Guyana

Guyana's PPP framework remains a work in progress, with limited institutional capacity to support project development and implementation. The 2018 PPP Policy Framework, operating alongside the Procurement Act 2003, establishes principles for project selection, competitive procurement, risk allocation and contract management. It envisages a PPP Core Team within the Ministry of Finance and a high-level Steering Committee, but their subsequent operational status remains unclear.¹ In 2019, the government also allocated funding for a broader project preparation facility to support feasibility studies and project design, although only a small share was spent and its subsequent development and role in PPP preparation remain unclear.^2,3 No major PPP-specific reforms have been identified since the previous assessment.

Guyana's PPP market remains nascent, although renewed procurement activity points to potential opportunities in energy infrastructure. The government has sought private financing for the second phase of its Gas-to-Energy project under a long-term power purchase agreement,⁴ while the Amaila Falls hydropower project is being procured through a build-own-operate-transfer model, with bids under evaluation as of September 2026.⁵ Both represent prospective PPPs rather than completed transactions. Meanwhile, the proposed Corentyne River Bridge with Suriname continues to face financing and bilateral coordination challenges.⁶ These initiatives demonstrate growing interest in PPP-style delivery, but remain individual project efforts rather than evidence of a coordinated national PPP pipeline or established transaction track record.

Political support for PPPs has extended across successive administrations. The former APNU+AFC government introduced the 2018 PPP Policy Framework and subsequently pledged to activate a dedicated PPP unit in its 2020 election manifesto.^7,8 The current People's Progressive Party/Civic administration has expressed support for broader public-private collaboration and pursued PPP-style infrastructure projects.⁹ However, despite the president's public support, the government has not published a dedicated PPP agenda. There is little documented vocal opposition to PPPs among political parties, civil society or commentators, but broad political acceptance has yet to translate into a sustained national PPP program or substantial transaction activity.

Although Guyana's regulations and institutions score below the regional average overall, several features of its PPP policy compare favorably. Procurement provisions are relatively comprehensive, while arrangements for disclosing and overseeing contract changes place it above the regional average for transparency and oversight. Contingent liability arrangements and lenders' step-in rights also stand out within risk management, although these safeguards remain largely untested. Favorable capital-market indicators could help attract private financing as Guyana develops its PPP pipeline.

Project preparation and sustainability is Guyana's clearest relative weakness, ranking 23rd of 26 countries. Despite policy-level provisions for needs assessments and economic appraisal, it lacks a national infrastructure plan, standardized assessment tools and systematic project prioritization criteria that incorporate environmental and social considerations. The lack of an operational PPP unit or dedicated project preparation support compounds these weaknesses. Meanwhile, limited reporting on upcoming or ongoing PPPs constrains transparency.

Guyana has made limited progress on strengthening its PPP framework since the previous assessment. The Arbitration Act 2024 modernized general dispute-resolution arrangements,¹⁰ but no significant improvements have been documented in PPP-specific institutions, project preparation or oversight. Nevertheless, renewed procurement efforts for Amaila Falls hydropower and Gas-to-Energy Phase II suggest growing opportunities for privately financed infrastructure. While these projects have yet to establish a completed PPP track record, their advancement could provide valuable experience in developing and implementing future partnerships.