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Public Procurement in Guyana

Public procurement in Guyana is a formally regulated and institutionally supervised system through which the Government of Guyana acquires goods, works, and services necessary for public administration, infrastructure development, and service delivery. As a high-income economy within Latin America and the Caribbean - driven largely by rapid economic expansion and public investment - procurement has become a strategically significant component of fiscal governance.

Public procurement activity in Guyana is particularly prominent in construction, transportation, energy, public utilities, health, and education. The system combines centralised oversight with decentralised execution by procuring entities, supported by statutory tender boards and independent oversight mechanisms.

For domestic suppliers and international contractors, government tenders in Guyana offer growing opportunities, especially in infrastructure and development projects, while requiring compliance with national procurement law, transparency rules, and review procedures.

Country & Economic Overview

Institutional & Governance Framework

Guyana’s public procurement system is overseen by two primary national institutions, each with distinct statutory responsibilities related to procurement administration, oversight, and accountability.

• Public Procurement Agencies:
  • National Procurement and Tender Administration (NPTA)
  • Public Procurement Commission (PPC)
• NPTA Website: https://npta.gov.gy/index.html
• PPC Website: https://ppc.org.gy/
• Central Purchasing Body: Not designated

Procuring entities include ministries, regions, statutory bodies, and public agencies, operating through tender boards subject to review and no-objection procedures.

Legal & Regulatory Framework

Public procurement in Guyana is governed by a comprehensive legislative framework, supplemented by regulations, amendments, and official procurement guides.

• Primary Public Procurement Law:
  • Procurement Act 2003
  • Procurement (Amendment) Act 2019
  • Procurement Regulations 2004
• Key Legal References:
  • https://ppc.org.gy/the-legislative-framework/
  • https://npta.gov.gy/reference.html

The legal framework embeds core procurement principles, including transparency, competition, value for money, accountability, and domestic supplier participation.

Procurement Methods, Thresholds & Procedures

Although the legislation does not mandate a formal standstill period, a de facto standstill is commonly observed in practice for goods, works, and services contracts.

E-Procurement & Digital Transparency

Guyana does not yet operate a fully integrated national eProcurement platform. Digital publication is primarily used for transparency and notification purposes.

• eProcurement Functionalities: ePublishing / Notification
• Tender Documents Downloadable Online: No
• OCDS Publication: Not specified
• World Bank System Usage: No

Awarded tenders and procurement notices are published through official portals:

• https://www.npta.gov.gy/tenders-awarded/
• https://ppc.org.gy/annual-reports/

Procurement Workforce & Capacity

• Certified Contracting Officers: 5
• Certification Programmes:
  • CIPS (5 officials)
  • LLM in Public Procurement Law & Strategy (1 official)

Procurement Market Data & Statistics

Comprehensive nationwide procurement statistics are not fully consolidated. Available data mainly reflects procurements exceeding statutory tender board thresholds.

• Annual Tenders & Contract Values: Not comprehensively published
• Average Advertisement to Award Timeline:
  • Advertisement: ~21 days
  • Evaluation by Procuring Entity: ~14 days
  • NPTA Review: ~7 days

In practice, evaluation timelines often exceed statutory guidance.

Complaints, Review & Oversight

Guyana’s procurement system provides for supplier complaints and administrative review, ensuring procedural fairness and accountability.

• Review Authority: National Procurement and Tender Administration
• Appeal Oversight: Public Procurement Commission
• Complaint Resolution Basis: Procurement Act 2003

Sustainability & Green Public Procurement

Guyana has begun integrating sustainability considerations into procurement policy, particularly through national development and low-carbon strategies.

• Green Procurement Strategy: Emerging / policy-driven
• Green Standards for Suppliers: Yes (e.g., vehicles under the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030)
• Reference: https://lcds.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Guyanas-Low-Carbon-Development-Strategy-2030.pdf

Mandatory green procurement targets, monitoring tools, and spend quotas are not yet formally defined in procurement legislation.

Key Challenges & Practical Considerations for Bidders

• Absence of a fully digital e-procurement platform
• Limited consolidated procurement statistics
• Evaluation timelines often exceed statutory guidance
• Strong emphasis on procedural compliance and documentation
• Growing opportunities driven by infrastructure and development projects

In conclusion, public procurement in Guyana operates under a mature legislative framework with strong oversight institutions and increasing transparency. While digital procurement remains limited, the system provides expanding opportunities for suppliers, particularly in infrastructure and development-driven sectors, supported by clear legal rules and evolving sustainability objectives.