
Directory of services and helpful resources, from service providers to legal chatbots.
Próspera ZEDE
Próspera is a startup zone with a regulatory system designed for entrepreneurs to build better, cheaper, and faster than anywhere else in the world.
Services
Roatán Financial Services Authority (RFSA)
Independent financial regulator and supervisor within the RIFC. We are in charge of receiving applications for licensing and authorizing the start of operations from banks and FinTech entities in the Próspera financial system.
Entity Registry
Connect with specialists for compliance questions, training resources, and grant opportunities.
Tax Forms and Filings
Essential for all businesses and individuals to maintain compliance with the ZEDE’s distinct 10% income tax and other financial obligations.
Agreements of Coexistence
Agreements to establish the legal framework and contractual relationship between an individual or entity and the ZEDE, defining their rights and obligations.
File a Criminal Complaint
Reporting crimes and access the zone’s separate legal and security system.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Próspera, officially known as Próspera ZEDE, is a special economic zone on the Caribbean island of Roatán and the coast of La Ceiba, Honduras.
Inspired by “La Gaceta,” the official legislative journal of the Republic of Honduras, this site is the Official Location of the Published Internal Rules of the Próspera ZEDE (formerly ZEDE of North Bay), as required by Chapter 1, Article 7 of the Organic Law of ZEDE.
Find more information about the Próspera ZEDE below. To view publications made in the last 30 days, click the “Recent Publications” link above. To access a searchable archive of all publications, click the “All Publications” link above.
Background on ZEDEs (“Zonas de Empleo y Desarrollo Económico”):
ZEDEs are Special Economic Zones, like many others created in Honduras and throughout the world. ZEDEs are enhanced by the Honduran Constitution and Honduran ZEDE Law with the ability to enable the Government of Honduras to adopt proven best practice reforms in cooperation with international development organizations and investors. As a result, Próspera ZEDE is characterized by the rule of law and an institutional environment that is optimized to protect human rights, enhance the ease of doing business, and improve the overall quality of life.
ZEDEs are overseen by an oversight committee, the CAMP (“Comité para la Adopción de Mejores Prácticas”) constituted by the Honduran Congress and President. The Constitution confers on the Supreme Court of Honduras authority to establish the special court circuit which has primary jurisdiction over ZEDE related disputes.
Purpose of the Próspera ZEDE:
The purpose of the Próspera ZEDE is to promote shared prosperity and human flourishing by protecting the individual rights of life, liberty, and property; as well as by attracting domestic and foreign investment, creating economic opportunities, increasing safety and security, and building resilient, transparent, and effective governance institutions.
PRÓSPERA COUNCIL
On January 28th, 2022, the State of Honduras appointed Jorge Constantino Colindres as the Technical Secretary of Próspera ZEDE, a Honduran-born attorney with expertise in economic reform, constitutional law, and business policy.
The Próspera Council serves as the primary body responsible for exercising the governance, rulemaking, and executive powers of Próspera ZEDE, in coordination with the Technical Secretary. It operates as a fiduciary body, akin to a board of trustees, managing the zone’s affairs on behalf of its residents and ensuring alignment with Próspera’s purpose of promoting shared prosperity, human flourishing, and economic development. As part of a public trust structure mandated by the ZEDE Organic Law, the Council holds sovereign power delegated by residents through Agreements of Coexistence. It acts as a fiduciary for the benefit of residents, subject to the highest standards of care under common-law trust principles, enhancing accountability beyond traditional governmental representation.
The local rules or norms of Próspera may take the form of Statutes, which set forth the general applicable law; Regulations, which provide detail on how the Statutes are to be administered and enforced; and Ordinances, which are temporary Resolutions to ensure the efficient delivery of public services. Próspera Council Resolutions also govern the authorization, execution, and administration of the corporate affairs and procedures of the jurisdiction.
Council Members
The Próspera Council serves as Próspera ZEDE’s collective and representative rulemaking body where all the jurisdiction’s major stakeholders are represented, including the Promoter and Organizer, physical residents, and the landowners.
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Jorge Constantino Colindres
TECHNICAL SECRETARY (Republic of Honduras)
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Erick Alexander Brimen
COUNCIL SECRETARY (Promoter & Organizer)
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Jeanette Doran
COUNCIL TREASURER (Promoter & Organizer)
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Gabriel Delgado
COUNCIL MEMBER (Promoter & Organizer)
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Oliver Porter
COUNCIL MEMBER (Promoter & Organizer)
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Deborah Mills
COUNCIL MEMBER (Property Owners)
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Sergio Bendaña
COUNCIL MEMBER (Property Owners)
IMPORTANT LEGAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE PRÓSPERA ZEDE
In 2022, the Pristine Bay Resort was incorporated into the Próspera Zone, creating a Special Tourism Zone (ZEDE Organic Law, article 2). This area is renowned for its luxurious amenities, including a Pete Dye-designed 18-hole golf course, private villas, and a beach club with expansive infinity pools overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Key attributes of the labor rules:
- Effective November 11, 2020, Employers pay, at the option of the employee, either:
- at least 125% of the national minimum wage and an additional amount equal to at least 10% of compensation into employee-owned benefit accounts; or
- at least 110% of the national minimum wage and an additional amount equal to at least 25% of compensation into employee-owned benefit accounts.
- 90% of laborers are required to be Honduran
- USD is the default currency of employee compensation
- Employees are guaranteed both the right to unionize and the right to work independently.
Key attributes of the tax rules:
1% Land Value Tax
Aggregate taxation is capped at 7.5% of Próspera ZEDE’s GDP
10% Income Tax (or validated most favored alternative treatment)
5% Retail Value-Added Tax (effective Retail Sales tax of 2.5%)
HOW TO JOIN THE PRÓSPERA ZEDE
The Bitcoin Center in Pristine Bay, Próspera ZEDE is a beacon of financial freedom in the island of Roatán and the Caribbean.
Property Owners: any land that is unencumbered and within the departments adjoining the Gulf of Fonseca and the Caribbean Sea of the National Territory of Honduras, including, but not limited to, the Bay Islands, can apply to be incorporated by the property owner into the Próspera ZEDE provided that the property has a population density that is fewer than 35.0 permanent inhabitants per square kilometer, which, according to established CAMP procedures under Article 39 of the Organic Law, is estimated as a maximum density of 1.0 permanent inhabitant per ~7.0 acres; or uninhabited if under 7.0 acres. The Próspera ZEDE will not accept land for incorporation that has been subject to eminent domain, and will require evidence that incorporation is being done exclusively through voluntary participation. Property Owners wishing to apply to join the Próspera ZEDE should request information by email at: land@prosperazede.hn. Please include the property ID and hyperlink as applicable within the Property Institute of Honduras.
Natural Persons: all individuals are eligible to apply and join as electronic and physical residents, subject to Honduran sovereignty, criminal background checks, and acceptance of agreements of coexistence. Natural persons wishing to apply to join the Próspera ZEDE should apply at www.eprospera.com.
Legal Persons: all legal persons are eligible to apply and join as electronic and physical residents, subject to Honduran sovereignty, background checks, and acceptance agreements of applicable agreements. Legal entities wishing to apply to join the Próspera ZEDE should apply at www.eprospera.com.