Business Requirements

Doing Business 2020 Guyana
Economy Profile
Guyana
Page 1
Economy Profile of Guyana

Doing Business 2020 Indicators
(in order of appearance in the document)
Starting a business Procedures, time, cost and paid-in minimum capital to start a limited liability company
Dealing with construction permits Procedures, time and cost to complete all formalities to build a warehouse and the quality control and safety
mechanisms in the construction permitting system
Getting electricity Procedures, time and cost to get connected to the electrical grid, and the reliability of the electricity supply and the
transparency of tariffs
Registering property Procedures, time and cost to transfer a property and the quality of the land administration system
Getting credit Movable collateral laws and credit information systems
Protecting minority investors Minority shareholders’ rights in related-party transactions and in corporate governance
Paying taxes Payments, time, total tax and contribution rate for a firm to comply with all tax regulations as well as postfiling
processes
Trading across borders Time and cost to export the product of comparative advantage and import auto parts
Enforcing contracts Time and cost to resolve a commercial dispute and the quality of judicial processes
Resolving insolvency Time, cost, outcome and recovery rate for a commercial insolvency and the strength of the legal framework for
insolvency
Employing workers Flexibility in employment regulation and redundancy cost
Page 2
About Doing Business
The Doing Business project provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 190 economies and selected cities at the subnational and
regional level.
The Doing Business project, launched in 2002, looks at domestic small and medium-size companies and measures the regulations applying to them through their life
cycle.
Doing Business captures several important dimensions of the regulatory environment as it applies to local firms. It provides quantitative indicators on regulation for
starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across
borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. Doing Business also measures features of employing workers. Although Doing Business does not present rankings
of economies on the employing workers indicators or include the topic in the aggregate ease of doing business score or ranking on the ease of doing business, it does
present the data for these indicators.
By gathering and analyzing comprehensive quantitative data to compare business regulation environments across economies and over time, Doing Business encourages
economies to compete towards more efficient regulation; offers measurable benchmarks for reform; and serves as a resource for academics, journalists, private sector
researchers and others interested in the business climate of each economy.
In addition, Doing Business offers detailed subnational studies, which exhaustively cover business regulation and reform in different cities and regions within a nation.
These studies provide data on the ease of doing business, rank each location, and recommend reforms to improve performance in each of the indicator areas. Selected
cities can compare their business regulations with other cities in the economy or region and with the 190 economies that Doing Business has ranked.
The first Doing Business study, published in 2003, covered 5 indicator sets and 133 economies. This year’s study covers 11 indicator sets and 190 economies. Most
indicator sets refer to a case scenario in the largest business city of each economy, except for 11 economies that have a population of more than 100 million as of 2013
(Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Russian Federation and the United States) where Doing Business also collected data
for the second largest business city. The data for these 11 economies are a population-weighted average for the 2 largest business cities. The project has benefited from
feedback from governments, academics, practitioners and reviewers. The initial goal remains: to provide an objective basis for understanding and improving the
regulatory environment for business around the world.
To learn more about Doing Business please visit doingbusiness.org
Page 3
Ease of Doing Business in

Region Latin America & Caribbean DB RANK DB SCORE
Guyana
Income Category Upper middle income
Population 779,004 134 55.5
City Covered Georgetown
Rankings on Doing Business topics - Guyana
88 92
94
111
122
128
151
167 163
170
Starting Dealing Getting Registering Getting Protecting Paying Trading Enforcing Resolving
a with Electricity Property Credit Minority Taxes across Contracts Insolvency
Business Construction Investors Borders
Permits
Topic Scores
85.6 52.5 45.9 55.7 55.0 56.0 65.7 58.3 57.9 22.4
Starting a Business (rank) 111 Getting Credit (rank) 94 Trading across Borders (rank) 151
Score of starting a business (0-100) 85.6 Score of getting credit (0-100) 55.0 Score of trading across borders (0-100) 58.3
Procedures (number) 7 Strength of legal rights index (0-12) 3 Time to export
Time (days) 18 Depth of credit information index (0-8) 8 Documentary compliance (hours) 200
Cost (number) 9.4 Credit registry coverage (% of adults) 0.0 Border compliance (hours) 72
Paid-in min. capital (% of income per capita) 0.0 Credit bureau coverage (% of adults) 30.9 Cost to export
Documentary compliance (USD) 78
Dealing with Construction Permits (rank) 167 Protecting Minority Investors (rank) 88
Border compliance (USD) 468
Score of dealing with construction permits (0-100) 52.5 Score of protecting minority investors (0-100) 56.0
Time to import
Procedures (number) 18 Extent of disclosure index (0-10) 5.0
Documentary compliance (hours) 156
Time (days) 208 Extent of director liability index (0-10) 5.0
Border compliance (hours) 84
Cost (% of warehouse value) 2.4 Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) 8.0
Cost to import
Building quality control index (0-15) 4.0 Extent of shareholder rights index (0-6) 4.0
Documentary compliance (USD) 63
Extent of ownership and control index (0-7) 2.0
Border compliance (USD) 265
Getting Electricity (rank) 170
Extent of corporate transparency index (0-7) 4.0
Score of getting electricity (0-100) 45.9
Enforcing Contracts (rank) 92
Procedures (number) 8 Paying Taxes (rank) 122
Score of enforcing contracts (0-100) 57.9
Time (days) 82 Score of paying taxes (0-100) 65.7
Time (days) 581
Cost (% of income per capita) 423.8 Payments (number per year) 35
Cost (% of claim value) 27.0
Reliability of supply and transparency of tariff index (0-8) 0 Time (hours per year) 256
Quality of judicial processes index (0-18) 7.5
Total tax and contribution rate (% of profit) 30.6
Registering Property (rank) 128
Postfiling index (0-100) 54.2 Resolving Insolvency (rank) 163
Score of registering property (0-100) 55.7
Score of resolving insolvency (0-100) 22.4
Procedures (number) 7
Recovery rate (cents on the dollar) 18.4
Time (days) 46
Time (years) 3.0
Cost (% of property value) 4.6
Cost (% of estate) 28.5
Quality of the land administration index (0-30) 7.5
Outcome (0 as piecemeal sale and 1 as going 0
concern)
Strength of insolvency framework index (0-16) 4.0
Page 4
Starting a Business
This topic measures the number of procedures, time, cost and paid-in minimum capital requirement for a small- to medium-sized limited liability company to start up and
formally operate in each economy’s largest business city.
To make the data comparable across 190 economies, Doing Business uses a standardized business that is 100% domestically owned, has start-up capital equivalent to
10 times the income per capita, engages in general industrial or commercial activities and employs between 10 and 50 people one month after the commencement of
operations, all of whom are domestic nationals. Starting a Business considers two types of local limited liability companies that are identical in all aspects, except that one
company is owned by 5 married women and the other by 5 married men. The ranking of economies on the ease of starting a business is determined by sorting their
scores for starting a business. These scores are the simple average of the scores for each of the component indicators.
The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
What the indicators measure Case study assumptions
Procedures to legally start and formally operate a company To make the data comparable across economies, several assumptions about the business and the
(number) procedures are used. It is assumed that any required information is readily available and that the
entrepreneur will pay no bribes.
• Preregistration (for example, name verification or reservation,
notarization)
The business:
• Registration in the economy’s largest business city -Is a limited liability company (or its legal equivalent). If there is more than one type of limited
• Postregistration (for example, social security registration, liability company in the economy, the limited liability form most common among domestic firms is
company seal) chosen. Information on the most common form is obtained from incorporation lawyers or the
statistical office.
• Obtaining approval from spouse to start a business or to leave
-Operates in the economy’s largest business city. For 11 economies the data are also collected for
the home to register the company
the second largest business city.
• Obtaining any gender specific document for company -Performs general industrial or commercial activities such as the production or sale to the public of
registration and operation or national identification card goods or services. The business does not perform foreign trade activities and does not handle
products subject to a special tax regime, for example, liquor or tobacco. It is not using heavily
Time required to complete each procedure (calendar days)
polluting production processes.
• Does not include time spent gathering information -Does not qualify for investment incentives or any special benefits.
-Is 100% domestically owned.
• Each procedure starts on a separate day (2 procedures cannot -Has five business owners, none of whom is a legal entity. One business owner holds 30% of the
start on the same day)
company shares, two owners have 20% of shares each, and two owners have 15% of shares
• Procedures fully completed online are recorded as ½ day each.
-Is managed by one local director.
• Procedure is considered completed once final document is
received -Has between 10 and 50 employees one month after the commencement of operations, all of them
domestic nationals.
• No prior contact with officials -Has start-up capital of 10 times income per capita.
-Has an estimated turnover of at least 100 times income per capita.
Cost required to complete each procedure (% of income per
-Leases the commercial plant or offices and is not a proprietor of real estate.
capita)
-Has an annual lease for the office space equivalent to one income per capita.
• Official costs only, no bribes -Is in an office space of approximately 929 square meters (10,000 square feet).
-Has a company deed that is 10 pages long.
• No professional fees unless services required by law or
commonly used in practice
The owners:
Paid-in minimum capital (% of income per capita)
-Have reached the legal age of majority and are capable of making decisions as an adult. If there
• Funds deposited in a bank or with third party before registration is no legal age of majority, they are assumed to be 30 years old.
or up to 3 months after incorporation -Are in good health and have no criminal record.
-Are married, the marriage is monogamous and registered with the authorities.
-Where the answer differs according to the legal system applicable to the woman or man in
question (as may be the case in economies where there is legal plurality), the answer used will be
the one that applies to the majority of the population.
Page 5
Starting a Business - Guyana
Standardized Company
Legal form Private Limited Liability Company
Paid-in minimum capital requirement No minimum
Indicator Guyana Latin America & OECD high Best Regulatory

Caribbean income Performance
Procedure – Men (number) 7 8.1 4.9 1 (2 Economies)
Time – Men (days) 18 28.8 9.2 0.5 (New Zealand)
Cost – Men (% of income per capita) 9.4 31.4 3.0 0.0 (2 Economies)
Procedure – Women (number) 7 8.1 4.9 1 (2 Economies)
Time – Women (days) 18 28.8 9.2 0.5 (New Zealand)
Cost – Women (% of income per capita) 9.4 31.4 3.0 0.0 (2 Economies)
Paid-in min. capital (% of income per capita) 0.0 0.4 7.6 0.0 (120 Economies)
Figure – Starting a Business in Guyana – Score
64.7 82.4 95.3 100.0
Procedures Time Cost Paid-in min. capital
Figure – Starting a Business in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Starting a Business Score
0 100
97.4: Jamaica (Rank: 6)
91.2: Puerto Rico (Rank: 59)
85.6: Guyana (Rank: 111)
85.4: Dominican Republic (Rank: 112)
79.6: Regional Average (Latin America & Caribbean)
36.4: Haiti (Rank: 189)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of starting a business is determined by sorting their scores for starting a business. These scores are the simple average of
the scores for each of the component indicators.
Page 6
Figure – Starting a Business in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
Time (days) Cost (% of income per capita)

18 8
16 7
Cost (% of income per capita)

14
6
12
Time (days)
5
10
4
8
3
6
2
4
2 1
0 0
1 2 3 4 *5 *6 *7
Procedures (number)
* This symbol is shown beside procedure numbers that take place simultaneously with the previous procedure.
Note: Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. For economies that have a different procedure list for men and women, the graph shows the
time for women. For more information on methodology, see the Doing Business website (http://doingbusiness.org/en/methodology). For details on the procedures
reflected here, see the summary below.
Page 7
Details – Starting a Business in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
No. Procedures Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Search for company name and reserve proposed name 1 day GYD 175 (name search)
Agency : Companies Registry GYD 800 (reservation)
Searching and reserving the proposed company name can be done on the same day.
2 Obtain declaration of compliance 2 days GYD 15,000

Agency : Attorney at Law
The exception of the declaration of compliance must be signed by an attorney.
The declaration states that, to best of the declarer’s knowledge and belief, no signatory to the
company’s articles of incorporation is a person described in Section 4(2) of the Companies Act
(which states that persons under 18, of unsound mind, or with undischarged bankruptcies cannot
form or join in the formation of a company) and that all the requirements of the Companies Act
pertaining to the matters precedent to the registration of the company and incidental thereto have
been complied with. Section 4(3) states that if such a declaration is filed, it shall be conclusive of
the facts stated in it.
3 Register company with Registrar of Companies 7 days GYD 60,000 (fixed

Agency : Registrar of Companies registration fee) + GYD
The Registrar of Companies announces the issuance of the certificate of incorporation in the 13,000 (fees for filing and
Official Gazette, according to Section 479 of the Companies Act (although this is not a certifying copies of
precondition to registration).
documents)
To register with the Registrar, the company must provide the following documents:
- Declaration of compliance.
- Articles of incorporation.
- Notice and consent of directors.
- Notice and consent of secretary.
- Notice of registered office.
Since July 2008 fees and other charges to register company with Registrar of Companies are as
follows:
- Flat fee for certificate of incorporation: GYD 60,000.
- Fees for filing and certifying copies of notices (listed above) and declaration of compliance: GYD
13,000.
If the company chooses to file it with a practitioner, attorneys will charge approx. GYD$150,000
plus VAT for handling a company incorporation in addition to the registration fee.
4 File for tax identification number (TIN) with the Revenue Authority 1 day no charge
Agency : Guyana Revenue Authority
Since January 2008 the TIN has replaced the PAYE number, corporate income tax number, VAT
number and customs import number. In order to apply for the TIN, the following need to be
submitted:
- A copy of the Certificate of Incorporation

- A copy of two (2) Directors' valid identification
- A completed Company TIN Application Form.
5 Register for VAT 7 days on average no charge

Agency : Guyana Revenue Authority (simultaneous with
Since January 1, 2007, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act 2005 has been implemented in place of the previous procedure)
Consumption Tax Act. A separate department of the Guyana Revenue Authority has been
established to administer the Act. Applications should be made within 15 days of the start of
operations, and a certificate should be issued within 10 days after the application.
On February 01, 2017 the Value-Added Tax (Amendment) Regulations came into operation and
the VAT rate was reduced from 16% to 14%. Additionally, the amendment provided for an increase
in the VAT threshold from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000 annually. This new measure made it
mandatory for businesses to register for VAT if their annual sales are equivalent to or exceeds the
threshold of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000).
Page 8
6 Register for the Social Security 7 days (simultaneous no charge

Agency : National Insurance Scheme with previous procedure)
Register with the social security office and obtain NIS employer number. The National Insurance
Scheme extends Social Insurance Coverage on a compulsory basis, to all persons between the
ages of sixteen (16) and sixty- (60) years who are engaged in Insurable Employment. Coverage is
also extended on a voluntary basis, to persons who cease such employment before reaching age
sixty- (60) years, until the attainment thereof. Employed Persons outside this age range who are in
Insurable Employment are also covered, but for Industrial Benefits only. However, Self-employed
Contributors are not covered for Industrial Benefits.
Both the Employer and Employee pay Contributions into the Scheme based on a 'Payroll System'.
The total Contribution for Employed Contributors is 14% of the actual Wage / Salary paid to the
Employee. This is derived from a 5.6% deduction from the Employee’s pay, and the remaining
8.4% paid by the Employer on behalf of the Employee. The actual wage / salary is, at present,
subjected to a ceiling of $220,000.00 per month or $50,769.00 per week for National Insurance
purposes.
Self-employed Persons contribute 12.5% of their declared Income as Contributions, while

Voluntary Contributors pay 9.3% of their Insurable Earnings as determined from the last two years
of their employment.
In order to apply, the following must be submitted:
- Certificate of Business Registration

- ID card.
7 Make a seal 2 days on average GYD 2,000

Agency : Commercial manufacturer of seals (simultaneous with
The fee to make a company seal depends on whether an embossed or rubber seal is selected. previous procedure)
Most companies use a rubber stamp. Embossed seals are now currently made in Guyana and
delivered in a few days. These seals can cost about $30,000.
Takes place simultaneously with previous procedure.
Page 9
Dealing with Construction Permits
This topic tracks the procedures, time and cost to build a warehouse—including obtaining necessary the licenses and permits, submitting all required notifications,
requesting and receiving all necessary inspections and obtaining utility connections. In addition, the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator measures the building
quality control index, evaluating the quality of building regulations, the strength of quality control and safety mechanisms, liability and insurance regimes, and professional
certification requirements. The most recent round of data collection was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information
Procedures to legally build a warehouse (number) To make the data comparable across economies, several assumptions about the construction
company, the warehouse project and the utility connections are used.
• Submitting all relevant documents and obtaining all necessary
clearances, licenses, permits and certificates
The construction company (BuildCo):
• Submitting all required notifications and receiving all necessary - Is a limited liability company (or its legal equivalent) and operates in the economy’s largest
inspections
business city. For 11 economies the data are also collected for the second largest business city.
• Obtaining utility connections for water and sewerage - Is 100% domestically and privately owned; has five owners, none of whom is a legal entity. Has a
licensed architect and a licensed engineer, both registered with the local association of architects
• Registering and selling the warehouse after its completion
or engineers. BuildCo is not assumed to have any other employees who are technical or licensed
Time required to complete each procedure (calendar days) experts, such as geological or topographical experts.
- Owns the land on which the warehouse will be built and will sell the warehouse upon its
• Does not include time spent gathering information completion.
• Each procedure starts on a separate day—though procedures
that can be fully completed online are an exception to this rule The warehouse:
• Procedure is considered completed once final document is - Will be used for general storage activities, such as storage of books or stationery.
received - Will have two stories, both above ground, with a total constructed area of approximately 1,300.6
square meters (14,000 square feet). Each floor will be 3 meters (9 feet, 10 inches) high and will be
• No prior contact with officials located on a land plot of approximately 929 square meters (10,000 square feet) that is 100%
owned by BuildCo, and the warehouse is valued at 50 times income per capita.
- Will have complete architectural and technical plans prepared by a licensed architect. If
capita)
preparation of the plans requires such steps as obtaining further documentation or getting prior
• Official costs only, no bribes approvals from external agencies, these are counted as procedures.
- Will take 30 weeks to construct (excluding all delays due to administrative and regulatory
Building quality control index (0-15) requirements).
• Quality of building regulations (0-2)
The water and sewerage connections:
• Quality control before construction (0-1)
- Will be 150 meters (492 feet) from the existing water source and sewer tap. If there is no water
• Quality control during construction (0-3) delivery infrastructure in the economy, a borehole will be dug. If there is no sewerage
• Quality control after construction (0-3) infrastructure, a septic tank in the smallest size available will be installed or built.
- Will have an average water use of 662 liters (175 gallons) a day and an average wastewater flow
• Liability and insurance regimes (0-2) of 568 liters (150 gallons) a day. Will have a peak water use of 1,325 liters (350 gallons) a day and
• Professional certifications (0-4) a peak wastewater flow of 1,136 liters (300 gallons) a day.
- Will have a constant level of water demand and wastewater flow throughout the year; will be 1
inch in diameter for the water connection and 4 inches in diameter for the sewerage connection.
Page 10
Dealing with Construction Permits - Guyana
Standardized Warehouse
Estimated value of warehouse GYD 48,234,540.90

Procedures (number) 18 15.5 12.7 None in 2018/19
Time (days) 208 191.2 152.3 None in 2018/19
Cost (% of warehouse value) 2.4 3.6 1.5 None in 2018/19
Building quality control index (0-15) 4.0 9.0 11.6 15.0 (6 Economies)
Figure – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana – Score
48.0 47.6 87.9 26.7
Procedures Time Cost Building quality control index
Figure – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Dealing with Construction Permits Score
0 100
44.2: Haiti (Rank: 179)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of dealing with construction permits is determined by sorting their scores for dealing with construction permits. These scores
are the simple average of the scores for each of the component indicators.
Page 11
Figure – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
Time (days) Cost (% of warehouse value)

1.2
200
Cost (% of warehouse value)

150
0.8
Time (days)
100 0.6
0.4
50
0.2
0 0
1 *2 3 4 *5 *6 *7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 * 16 * 17 * 18
Procedures (number)
Page 12
Figure – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
14 13.0
12.0 12.0
12
Index score
10 9.0
8
6 5.0
4.0
4
2
0
Guyana Dominican Haiti Jamaica Puerto Latin

Republic Rico America
&
Caribbean
Details – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
1 Request and obtain a Soil Test 20 days USD 1,000

Agency : Private laboratory
Based on Chapter 4 of the Guyana Standard Code of Practice for Buildings – Part 13:
Foundations for excavations GCP 9-13:2005, a soil test is required for the foundation of a
warehouse.
2 Obtain a topographical map 15 days USD 1,100

Agency : Private Engineer
Although a topographical study is not required by law it is performed in practice as a technical
requirement to have proper foundations.
3 Request and obtain approval of the water and the septic plans 14 days no charge
Agency : Guyana Water Inc
According to Article 3.11.1, BuildCo must have the septic plans approved by the Guyana Water
Inc, which is obtained within two weeks with follow-Up.
4 Obtain building permit from Mayor and City Council 90 days GYD 25,000
Agency : Mayor and City Council
The Mayor and the City Council have the authority to issue the building permit. Three copies of
the plans must be submitted to the Mayor and City Council to begin the application process. The
copies are then forwarded to the Central Housing and Planning Authority and to the Public Health
Department. However, in practice, it is common for the applicant to contact the Central Housing
and Planning Authority separately. In fact, if the applicant does not follow up with both agencies,
the process can take longer than 3 months.
5 Obtain planning permit from Central Housing and Planning Authority 90 days GYD 30,000
Agency : Central Housing and Planning Authority
The Central Housing and Planning Authority revises the plans and forwards them to the Fire
Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. When the plans come back from both
agencies, the Board of the Central Housing and Planning Authority approves and issues the
planning permit. Follow-up is required with the Fire Department.
6 Follow up with Fire Department on building permit 90 days no charge

Agency : Fire Department
Because the Fire Department is not part of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, follow-up
is necessary to allow the Fire Department to make proposals or changes to the original plan.
7 Request partial project clearance from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 5 days no charge
Agency : Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A complete project clearance is not needed for the case study. However, it is common practice for
BuildCo to submit the required documents to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the
complete project clearance. After an examination the agency could rule that the project "will not
significantly affect the environment." This process usually takes 5 days and there is no charge
(also see Environmental Protection Act section 11 (2)).
8 Receive setting-out inspection 1 day no charge

According to the Guyana Code Practice - Building Regulations, BuildCo must submit form 1A to
request the inspection for the setting-out. The submission must be made 2 days prior the
inspection and re-confirm 1 day before the inspection.
9 Request and receive excavation and foundation inspection 1 day no charge

BuildCo must submit Form 1B to request this inspection. This request must be made 2 days prior
to the inspection and reconfirmed 24 hours prior to the inspection.
10 Request and receive ground floor slab inspection 1 day no charge

BuildCo submits Form 1C to request this inspection 2 days prior and reconfirms it 24 hours before
it takes place.
Page 13
11 Request and receive plumbing and electrical roughing-in inspection 1 day no charge
BuildCo submits Form 1D to request this information 48 hours prior and reconfirms it 24 hours
before it takes place.
12 Request and receive walls, columns and beams inspection 1 day no charge
Buildco completes and submits Form 1 E 48 hours prior to the inspection and must reconfirm 24
hours before the inspection takes place.
13 Request and receive the roof structure inspection 1 day no charge

BuildCo submits form 1F to request this inspection
14 Receive inspection and obtain approval upon completion of project from Fire Department 60 days no charge
Agency : Fire Department
Once the series of phase inspections are finalized, BuildCo. can receive a final inspection from the
Fire Department.
15 Request and obtain the Occupancy Certificate 14 days no charge

According to Article 10 of the Guyana Code of practice - Building regulations, BuildCo must sign
and issue the builder’s certificate attesting that he has carried out the construction in compliance
with the approved plans and the terms of the building permit. This form will be used by the Central
Housing and Planning Authority to issue the occupancy permit.
There will be no final inspection by the Central Housing and Planning Authority before issuing the
occupancy permit, unless there are doubts that the building is not in compliance.
Receive inspection prior to the installation of the septic tank and awaits approval 14 days GYD 150,000
16
Agency : Guyana Water Inc.
In periurban Georgetown, there is no access to sewerage. A construction such as the Doing
Business case study warehouse would use a septic tank, which can be built by BuildCo.
employees.
Obtain water connection from Guyana Water Inc. 14 days GYD 40,000
17
Agency : Guyana Water Inc.
Upon obtaining for the Occupancy Certificate, BuildCo. can receive the water connection, which
runs in parallel with the construction of the septic tank.
Build septic tank 10 days GYD 500,000

18
Agency : Private firm
Page 14
Details – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer Score
Building quality control index (0-15) 4.0
Quality of building regulations index (0-2) 1.0
How accessible are building laws and regulations in your economy? (0-1) Available online; Free 1.0
of charge.
Which requirements for obtaining a building permit are clearly specified in the building regulations or on any List of required 0.0
accessible website, brochure or pamphlet? (0-1) documents; Fees to
be paid.
Quality control before construction index (0-1) 0.0
Which third-party entities are required by law to verify that the building plans are in compliance with existing By law, there is no 0.0
building regulations? (0-1) need to verify plans
compliance; Civil
servant reviews
plans.
Quality control during construction index (0-3) 1.0
What types of inspections (if any) are required by law to be carried out during construction? (0-2) Inspections at various 1.0
phases.
Do legally mandated inspections occur in practice during construction? (0-1) Mandatory 0.0
inspections are not
always done in
practice during
construction.
Quality control after construction index (0-3) 2.0
Is there a final inspection required by law to verify that the building was built in accordance with the approved Yes, final inspection 2.0
plans and regulations? (0-2) is done by
government agency.
Do legally mandated final inspections occur in practice? (0-1) Final inspection does 0.0
not always occur in
practice; Final
inspection occurs
most of the time.
Liability and insurance regimes index (0-2) 0.0
Which parties (if any) are held liable by law for structural flaws or problems in the building once it is in use No party is held liable 0.0
(Latent Defect Liability or Decennial Liability)? (0-1) under the law.
Which parties (if any) are required by law to obtain an insurance policy to cover possible structural flaws or No party is required 0.0
problems in the building once it is in use (Latent Defect Liability Insurance or Decennial Insurance)? (0-1) by law to obtain
insurance .
Professional certifications index (0-4) 0.0
What are the qualification requirements for the professional responsible for verifying that the architectural plans There are no specific 0.0
or drawings are in compliance with existing building regulations? (0-2) requirements.
What are the qualification requirements for the professional who supervises the construction on the ground? (0- There are no specific 0.0
2) requirements.
Page 15
Getting Electricity
This topic measures the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain a permanent electricity connection for a newly constructed warehouse. Additionally,
the reliability of supply and transparency of tariffs index measures reliability of supply, transparency of tariffs and the price of electricity. The most recent round of data
collection for the project was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
Procedures to obtain an electricity connection (number) To make the data comparable across economies, several assumptions about the warehouse, the
electricity connection and the monthly consumption are used.
• Submitting all relevant documents and obtaining all necessary
clearances and permits
The warehouse:
• Completing all required notifications and receiving all necessary - Is owned by a local entrepreneur and is used for storage of goods.
inspections
- Is located in the economy’s largest business city. For 11 economies the data are also collected for
• Obtaining external installation works and possibly purchasing the second largest business city.
material for these works - Is located in an area where similar warehouses are typically located and is in an area with no
physical constraints. For example, the property is not near a railway.
• Concluding any necessary supply contract and obtaining final
- Is a new construction and is being connected to electricity for the first time.
supply
- Has two stories with a total surface area of approximately 1,300.6 square meters (14,000 square
Time required to complete each procedure (calendar days) feet). The plot of land on which it is built is 929 square meters (10,000 square feet).
• Is at least 1 calendar day The electricity connection:

• Each procedure starts on a separate day - Is a permanent one with a three-phase, four-wire Y connection with a subscribed capacity of 140-
• Does not include time spent gathering information kilo-volt-ampere (kVA) with a power factor of 1, when 1 kVA = 1 kilowatt (kW).
- Has a length of 150 meters. The connection is to either the low- or medium-voltage distribution
• Reflects the time spent in practice, with little follow-up and no network and is either overhead or underground, whichever is more common in the area where the
prior contact with officials
warehouse is located and requires works that involve the crossing of a 10-meter road (such as by
excavation or overhead lines) but are all carried out on public land. There is no crossing of other
owners’ private property because the warehouse has access to a road.
capita)
- Does not require work to install the internal wiring of the warehouse. This has already been
• Official costs only, no bribes completed up to and including the customer’s service panel or switchboard and the meter base.
• Value added tax excluded
The monthly consumption:
The reliability of supply and transparency of tariffs index (0-8)
- It is assumed that the warehouse operates 30 days a month from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (8 hours
• Duration and frequency of power outages (0–3) a day), with equipment utilized at 80% of capacity on average and that there are no electricity cuts
• Tools to monitor power outages (0–1) (assumed for simplicity reasons) and the monthly energy consumption is 26,880 kilowatt-hours
(kWh); hourly consumption is 112 kWh.
• Tools to restore power supply (0–1) - If multiple electricity suppliers exist, the warehouse is served by the cheapest supplier.
• Regulatory monitoring of utilities’ performance (0–1) - Tariffs effective in January of the current year are used for calculation of the price of electricity for
the warehouse. Although January has 31 days, for calculation purposes only 30 days are used.
• Financial deterrents limiting outages (0–1)
• Transparency and accessibility of tariffs (0–1)
Price of electricity (cents per kilowatt-hour)*
• Price based on monthly bill for commercial warehouse in case

study
*Note: Doing Business measures the price of electricity, but it is

not included in the ease of doing business score nor in the ranking
on the ease of getting electricity.
Page 16
Getting Electricity - Guyana
Standardized Connection
Name of utility Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL)
Price of electricity (US cents per kWh) 32.8

Procedures (number) 8 5.5 4.4 3 (28 Economies)
Time (days) 82 66.8 74.8 18 (3 Economies)
Cost (% of income per capita) 423.8 407.2 61.0 0.0 (3 Economies)
Reliability of supply and transparency of tariff index (0-8) 0 4.4 7.4 8 (26 Economies)
Figure – Getting Electricity in Guyana – Score
16.7 72.2 94.8 0.0
Procedures Time Cost Reliability of supply and transparency of tariff index
Figure – Getting Electricity in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Getting Electricity Score
0 100
57.2: Haiti (Rank: 147)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of getting electricity is determined by sorting their scores for getting electricity. These scores are the simple average of the
scores for all the component indicators except the price of electricity.
Figure – Getting Electricity in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
Time (days) Cost (% of income per capita)

300
80
70
Cost (% of income per capita)
250
60
200
Time (days)
50
40 150
30
100
20
50
10
0 0
1 2 3 4 5 *6 7 8
Procedures (number)
Page 17
Figure – Getting Electricity in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
6
5 5
5 4.4
Index score
4
3
3
1
0 0
0

&
Caribbean
Page 18
Details – Getting Electricity in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
1 Obtain compliance certificate for internal wiring 4 calendar days GYD 50,000
Agency : Ministry of Public Infrastructure
The customer has to obtain an internal wiring certificate from the Electrical Inspectorate Division
within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
2 Submit application at the Commercial Office of Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) and pay 1 calendar day GYD 1,391,439.48
security deposit
Agency : Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL)
The customer submits the application for connection at the commercial office of the utility and
pays the security deposit. The following documents need to be attached: Proof of ownership, valid
form of identification and certificate of inspection of internal wiring.
3 Receive external site inspection by GPL 1 calendar day GYD 0

An initial investigation is conducted to establish the availability of network infrastructure.
4 Receive second external inspection and estimate by GPL 12 calendar days GYD 0
A second investigation is conducted if capital works are required, after which the fee estimate is
provided.
5 Submit application for electricity supply to GPL and receive acceptance of offer form 21 calendar days GYD 0
A quotation is issued with an acceptance of offer form (AOF). The AOF is a document the client
signs agreeing to the terms of supply.
6 Purchase distribution transformer and low-voltage lines 6 calendar days GYD 2,611,992
Agency : Electrical Contractor
The customer or his/her contractor purchases the distribution transformer and takes the
transformer to the GPL Transformer workshop for testing. The customer/his electrical contractor
buys the LV lines. The utility company usually plants the pole with the transformer & H/V lines on
the side of the road where the customer's building is located. The secondary cable runs down the
pole in the customer's compound.
7 Have transformer tested by GPL 1 calendar day GYD 35,000

The customer or his/her contractor takes the transformer to the GPL Transformer workshop for
testing. The Manufacturer specification document has to be submitted with the transformer. GPL
verifies that the transfomer complies with the norms and standards of GPL
8 Receive external works and meter installation by GPL 42 calendar days GYD 0
All design for the external connection is done by the utility. The physical works of installing the
transformer and the primary lines are the responsibility of the utility. The meter is installed by the
utility at the same time of the connection works.
Page 19
Details – Getting Electricity in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer
Reliability of supply and transparency of tariff index (0-8) 0
Total duration and frequency of outages per customer a year (0-3) 0
System average interruption duration index (SAIDI) 113.0
System average interruption frequency index (SAIFI) 106.0
What is the minimum outage time (in minutes) that the utility considers for the calculation of SAIDI/SAIFI 5.0
Mechanisms for monitoring outages (0-1) 1
Does the distribution utility use automated tools to monitor outages? Yes
Mechanisms for restoring service (0-1) 0
Does the distribution utility use automated tools to restore service? No
Regulatory monitoring (0-1) 1
Does a regulator—that is, an entity separate from the utility—monitor the utility’s performance on reliability of supply? Yes
Financial deterrents aimed at limiting outages (0-1) 1
Does the utility either pay compensation to customers or face fines by the regulator (or both) if outages exceed a certain cap? Yes
Communication of tariffs and tariff changes (0-1) 1
Are effective tariffs available online? Yes
Link to the website, if available online ttp://www.gplinc.net/under

stand_bill
Are customers notified of a change in tariff ahead of the billing cycle? Yes
Note:
If the duration and frequency of outages is 100 or less, the economy is eligible to score on the Reliability of supply and transparency of tariff index.
If the duration and frequency of outages is not available, or is over 100, the economy is not eligible to score on the index.
If the minimum outage time considered for SAIDI/SAIFI is over 5 minutes, the economy is not eligible to score on the index.
Page 20
Registering Property
This topic examines the steps, time and cost involved in registering property, assuming a standardized case of an entrepreneur who wants to purchase land and a
building that is already registered and free of title dispute. In addition, the topic also measures the quality of the land administration system in each economy. The quality
of land administration index has five dimensions: reliability of infrastructure, transparency of information, geographic coverage, land dispute resolution, and equal access
to property rights. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
Procedures to legally transfer title on immovable property To make the data comparable across economies, several assumptions about the parties to the
(number) transaction, the property and the procedures are used.
• Preregistration procedures (for example, checking for liens, The parties (buyer and seller):
notarizing sales agreement, paying property transfer taxes)
- Are limited liability companies (or the legal equivalent).
• Registration procedures in the economy's largest business city. - Are located in the periurban (that is, on the outskirts of the city but still within its official limits)
• Postregistration procedures (for example, filling title with area of the economy’s largest business city. For 11 economies the data are also collected for the
municipality) second largest business city.
- Are 100% domestically and privately owned.
Time required to complete each procedure (calendar days) - Perform general commercial activities.
• Does not include time spent gathering information
The property (fully owned by the seller):
• Each procedure starts on a separate day - though procedures
- Has a value of 50 times income per capita, which equals the sale price.
that can be fully completed online are an exception to this rule
- Is fully owned by the seller.
• Procedure is considered completed once final document is - Has no mortgages attached and has been under the same ownership for the past 10 years.
received - Is registered in the land registry or cadastre, or both, and is free of title disputes.
• No prior contact with officials - Is located in a periurban commercial zone (that is, on the outskirts of the city but still within its
official limits), and no rezoning is required.
Cost required to complete each procedure (% of property - Consists of land and a building. The land area is 557.4 square meters (6,000 square feet). A two-
value) story warehouse of 929 square meters (10,000 square feet) is located on the land. The warehouse
is 10 years old, is in good condition, has no heating system and complies with all safety standards,
• Official costs only (such as administrative fees, duties and building codes and legal requirements. The property, consisting of land and building, will be
taxes).
transferred in its entirety.
• Value Added Tax, Capital Gains Tax and illicit payments are - Will not be subject to renovations or additional construction following the purchase.
excluded - Has no trees, natural water sources, natural reserves or historical monuments of any kind.
- Will not be used for special purposes, and no special permits, such as for residential use,
Quality of land administration index (0-30) industrial plants, waste storage or certain types of agricultural activities, are required.
• Reliability of infrastructure index (0-8) - Has no occupants, and no other party holds a legal interest in it.
• Transparency of information index (0–6)

• Geographic coverage index (0–8)
• Land dispute resolution index (0–8)
• Equal access to property rights index (-2–0)
Page 21
Registering Property - Guyana

Procedures (number) 7 7.4 4.7 1 (5 Economies)
Time (days) 46 63.7 23.6 1 (2 Economies)
Cost (% of property value) 4.6 5.9 4.2 0.0 (Saudi Arabia)
Quality of the land administration index (0-30) 7.5 12.0 23.2 None in 2018/19
Figure – Registering Property in Guyana – Score
50.0 78.5 69.3 25.0
Procedures Time Cost Quality of the land administration index
Figure – Registering Property in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Registering Property Score
0 100
30.4: Haiti (Rank: 182)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of registering property is determined by sorting their scores for registering property. These scores are the simple average of
Page 22
Figure – Registering Property in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
Time (days) Cost (% of property value)

3
45
40
2.5
Cost (% of property value)

35
30 2
Time (days)
25
1.5
20
15 1
10
0.5
5
0 0
1 2 3 *4 5 6 7
Procedures (number)
Page 23
Figure – Registering Property in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
16 14.5 14.0 13.5

14
12.0
Index score
12
10
7.5
8
6
4 2.5
2
0

&
Caribbean
Details – Registering Property in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost
1 Lawyer executes sale-purchase agreement 1 day GYD 964,690.82; (2%

Agency : Lawyer property value (1% for
While not mandatory, it is common practice for a lawyer to advise the parties on the transfer seller+1% for buyer))
process, in addition to drafting and executing the sale-purchase agreement. The law states a fee
of 0.8% for both parties but in practice lawyers round it up to 1% and most of them charge 1% to
each of the two parties.
2 Obtain official valuation on the property 5 days GYD 48,234.54; (0.1% of

Agency : Chief Valuation Office property value)
Parties call the Chief Valuer Office to make an appointment. The valuator comes either the same
day or the following day to make an assessment and presents the parties with a document
attesting to the amount. It is important to note that the valuation may be completed by the state
valuation office or by a private valuator (in which case the cost would be higher). Although there is
no official cost attached to the valuation by a state valuation officer, it will be necessary to pay the
officer transportation fees - approximately 5,000 GYD.
3 Obtain a Certificate of Compliance from the Inland Revenue Department 5 days no charge
Agency : Internal Revenue Department of the Guyana Revenue Authority
A Certificate of Compliance is obtained at the Inland Revenue Department certifying that all taxes
in relation to the parties have been paid, or that they pay any outstanding taxes at that time. In
case any capital gains arise, a 20% tax on capital gains will be applied to the transaction.
• A copy of the transport/lease/title deed;

• An agreement of sale and a current valuation for the property;
• Where the property was acquired prior to 1.1.1991, the valuation as at 1.1.1991 as well as
current valuation;
• A copy of the receipt of agent/commission fees or legal fees paid;
• A National Identification Card or valid Passport;
• A Power of Attorney, if acting on behalf of someone;
• Documentary evidence of capital improvement done after acquisition or 1.1.1991 value of asset
and other expenses incurred in the transaction.
In addition to the documents listed above, the taxpayer must submit to the Guyana Revenue
Authority (GRA) his/her Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), his/her tax returns (including the
return for the preceding year of income) and a completed application form provided by the GRA.
After the documents listed above are submitted to the GRA to the satisfaction of the Authority, the
Certificate of Compliance can be issued.
4 Obtain a Certificate of Rates and Taxes from the relevant local tax authority 2 days GYD 1,500
Agency : Local Tax Authority - City council
A Certificate of Rates and Taxes is obtained from the relevant local tax authority certifying that all
rates and taxes in relation to the property have been paid in full. The certificate is necessary in
order to register.
Page 24
5 Lawyer lodges the transfer instrument with the Registrar of Lands 4 days GYD 1,205,863.52; (2%
Agency : Registrar of Lands property value (stamp
The required documentation is lodged with the Registrar of Lands. Taxes and registration fees are duty) + 0.5% of property
calculated. Lodging the documents with the registry takes one day but the time the lawyer needs value (registration fee))
to prepare these documents brings it up to 3-4 days. The documentation shall include: (i) Transfer
instrument signed by an attorney (obtained in Procedure 1); (ii) “Affidavit of the vendor” in which
vendor confirms his ownership and that he sold the land for this amount. This is signed and sworn
before the Commission of Oaths, (iii) “Affidavit of the purchaser” in which purchaser confirms he
bought the land for this amount. This is also signed and sworn before the Commission of Oaths;
(iv) Compliance document from the Inland Revenue Authority (obtained in Procedure 3), (v)
"Rates and Taxes Certificate", which is the certificate of compliance with local taxes (obtained in
Procedure 4), and (vi) valuation of the land (obtained in Procedure No. 2).
The amount to be paid as filing fees and stamp duty at the Deed’s Registry is 2.5% of the value or
the purchase price of the property to be transferred. This amount is stipulated by statute so that
the parties can pay immediately upon the filing of the relevant documents. It is a common practice
for the staff at the Deed’s Registry to calculate the fees in your presence to verify the amount to be
paid. There is no document required to pay the stamp duty and filing fees. The fees can be paid
when the relevant documents are being filed since it is a fixed percentage.
6 Search and typing of Certificate of Title 30 days Already paid in Procedure

Agency : Registrar of Lands 5
After the documents are filed and filing fees paid, the matter goes through a general query stage
where the staff of the Land Registry checks to ensure that the property is not encumbered,
affidavits are in order etc.
Once the documents are in order the matter is then sent to be advertised in the Official Gazette for
two (2) consecutive weeks and if there is no opposition raised it is then passed before the
Registrar of Deeds or the Deputy Registrar of Deeds.
The final deed can be uplifted at the Deed’s Registry approximately one (1) week after it is
passed.
7 Seller must inform the City Council of the change of ownership 1 day no charge
Agency : City Council
According to Section 211 of the Municipal and District Council Act, Chapter 28:01, the new owner
must inform the City Council of the change of ownership and submit a copy of the deed within
three months after the deed is registered.
Page 25
Details – Registering Property in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer Score
Quality of the land administration index (0-30) 7.5
Reliability of infrastructure index (0-8) 1.0
Type of land registration system in the economy: Dual system (Title &
Deed)
What is the institution in charge of immovable property registration? There are two
registrations systems
and institutions in
Guyana: (i) Land
Registry (system
taken into account in
this section) (ii)
Deeds Registry
In what format land title certificates are kept at the immovable property registry of the largest business city of the Paper 0.0
economy —in a paper format or in a computerized format (scanned or fully digital)?
Is there a comprehensive and functional electronic database for checking for encumbrances (liens, mortgages, No 0.0
restrictions and the like)?
Institution in charge of the plans showing legal boundaries in the largest business city: Guyana Lands &
Surveys Commission
(GL&SC) (Land
Information and
Mapping Division)
In what format cadastral plans are kept at the mapping agency of the largest business city of the economy—in a Paper 0.0
paper format or in a computerized format (scanned or fully digital)?
Is there an electronic database for recording boundaries, checking plans and providing cadastral information No 0.0
(geographic information system)?
Is the information recorded by the immovable property registration agency and the cadastral or mapping agency Separate databases 0.0
kept in a single database, in different but linked databases or in separate databases?
Do the immovable property registration agency and cadastral or mapping agency use the same identification Yes 1.0
number for properties?
Transparency of information index (0–6) 3.0
Who is able to obtain information on land ownership at the agency in charge of immovable property registration Anyone who pays the 1.0
in the largest business city? official fee
Is the list of documents that are required to complete any type of property transaction made publicly available– Yes, online 0.5
and if so, how?
Link for online access: http://www.business.g

ov.gy/doing-
business/3-how-to-
get-property/
Is the applicable fee schedule for any type of property transaction at the agency in charge of immovable property Yes, online 0.5
registration in the largest business city made publicly available–and if so, how?
Link for online access: http://www.business.g

ov.gy/wp-
content/uploads/2016
/05/Attachment-
4.1.pdf
Does the agency in charge of immovable property registration agency formally commit to deliver a legally No 0.0
binding document that proves property ownership within a specific timeframe –and if so, how does it
communicate the service standard?
Link for online access:
Is there a specific and independent mechanism for filing complaints about a problem that occurred at the agency No 0.0
in charge of immovable property registration?
Contact information:
Page 26
Are there publicly available official statistics tracking the number of transactions at the immovable property No 0.0
registration agency?
Number of property transfers in the largest business city in 2018:
Who is able to consult maps of land plots in the largest business city? Anyone who pays the 0.5
official fee
Is the applicable fee schedule for accessing maps of land plots made publicly available—and if so, how? Yes, online 0.5
Link for online access: https://www.business.

gov.gy/wp-
content/uploads/2016
/05/Attachment-
5.1.pdf
Does the cadastral/mapping agency formally specifies the timeframe to deliver an updated cadastral plan—and No 0.0
if so, how does it communicate the service standard?
Link for online access:
Is there a specific and independent mechanism for filing complaints about a problem that occurred at the No 0.0
cadastral or mapping agency?
Contact information:
Geographic coverage index (0–8) 0.0
Are all privately held land plots in the largest business city formally registered at the immovable property No 0.0
registry?
Are all privately held land plots in the economy formally registered at the immovable property registry? No 0.0
Are all privately held land plots in the largest business city mapped? No 0.0
Are all privately held land plots in the economy mapped? No 0.0
Land dispute resolution index (0–8) 3.5
Does the law require that all property sale transactions be registered at the immovable property registry to make Yes 1.5
them opposable to third parties?
Legal basis: Land Registry Act,

Cap 5:02
Is the system of immovable property registration subject to a state or private guarantee? Yes 0.5
Type of guarantee: State guarantee
Legal basis: Section 128 of the

Land Registry Act,
Cap 5:02
Is there a is a specific, out-of-court compensation mechanism to cover for losses incurred by parties who Yes 0.5
engaged in good faith in a property transaction based on erroneous information certified by the immovable
property registry?
Legal basis: See Section 127 and

128 of the Land
Registry Act, Cap
5:02
Does the legal system require a control of legality of the documents necessary for a property transaction (e.g., Yes 0.5
checking the compliance of contracts with requirements of the law)?
If yes, who is responsible for checking the legality of the documents? Registrar; Lawyer;
Does the legal system require verification of the identity of the parties to a property transaction? Yes 0.5
If yes, who is responsible for verifying the identity of the parties? Registrar; Lawyer;
Is there a national database to verify the accuracy of government issued identity documents? No 0.0
What is the Court of first instance in charge of a case involving a standard land dispute between two local The High Court
businesses over tenure rights for a property worth 50 times gross national income (GNI) per capita and located
in the largest business city?
Page 27
How long does it take on average to obtain a decision from the first-instance court for such a case (without More than 3 years 0.0
appeal)?
Are there publicly available statistics on the number of land disputes at the economy level in the first instance No 0.0
court?
Number of land disputes in the economy in 2018:
Equal access to property rights index (-2–0) 0.0
Do unmarried men and unmarried women have equal ownership rights to property? Yes
Do married men and married women have equal ownership rights to property? Yes 0.0
Page 28
Getting Credit
This topic explores two sets of issues—the strength of credit reporting systems and the effectiveness of collateral and bankruptcy laws in facilitating lending. The most
recent round of data collection for the project was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
Strength of legal rights index (0–12) Doing Business assesses the sharing of credit information and the legal rights of borrowers and
lenders with respect to secured transactions through 2 sets of indicators. The depth of credit
• Rights of borrowers and lenders through collateral laws (0-10) information index measures rules and practices affecting the coverage, scope and accessibility of
• Protection of secured creditors’ rights through bankruptcy laws credit information available through a credit registry or a credit bureau. The strength of legal rights
(0-2) index measures the degree to which collateral and bankruptcy laws protect the rights of borrowers
and lenders and thus facilitate lending. For each economy it is first determined whether a unitary
Depth of credit information index (0–8) secured transactions system exists. Then two case scenarios, case A and case B, are used to
• Scope and accessibility of credit information distributed by determine how a nonpossessory security interest is created, publicized and enforced according to
credit bureaus and credit registries (0-8) the law. Special emphasis is given to how the collateral registry operates (if registration of security
interests is possible). The case scenarios involve a secured borrower, company ABC, and a
Credit bureau coverage (% of adults) secured lender, BizBank.
• Number of individuals and firms listed in largest credit bureau In some economies the legal framework for secured transactions will allow only case A or case B
as a percentage of adult population
(not both) to apply. Both cases examine the same set of legal provisions relating to the use of
Credit registry coverage (% of adults) movable collateral.
• Number of individuals and firms listed in credit registry as a Several assumptions about the secured borrower (ABC) and lender (BizBank) are used:
percentage of adult population
- ABC is a domestic limited liability company (or its legal equivalent).
- ABC has up to 50 employees.
- ABC has its headquarters and only base of operations in the economy’s largest business city. For
11 economies the data are also collected for the second largest business city.
- Both ABC and BizBank are 100% domestically owned.
The case scenarios also involve assumptions. In case A, as collateral for the loan, ABC grants
BizBank a nonpossessory security interest in one category of movable assets, for example, its
machinery or its inventory. ABC wants to keep both possession and ownership of the collateral. In
economies where the law does not allow nonpossessory security interests in movable property,
ABC and BizBank use a fiduciary transfer-of-title arrangement (or a similar substitute for
nonpossessory security interests).
In case B, ABC grants BizBank a business charge, enterprise charge, floating charge or any
charge that gives BizBank a security interest over ABC’s combined movable assets (or as much of
ABC’s movable assets as possible). ABC keeps ownership and possession of the assets.
Page 29
Getting Credit - Guyana

Strength of legal rights index (0-12) 3 5.3 6.1 12 (5 Economies)
Depth of credit information index (0-8) 8 5.1 6.8 8 (53 Economies)
Credit registry coverage (% of adults) 0.0 14.6 24.4 100.0 (2 Economies)
Credit bureau coverage (% of adults) 30.9 47.6 66.7 100.0 (14 Economies)
Figure – Getting Credit in Guyana – Score
55.0
Score - Getting Credit
Figure – Getting Credit in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Getting Credit Score
0 100
35.0: Haiti (Rank: 144)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of getting credit is determined by sorting their scores for getting credit. These scores are the sum of the scores for the
strength of legal rights index and the depth of credit information index.
Page 30
Figure – Legal Rights in Guyana and comparator economies
14
12
12
Index Score
10 9
8
6 5.3
4 3
2
2 1
0

&
Caribbean
Page 31
Details – Legal Rights in Guyana
Strength of legal rights index (0-12) 3
Does an integrated or unified legal framework for secured transactions that extends to the creation, publicity and enforcement of functional equivalents No
to security interests in movable assets exist in the economy?
Does the law allow businesses to grant a non possessory security right in a single category of movable assets, without requiring a specific description No
of collateral?
Does the law allow businesses to grant a non possessory security right in substantially all of its assets, without requiring a specific description of Yes
collateral?
May a security right extend to future or after-acquired assets, and does it extend automatically to the products, proceeds and replacements of the No
original assets?
Is a general description of debts and obligations permitted in collateral agreements; can all types of debts and obligations be secured between parties; Yes
and can the collateral agreement include a maximum amount for which the assets are encumbered?
Is a collateral registry in operation for both incorporated and non-incorporated entities, that is unified geographically and by asset type, with an No
electronic database indexed by debtor's name?
Does a notice-based collateral registry exist in which all functional equivalents can be registered? No
Does a modern collateral registry exist in which registrations, amendments, cancellations and searches can be performed online by any interested third No
party?
Are secured creditors paid first (i.e. before tax claims and employee claims) when a debtor defaults outside an insolvency procedure? No
Are secured creditors paid first (i.e. before tax claims and employee claims) when a business is liquidated? No
Are secured creditors subject to an automatic stay on enforcement when a debtor enters a court-supervised reorganization procedure? Does the law No
protect secured creditors’ rights by providing clear grounds for relief from the stay and sets a time limit for it?
Does the law allow parties to agree on out of court enforcement at the time a security interest is created? Does the law allow the secured creditor to sell Yes
the collateral through public auction or private tender, as well as, for the secured creditor to keep the asset in satisfaction of the debt?
Figure – Credit Information in Guyana and comparator economies
9 8 8 8
8 7
7
Index Score
6 5 5.1
5
4
3
2
1
0

&
Caribbean
Page 32
Details – Credit Information in Guyana
Depth of credit information index (0-8) Credit bureau Credit registry Score
Are data on both firms and individuals distributed? Yes No 1
Are both positive and negative credit data distributed? Yes No 1
Are data from retailers or utility companies - in addition to data from banks and Yes No 1
financial institutions - distributed?
Are at least 2 years of historical data distributed? (Credit bureaus and registries Yes No 1
that distribute more than 10 years of negative data or erase data on defaults as
soon as they are repaid obtain a score of 0 for this component.)
Are data on loan amounts below 1% of income per capita distributed? Yes No 1
By law, do borrowers have the right to access their data in the credit bureau or Yes No 1
credit registry?
Can banks and financial institutions access borrowers’ credit information online Yes No 1
(for example, through an online platform, a system-to-system connection or
both)?
Are bureau or registry credit scores offered as a value-added service to help Yes No 1
banks and financial institutions assess the creditworthiness of borrowers?
Total Score ("yes" to either public bureau or private registry) 8
Note: An economy receives a score of 1 if there is a "yes" to either bureau or registry. If the credit bureau or registry is not operational or covers less than 5% of the adult
population, the total score on the depth of credit information index is 0.
Coverage Credit bureau Credit registry
Number of individuals 156,712 0
Number of firms 1,977 0
Total 158,689 0
Percentage of adult population 30.9 0.0
Page 33
Protecting Minority Investors
This topic measures the strength of minority shareholder protections against misuse of corporate assets by directors for their personal gain as well as shareholder rights,
governance safeguards and corporate transparency requirements that reduce the risk of abuse. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed
in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
• Extent of disclosure index (0–10): Disclosure, review, and To make the data comparable across economies, a case study uses several assumptions about
approval requirements for related-party transactions
the business and the transaction.
• Extent of director liability index (0–10): Ability of minority
shareholders to sue and hold interested directors liable for The business (Buyer):
prejudicial related-party transactions; Available legal - Is a publicly traded corporation listed on the economy’s most important stock exchange.
remedies (damages, disgorgement of profits, disqualification - Has a board of directors and a chief executive officer (CEO) who may legally act on behalf of
from managerial position(s) for one year or more, rescission of Buyer where permitted, even if this is not specifically required by law.
the transaction) - Has a supervisory board in economies with a two-tier board system on which Mr. James
• Ease of shareholder suits index (0–10): Access to internal appointed 60% of the shareholder-elected members.
corporate documents; Evidence obtainable during trial and - Has not adopted bylaws or articles of association that go beyond the minimum requirements.
allocation of legal expenses Does not follow codes, principles, recommendations or guidelines that are not mandatory.
- Is a manufacturing company with its own distribution network.
• Extent of conflict of interest regulation index (0-30): Sum of
the extent of disclosure, extent of director liability and ease of The transaction involves the following details:
shareholder suits indices
- Mr. James owns 60% of Buyer, sits on Buyer’s board of directors and elected two directors to
• Extent of shareholder rights index (0-6): Shareholders’ rights Buyer’s five-member board.
and role in major corporate decisions - Mr. James also owns 90% of Seller, a company that operates a chain of retail hardware stores.
Seller recently closed a large number of its stores.
• Extent of ownership and control index (0-7): Governance - Mr. James proposes that Buyer purchase Seller’s unused fleet of trucks to expand Buyer’s
safeguards protecting shareholders from undue board control
distribution of its food products, a proposal to which Buyer agrees. The price is equal to 10% of
and entrenchment
Buyer’s assets and is higher than the market value.
• Extent of corporate transparency index (0-7): Corporate - The proposed transaction is part of the company’s principal activity and is not outside the
transparency on ownership stakes, compensation, audits and authority of the company.
financial prospects - Buyer enters into the transaction. All required approvals are obtained, and all required disclosures
• Extent of shareholder governance index (0–20): Sum of the made—that is, the transaction was not entered into fraudulently.
extent of shareholders rights, extent of ownership and control - The transaction causes damages to Buyer. Shareholders sue Mr. James and the executives and
and extent of corporate transparency indices directors that approved the transaction.
• Strength of minority investor protection index (0–50): Sum

of the extent of conflict of interest regulation and extent of
shareholder governance indices
Page 34
Protecting Minority Investors - Guyana
Stock exchange information
Stock exchange Guyana Stock Exchange
Stock exchange URL http://www.gasci.com
Listed firms with equity securities 12

Extent of disclosure index (0-10) 5.0 4.1 6.5 10 (13 Economies)
Extent of director liability index (0-10) 5.0 5.2 5.3 10 (3 Economies)
Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) 8.0 6.7 7.3 10 (Djibouti)
Extent of shareholder rights index (0-6) 4.0 3.0 4.7 6 (19 Economies)
Extent of ownership and control index (0-7) 2.0 2.3 4.5 7 (9 Economies)
Extent of corporate transparency index (0-7) 4.0 2.3 5.7 7 (13 Economies)
Figure – Protecting Minority in Guyana – Score
56.0
Score - Protecting Minority Investors
Figure – Protecting Minority Investors in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Protecting Minority Investors Score
0 100
18.0: Haiti (Rank: 183)
Note: The ranking of economies on the strength of minority investor protections is determined by sorting their scores for protecting minority investors. These scores are
the simple average of the scores for the extent of conflict of interest regulation index and the extent of shareholder governance index.
Page 35
Figure – Protecting Minority Investors in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
the Co-operative Republic of Guyana 4 5 5 2 4 8
Dominican Republic 0 4 5 0 8
Haiti 0 3 2 0 4
Jamaica 5 8 4 4 5 5
Puerto Rico 5 6 7 1 1 8
OECD high income 5.6 5.6 6.6 4.3 4.5 7.4
Latin America & Caribbean 2.5 5.4 4.4 2.5 3.2 6.5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Sub-Indicator Score
Extent of corporate transparency index (0-7) Extent of director liability index (0-10) Extent of disclosure index (0-10) Extent of ownership and control index (0-7)
Extent of shareholder rights index (0-6) Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10)
Page 36
Details – Protecting Minority Investors in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer Score
Extent of conflict of interest regulation index (0-30)
Extent of disclosure index (0-10) 5.0
Whose decision is sufficient to approve the Buyer-Seller transaction? (0-3) Shareholders or 1.0
board of directors
including interested
parties
Must an external body review the terms of the transaction before it takes place? (0-1) No 0.0
Must Mr. James disclose his conflict of interest to the board of directors? (0-2) Full disclosure of all 2.0
material facts
Must Buyer disclose the transaction in periodic filings (e.g. annual reports)? (0-2) Disclosure on the 2.0
transaction and on
the conflict of interest
Must Buyer immediately disclose the transaction to the public? (0-2) No disclosure 0.0
obligation
Extent of director liability index (0-10) 5.0
Can shareholders representing 10% of Buyer's share capital sue for the damage the transaction caused to Yes 1.0
Buyer? (0-1)
Can shareholders hold Mr. James liable for the damage the transaction caused to Buyer? (0-2) Liable if negligent 1.0
Can shareholders hold the other directors liable for the damage the transaction caused to Buyer? (0-2) Liable if negligent 1.0
Must Mr. James pay damages for the harm caused to Buyer upon a successful claim by shareholders? (0-1) Yes 1.0
Must Mr. James repay profits made from the transaction upon a successful claim by shareholders? (0-1) Yes 1.0
Is Mr. James disqualified upon a successful claim by shareholders? (0-1) No 0.0
Can a court void the transaction upon a successful claim by shareholders? (0-2) Only in case of fraud 0.0
or bad faith
Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) 8.0
Before suing, can shareholders representing 10% of Buyer's share capital inspect the transaction documents? Yes 1.0
(0-1)
Can the plaintiff obtain any documents from the defendant and witnesses at trial? (0-3) Any relevant 3.0
document
Can the plaintiff request categories of documents from the defendant without identifying specific ones? (0-1) No 0.0
Can the plaintiff directly question the defendant and witnesses at trial? (0-2) Yes 2.0
Is the level of proof required for civil suits lower than that of criminal cases? (0-1) Yes 1.0
Can shareholder plaintiffs recover their legal expenses from the company? (0-2) Yes if successful 1.0
Extent of shareholder governance index (0-20)
Extent of shareholder rights index (0-6) 4.0
Does the sale of 51% of Buyer's assets require shareholder approval? Yes 1.0
Can shareholders representing 10% of Buyer's share capital call for a meeting of shareholders? Yes 1.0
Must Buyer obtain its shareholders’ approval every time it issues new shares? No 0.0
Do shareholders automatically receive preemption rights every time Buyer issues new shares? No 0.0
Do shareholders elect and dismiss the external auditor? Yes 1.0
Are changes to the rights of a class of shares only possible if the holders of the affected shares approve? Yes 1.0
Extent of ownership and control index (0-7) 2.0
Is it forbidden to appoint the same individual as CEO and chairperson of the board of directors? No 0.0
Page 37
Must the board of directors include independent and nonexecutive board members? No 0.0
Can shareholders remove members of the board of directors without cause before the end of their term? Yes 1.0
Must the board of directors include a separate audit committee exclusively comprising board members? No 0.0
Must a potential acquirer make a tender offer to all shareholders upon acquiring 50% of Buyer? Yes 1.0
Must Buyer pay declared dividends within a maximum period set by law? No 0.0
Is a subsidiary prohibited from acquiring shares issued by its parent company? No 0.0
Extent of corporate transparency index (0-7) 4.0
Must Buyer disclose direct and indirect beneficial ownership stakes representing 5%? No 0.0
Must Buyer disclose information about board members’ primary employment and directorships in other No 0.0
companies?
Must Buyer disclose the compensation of individual managers? Yes 1.0
Must a detailed notice of general meeting be sent 21 days before the meeting? No 0.0
Can shareholders representing 5% of Buyer’s share capital put items on the general meeting agenda? Yes 1.0
Must Buyer's annual financial statements be audited by an external auditor? Yes 1.0
Must Buyer disclose its audit reports to the public? Yes 1.0
Page 38
Paying Taxes
This topic records the taxes and mandatory contributions that a medium-size company must pay or withhold in a given year, as well as the administrative burden of
paying taxes and contributions and complying with postfiling procedures (VAT refund and tax audit). The most recent round of data collection for the project was
completed in May 2019 covering for the Paying Taxes indicator calendar year 2018 (January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018). See the methodology for more information.
Tax payments for a manufacturing company in 2018 (number Using a case scenario, Doing Business records taxes and mandatory contributions a medium size
per year adjusted for electronic and joint filing and payment) company must pay in a year, and measures the administrative burden of paying taxes,
contributions and dealing with postfiling processes. Information is also compiled on frequency of
• Total number of taxes and contributions paid or withheld, filing and payments, time taken to comply with tax laws, time taken to comply with the
including consumption taxes (value added tax, sales tax or
requirements of postfiling processes and time waiting.
goods and service tax)
• Method and frequency of filing and payment To make data comparable across economies, several assumptions are used:
- TaxpayerCo is a medium-size business that started operations on January 1, 2017. It produces
Time required to comply with 3 major taxes (hours per year) ceramic flowerpots and sells them at retail. All taxes and contributions recorded are paid in the
• Collecting information, computing tax payable second year of operation (calendar year 2018). Taxes and mandatory contributions are measured
at all levels of government.
• Preparing separate tax accounting books, if required
• Completing tax return, filing with agencies The VAT refund process:
- In June 2018, TaxpayerCo. makes a large capital purchase: the value of the machine is 65 times
• Arranging payment or withholding income per capita of the economy. Sales are equally spread per month (1,050 times income per
capita divided by 12) and cost of goods sold are equally expensed per month (875 times income
Total tax and contribution rate (% of commercial profits)
per capita divided by 12). The machinery seller is registered for VAT and excess input VAT incurred
• Profit or corporate income tax in June will be fully recovered after four consecutive months if the VAT rate is the same for inputs,
• Social contributions, labor taxes paid by employer sales and the machine and the tax reporting period is every month. Input VAT will exceed Output
VAT in June 2018.
• Property and property transfer taxes
• Dividend, capital gains, financial transactions taxes The corporate income tax audit process:
- An error in calculation of income tax liability (for example, use of incorrect tax depreciation rates,
• Waste collection, vehicle, road and other taxes or incorrectly treating an expense as tax deductible) leads to an incorrect income tax return and a
corporate income tax underpayment. TaxpayerCo. discovered the error and voluntarily notified the
Postfiling Index
tax authority. The value of the underpaid income tax liability is 5% of the corporate income tax
• Time to comply with VAT refund (hours) liability due. TaxpayerCo. submits corrected information after the deadline for submitting the annual
tax return, but within the tax assessment period.
• Time to obtain VAT refund (weeks)
• Time to comply with a corporate income tax correction (hours)
• Time to complete a corporate income tax correction (weeks)
Page 39
Paying Taxes - Guyana

Payments (number per year) 35 28.2 10.3 3 (2 Economies)
Time (hours per year) 256 317.1 158.8 49 (3 Economies)
Total tax and contribution rate (% of profit) 30.6 47.0 39.9 26.1 (33 Economies)
Postfiling index (0-100) 54.2 47.5 86.7 None in 2018/19
Figure – Paying Taxes in Guyana – Score
46.7 68.0 93.8 54.2
Payments Time Total tax and contribution rate Postfiling index
Figure – Paying Taxes in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Paying Taxes Score
0 100
57.6: Haiti (Rank: 149)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of paying taxes is determined by sorting their scores for paying taxes. These scores are the simple average of the scores for
each of the component indicators, with a threshold and a nonlinear transformation applied to one of the component indicators, the total tax and contribution rate. The
threshold is defined as the total tax and contribution rate at the 15th percentile of the overall distribution for all years included in the analysis up to and including Doing
Business 2015, which is 26.1%. All economies with a total tax and contribution rate below this threshold receive the same score as the economy at the threshold.
Page 40
Figure – Paying Taxes in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
60 54.2
48.2 47.5
50
Index score
40
30
19.7
20 13.8
10.7
10

&
Caribbean
Page 41
Details – Paying Taxes in Guyana
Tax or Payments Notes on Time (hours) Statutory tax Tax base Total tax and Notes on TTCR
mandatory (number) Payments rate contribution
contribution rate (% of
profit)
Corporate 5.0 41.0 27.5% taxable profits 18.62

income tax
Employer paid - 12.0 48.0 8.4% gross salaries 9.19

Social security
contributions
Property tax 1.0 0.5% and 0.75% equity 1.39

central authority
Capital gains tax 1.0 20% capital gains 1.01
Property tax local 1.0 various rates assessed 0.29

authority property value
Vehicle 1.0 G$30,000 fixed fee 0.07

registration tax
Value added tax 12.0 167.0 14% value added 0.00 not included
Stamp duty 1.0 G$ 1 per G$ transaction value 0.00

1,000
Fuel tax 1.0 included into fuel 0.00 small amount

price
Employee paid - 0.0 jointly 5.2% gross salaries 0.00 withheld

Social security
contributions
Totals 35 256 30.6
Page 42
Details – Paying Taxes in Guyana – Tax by Type
Taxes by type Answer
Profit tax (% of profit) 19.6
Labor tax and contributions (% of profit) 9.2
Other taxes (% of profit) 1.7
Page 43
Details – Paying Taxes in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer Score
Postfiling index (0-100) 54.2
VAT refunds
Does VAT exist? Yes
Does a VAT refund process exist per the case study? Yes
Restrictions on VAT refund process none
Percentage of cases exposed to a VAT audit (%) 25% - 49%
Is there a mandatory carry forward period? Yes
Time to comply with VAT refund (hours) 20.0 60.0
Time to obtain VAT refund (weeks) 34.0 40.8
Corporate income tax audits
Does corporate income tax exist? Yes
Percentage of cases exposed to a corporate income tax audit (%) 50% - 74%
Time to comply with a corporate income tax correction (hours) 30.5 46.8
Time to complete a corporate income tax correction (weeks) 9.8 69.4
Notes: Names of taxes have been standardized. For instance income tax, profit tax, tax on company's income are all named corporate income tax in this table.
The hours for VAT include all the VAT and sales taxes applicable.
The hours for Social Security include all the hours for labor taxes and mandatory contributions in general.
The postfiling index is the average of the scores on time to comply with VAT refund, time to obtain a VAT refund, time to comply with a corporate income tax correction
and time to complete a corporate income tax correction.
N/A = Not applicable.
Page 44
Trading across Borders
Doing Business records the time and cost associated with the logistical process of exporting and importing goods. Doing Business measures the time and cost (excluding
tariffs) associated with three sets of procedures—documentary compliance, border compliance and domestic transport—within the overall process of exporting or
importing a shipment of goods. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
Documentary compliance To make the data comparable across economies, a few assumptions are made about the traded
goods and the transactions:
• Obtaining, preparing and submitting documents during
transport, clearance, inspections and port or border handling in
Time: Time is measured in hours, and 1 day is 24 hours (for example, 22 days are recorded as
origin economy
22×24=528 hours). If customs clearance takes 7.5 hours, the data are recorded as is. Alternatively,
• Obtaining, preparing and submitting documents required by suppose documents are submitted to a customs agency at 8:00a.m., are processed overnight and
destination economy and any transit economies can be picked up at 8:00a.m. the next day. The time for customs clearance would be recorded as
24 hours because the actual procedure took 24 hours.
• Covers all documents required by law and in practice, including
electronic submissions of information
Cost: Insurance cost and informal payments for which no receipt is issued are excluded from the
Border compliance costs recorded. Costs are reported in U.S. dollars. Contributors are asked to convert local currency
into U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate prevailing on the day they answer the questionnaire.
• Customs clearance and inspections Contributors are private sector experts in international trade logistics and are informed about
• Inspections by other agencies (if applied to more than 20% of exchange rates.
shipments)
Assumptions of the case study:
• Handling and inspections that take place at the economy’s port - For all 190 economies covered by Doing Business, it is assumed a shipment is in a warehouse in
or border the largest business city of the exporting economy and travels to a warehouse in the largest
business city of the importing economy.
Domestic transport
- It is assumed each economy imports 15 metric tons of containerized auto parts (HS 8708) from
• Loading or unloading of the shipment at the warehouse or its natural import partner—the economy from which it imports the largest value (price times
port/border quantity) of auto parts. It is assumed each economy exports the product of its comparative
advantage (defined by the largest export value) to its natural export partner—the economy that is
• Transport between warehouse and port/border
the largest purchaser of this product. Shipment value is assumed to be $50,000.
• Traffic delays and road police checks while shipment is en - The mode of transport is the one most widely used for the chosen export or import product and
route the trading partner, as is the seaport or land border crossing.
- All electronic information submissions requested by any government agency in connection with
the shipment are considered to be documents obtained, prepared and submitted during the export
or import process.
- A port or border is a place (seaport or land border crossing) where merchandise can enter or
leave an economy.
- Relevant government agencies include customs, port authorities, road police, border guards,
standardization agencies, ministries or departments of agriculture or industry, national security
agencies and any other government authorities.
Page 45
Trading across Borders - Guyana

Time to export: Border compliance (hours) 72 55.3 12.7 1 (19 Economies)
Cost to export: Border compliance (USD) 468 516.3 136.8 0 (19 Economies)
Time to export: Documentary compliance (hours) 200 35.7 2.3 1 (26 Economies)
Cost to export: Documentary compliance (USD) 78 100.3 33.4 0 (20 Economies)
Time to import: Border compliance (hours) 84 55.6 8.5 1 (25 Economies)
Cost to import: Border compliance (USD) 265 628.4 98.1 0 (28 Economies)
Time to import: Documentary compliance (hours) 156 43.2 3.4 1 (30 Economies)
Cost to import: Documentary compliance (USD) 63 107.3 23.5 0 (30 Economies)
Figure – Trading across Borders in Guyana – Score
55.3 55.9 0.0 80.6 70.3 77.9 35.1 91.1
Time Cost Time Cost Time Cost Time Cost

to to to to to to to to
export: export: export: export: import: import: import: import:
Border Border Documentary Documentary Border Border Documentary Documentary
compliance compliance compliance compliance compliance compliance compliance compliance
Figure – Trading across Borders in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Trading Across Borders Score
0 100
76.9: Haiti (Rank: 85)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of trading across borders is determined by sorting their scores for trading across borders. These scores are the simple
average of the scores for the time and cost for documentary compliance and border compliance to export and import.
Page 46
Figure – Trading across Borders in Guyana – Time and Cost
Time (hours) Cost (USD)

250 468 500
200
200 400
Time (hours)
Cost (USD)
156
150 265 300
100 84 200
72
50 78 63 100
0 0
Export Export Import Import

- - - -
Border Documentary Border Documentary
Compliance Compliance Compliance Compliance
Page 47
Details – Trading across Borders in Guyana
Characteristics Export Import
Product HS 10 : Cereals HS 8708: Parts and accessories of motor vehicles
Trade partner United Kingdom United States
Border Georgetown port Georgetown port
Distance (km) 20 20
Domestic transport time (hours) 2 2
Domestic transport cost (USD) 244 175
Details – Trading across Borders in Guyana – Components of Border Compliance
Time to Complete (hours) Associated Costs (USD)
Export: Clearance and inspections required by 72.0 190.0

customs authorities
Export: Clearance and inspections required by 10.7 127.8

agencies other than customs
Export: Port or border handling 72.0 150.0
Import: Clearance and inspections required by 84.0 100.0

customs authorities
Import: Clearance and inspections required by 24.0 0.0

agencies other than customs
Import: Port or border handling 84.0 165.0
Page 48
Details – Trading across Borders in Guyana – Trade Documents
Export Import
Bill of Lading/ Shipping Bill Bill of Lading
Packing list Commercial invoice
Commercial invoice Customs import declaration
Customs export declaration Technical standards certificate
Export license Packing list
Phytosanitary certificate Cargo release order
Police clearance Tax certificate
SOLAS certificate SOLAS certificate
Page 49
Enforcing Contracts
The enforcing contracts indicator measures the time and cost for resolving a commercial dispute through a local first-instance court, and the quality of judicial processes
index, evaluating whether each economy has adopted a series of good practices that promote quality and efficiency in the court system. The most recent round of data
collection was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
Time required to enforce a contract through the courts The dispute in the case study involves the breach of a sales contract between two domestic
(calendar days) businesses. The case study assumes that the court hears an expert on the quality of the goods in
dispute. This distinguishes the case from simple debt enforcement.
• Time to file and serve the case
• Time for trial and to obtain the judgment To make the data on the time and comparable across economies, several assumptions about the
case are used:
• Time to enforce the judgment - The dispute concerns a lawful transaction between two businesses (Seller and Buyer), both
Cost required to enforce a contract through the courts (% of located in the economy’s largest business city. For 11 economies the data are also collected for the
claim value) second largest business city.
- The Buyer orders custom-made furniture, then fails to pay alleging that the goods are not of
• Average attorney fees adequate quality.
• Court costs - The value of the dispute is 200% of the income per capita or the equivalent in local currency of
USD 5,000, whichever is greater.
• Enforcement costs - The Seller sues the Buyer before the court with jurisdiction over commercial cases worth 200% of
income per capita or $5,000 whichever is greater.
Quality of judicial processes index (0-18)
- The Seller requests the pretrial attachment of the defendant’s movable assets to secure the
• Court structure and proceedings (-1-5) claim.
- The claim is disputed on the merits because of Buyer’s allegation that the quality of the goods
• Case management (0-6)
was not adequate.
• Court automation (0-4) - The judge decides in favor of the seller; there is no appeal.
• Alternative dispute resolution (0-3) - The Seller enforces the judgment through a public sale of the Buyer’s movable assets.
Page 50
Enforcing Contracts - Guyana
Standardized Case
Claim value GYD 1,942,192
Court name Georgetown High Court, Commercial Division

Time (days) 581 774.2 589.6 120 (Singapore)
Cost (% of claim value) 27.0 32.0 21.5 0.1 (Bhutan)
Quality of judicial processes index (0-18) 7.5 8.8 11.7 None in 2018/19
Figure – Enforcing Contracts in Guyana – Score
62.2 69.7 41.7
Time Cost Quality of judicial processes index
Figure – Enforcing Contracts in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Enforcing Contracts Score
0 100
51.6: Haiti (Rank: 127)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of enforcing contracts is determined by sorting their scores for enforcing contracts. These scores are the simple average of
Page 51
Figure – Enforcing Contracts in Guyana – Time and Cost
Time (days) Cost (% of claim value)

900 60
Cost (% of claim value)

800 50.2 774.2
50
700 40.9 42.6 630
Time (days)
590 581 589.6

600 530 550 40
32.0 30.2
500
27.0 30
400 21.5
300 20
200
10
100
0 0
Dominican Guyana Haiti Jamaica Latin OECD Puerto

Republic America high Rico
& income
Caribbean
Page 52
Figure – Enforcing Contracts in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
the Co-operative Republic of Guyana 2 1.5 0 4
Dominican Republic 2.5 0.5 0 3.5
Haiti 2 0.5 0 4
Jamaica 2.5 2 0.5 4.5
Puerto Rico 2 3.5 2.5 3
OECD high income 2.5 3.2 2.4 3.6
Latin America & Caribbean 2.4 2.2 1 3.6
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Sub-Indicator Score
Alternative dispute resolution (0-3) Case management (0-6) Court automation (0-4) Court structure and proceedings (-1-5)
Details – Enforcing Contracts in Guyana
Indicator
Time (days) 581
Filing and service 21
Trial and judgment 240
Enforcement of judgment 320
Cost (% of claim value) 27.0
Attorney fees 24
Court fees 2
Enforcement fees 1
Court structure and proceedings (-1-5) 4.0
Case management (0-6) 1.5
Court automation (0-4) 0.0
Alternative dispute resolution (0-3) 2.0
Page 53
Details – Enforcing Contracts in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer Score
Court structure and proceedings (-1-5) 4.0
1. Is there a court or division of a court dedicated solely to hearing commercial cases? Yes 1.5
2. Small claims court 1.5
2.a. Is there a small claims court or a fast-track procedure for small claims? Yes
2.b. If yes, is self-representation allowed? Yes
3. Is pretrial attachment available? Yes 1.0
4. Are new cases assigned randomly to judges? No 0.0
5. Does a woman's testimony carry the same evidentiary weight in court as a man's? Yes 0.0
Case management (0-6) 1.5
1. Time standards 0.5
1.a. Are there laws setting overall time standards for key court events in a civil case? Yes
1.b. If yes, are the time standards set for at least three court events? Yes
1.c. Are these time standards respected in more than 50% of cases? No
2. Adjournments 0.0
2.a. Does the law regulate the maximum number of adjournments that can be granted? No
2.b. Are adjournments limited to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances? No
2.c. If rules on adjournments exist, are they respected in more than 50% of cases? n.a.
3. Can two of the following four reports be generated about the competent court: (i) time to disposition report; (ii) No 0.0
clearance rate report; (iii) age of pending cases report; and (iv) single case progress report?
4. Is a pretrial conference among the case management techniques used before the competent court? Yes 1.0
5. Are there any electronic case management tools in place within the competent court for use by judges? No 0.0
6. Are there any electronic case management tools in place within the competent court for use by lawyers? No 0.0
Court automation (0-4) 0.0
1. Can the initial complaint be filed electronically through a dedicated platform within the competent court? No 0.0
2. Is it possible to carry out service of process electronically for claims filed before the competent court? No 0.0
3. Can court fees be paid electronically within the competent court? No 0.0
4. Publication of judgments 0.0
4.a Are judgments rendered in commercial cases at all levels made available to the general public No
through publication in official gazettes, in newspapers or on the internet or court website?
4.b. Are judgments rendered in commercial cases at the appellate and supreme court level made No
available to the general public through publication in official gazettes, in newspapers or on the internet
or court website?
Alternative dispute resolution (0-3) 2.0
1. Arbitration 1.0
1.a. Is domestic commercial arbitration governed by a consolidated law or consolidated chapter or Yes
section of the applicable code of civil procedure encompassing substantially all its aspects?
1.b. Are there any commercial disputes—aside from those that deal with public order or public policy— No
that cannot be submitted to arbitration?
1.c. Are valid arbitration clauses or agreements usually enforced by the courts? No
Page 54
2. Mediation/Conciliation 1.0
2.a. Is voluntary mediation or conciliation available? Yes
2.b. Are mediation, conciliation or both governed by a consolidated law or consolidated chapter or Yes
section of the applicable code of civil procedure encompassing substantially all their aspects (for
example, definition, aim and scope of application, designation of mediator/conciliator, initiation of the
process, principles governing the process, enforcement)?
2.c. Are there financial incentives for parties to attempt mediation or conciliation (i.e., if mediation or No
conciliation is successful, a refund of court filing fees, income tax credits or the like)?
Page 55
Resolving Insolvency
Doing Business studies the time, cost and outcome of insolvency proceedings involving domestic legal entities. These variables are used to calculate the recovery rate,
which is recorded as cents on the dollar recovered by secured creditors through reorganization, liquidation or debt enforcement (foreclosure or receivership) proceedings.
To determine the present value of the amount recovered by creditors, Doing Business uses the lending rates from the International Monetary Fund, supplemented with
data from central banks and the Economist Intelligence Unit. The most recent round of data collection was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more
information.
Time required to recover debt (years) To make the data on the time, cost and outcome comparable across economies, several
assumptions about the business and the case are used:
• Measured in calendar years
• Appeals and requests for extension are included - A hotel located in the largest city (or cities) has 201 employees and 50 suppliers. The hotel
experiences financial difficulties.
Cost required to recover debt (% of debtor’s estate) - The value of the hotel is 100% of the income per capita or the equivalent in local currency of USD
200,000, whichever is greater.
• Measured as percentage of estate value
- The hotel has a loan from a domestic bank, secured by a mortgage over the hotel’s real estate.
• Court fees The hotel cannot pay back the loan, but makes enough money to operate otherwise.
• Fees of insolvency administrators
In addition, Doing Business evaluates the quality of legal framework applicable to judicial
• Lawyers’ fees liquidation and reorganization proceedings and the extent to which best insolvency practices have
• Assessors’ and auctioneers’ fees been implemented in each economy covered.
• Other related fees

Outcome
• Whether business continues operating as a going concern or

business assets are sold piecemeal
Recovery rate for creditors
• Measures the cents on the dollar recovered by secured

creditors
• Outcome for the business (survival or not) determines the

maximum value that can be recovered
• Official costs of the insolvency proceedings are deducted

• Depreciation of furniture is taken into account
• Present value of debt recovered
Strength of insolvency framework index (0- 16)
• Sum of the scores of four component indices:

• Commencement of proceedings index (0-3)
• Management of debtor’s assets index (0-6)
• Reorganization proceedings index (0-3)
• Creditor participation index (0-4)
Page 56
Resolving Insolvency - Guyana

Recovery rate (cents on the dollar) 18.4 31.2 70.2 92.9 (Norway)
Time (years) 3.0 2.9 1.7 0.4 (Ireland)
Cost (% of estate) 28.5 16.8 9.3 1.0 (Norway)
Outcome (0 as piecemeal sale and 1 as going concern) 0 .. .. ..
Strength of insolvency framework index (0-16) 4.0 7.2 11.9 None in 2018/19
Figure – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana – Score
19.8 25.0
Recovery rate Strength of insolvency framework index
Figure – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana and comparator economies – Ranking and Score
DB 2020 Resolving Insolvency Score
0 100
0.0: Haiti (Rank: 168)
Note: The ranking of economies on the ease of resolving insolvency is determined by sorting their scores for resolving insolvency. These scores are the simple average
of the scores for the recovery rate and the strength of insolvency framework index.
Page 57
Figure – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana – Time and Cost
Time (years) Cost (% of estate)

4 38.0 40
3.5
3.5 35
Cost (% of estate)
3.0 28.5 2.9
3 30
Time (years)
2.5
2.5 25
2 18.0 16.8 1.7 20
1.5 1.1 11.0 15
9.3
1 10
0.5 5
0 0
Dominican Guyana No Jamaica Latin OECD Puerto

Republic Practice America high Rico
Haiti & income
Caribbean
Page 58
Figure – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana and comparator economies – Measure of Quality
the Co-operative Republic of Guyana 2 2 0
Dominican Republic 5.5 2.5 2 0.5
Haiti 0 2 1 0
Jamaica 4.5 2.5 3 1
Puerto Rico 6 3 3 3
OECD high income 5.3 2.8 2.1 1.9
Latin America & Caribbean 3.7 2.4 1.9 0.8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Sub-Indicator Score
Management of debtor's assets index (0-6) Commencement of proceedings index (0-3) Creditor participation index (0-4) Reorganization proceedings index (0-3)
Note: Even if the economy’s legal framework includes provisions related to insolvency proceedings (liquidation or reorganization), the economy receives 0 points for the
strength of insolvency framework index, if time, cost and outcome indicators are recorded as “no practice.”
Figure – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana and comparator economies – Recovery Rate

Recovery rate(cents on the dollar)
80
70 66.4 67.7
60
50
40
31.2
30
18.4
20
9.6
10
0
No Practice
Guyana Dominican Republic Haiti Jamaica Puerto Rico Latin America & Caribbean
Page 59
Details – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana
Indicator Answer Score
Proceeding receivership BizBank would initiate receivership to exercise the security interest over the hotel property through filing an application
with the Commercial Court division of the High Court. Mirage would then file an Affidavit of Defense, followed by
BizBank's filing if necessary. The case then goes to case management and trial until the decision is made by the
Court. As for the enforcement of the judgment, Mirage's business will be sold piecemeal and the sale proceeds will be
paid to BizBank.
Outcome piecemeal sale The hotel will stop operating and Mirage's assets will be sold piecemeal by the auctioneer appointed by the Court. This
is because the bank would try to get its money as soon as possible.
Time (in years) 3.0 After the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR 2016) were adopted, it is generally observed that the court procedural steps
relating to receivership have become more efficient in Guyana. However, because the new legislation came into force
in January 2017, the Doing Business team still awaits more information about the cases of receivership, which were
completed entirely according to the new rules. Such information is necessary to provide a new time estimate that
would reflect accurately the new developments.
Cost (% of estate) 28.5 The costs associated with the case would amount to approximately 28.5% of the value of the debtor's estate. The main
components of the costs incurred include attorney fees and insolvency representative fees.
Recovery rate 18.4

(cents on the dollar)
Page 60
Details – Resolving Insolvency in Guyana – Measure of Quality
Answer Score
Strength of insolvency framework index (0-16) 4.0
Commencement of proceedings index (0-3) 2.0
What procedures are available to a DEBTOR when commencing insolvency proceedings? (b) Debtor may file for 0.5
liquidation only
Does the insolvency framework allow a CREDITOR to file for insolvency of the debtor? (b) Yes, but a creditor 0.5
may file for liquidation
only
What basis for commencement of the insolvency proceedings is allowed under the insolvency framework? (a) (a) Debtor is 1.0
Debtor is generally unable to pay its debts as they mature (b) The value of debtor's liabilities exceeds the value generally unable to
of its assets pay its debts as they
mature
Management of debtor's assets index (0-6) 2.0
Does the insolvency framework allow the continuation of contracts supplying essential goods and services to the No 0.0
debtor?
Does the insolvency framework allow the rejection by the debtor of overly burdensome contracts? Yes 1.0
Does the insolvency framework allow avoidance of preferential transactions? Yes 1.0
Does the insolvency framework allow avoidance of undervalued transactions? No 0.0
Does the insolvency framework provide for the possibility of the debtor obtaining credit after commencement of No 0.0
insolvency proceedings?
Does the insolvency framework assign priority to post-commencement credit? (c) No priority is 0.0
assigned to post-
commencement
creditors
Reorganization proceedings index (0-3) 0.0
Which creditors vote on the proposed reorganization plan? N/A 0.0
Does the insolvency framework require that dissenting creditors in reorganization receive at least as much as No 0.0
what they would obtain in a liquidation?
Are the creditors divided into classes for the purposes of voting on the reorganization plan, does each class vote No 0.0
separately and are creditors in the same class treated equally?
Creditor participation index (0-4) 0.0
Does the insolvency framework require approval by the creditors for selection or appointment of the insolvency No 0.0
representative?
Does the insolvency framework require approval by the creditors for sale of substantial assets of the debtor? No 0.0
Does the insolvency framework provide that a creditor has the right to request information from the insolvency No 0.0
representative?
Does the insolvency framework provide that a creditor has the right to object to decisions accepting or rejecting No 0.0
creditors' claims?
Note: Even if the economy’s legal framework includes provisions related to insolvency proceedings (liquidation or reorganization), the economy receives 0 points for the
strength of insolvency framework index, if time, cost and outcome indicators are recorded as “no practice.”
Page 61
Employing Workers
Doing Business presents detailed data for the employing workers indicators on the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). The study does not present
rankings of economies on these indicators or include the topic in the aggregate ease of doing business score or ranking on the ease of doing business.
The most recent round of data collection was completed in May 2019. See the methodology for more information.
Hiring To make the data comparable across economies, several assumptions about the worker and the
(i) whether fixed-term contracts are prohibited for permanent business are used.
tasks; (ii) maximum cumulative duration of fixed-term contracts;
(iii) length of the maximum probationary period; (iv) minimum The worker:
wage;(v) ratio of minimum wage to the average value added per - Is a cashier in a supermarket or grocery store, age 19, with one year of work experience.
worker. - Is a full-time employee.
- Is not a member of the labor union, unless membership is mandatory.
Working hours
(i) maximum number of working days allowed per week; (ii) The business:
premiums for work: at night, on a weekly rest day and overtime; - Is a limited liability company (or the equivalent in the economy).
(iii) whether there are restrictions on work at night, work on a - Operates a supermarket or grocery store in the economy’s largest business city. For 11
weekly rest day and for overtime work; (iv) length of paid annual economies the data are also collected for the second largest business city.
leave. - Has 60 employees.
- Is subject to collective bargaining agreements if such agreements cover more than 50% of the
Redundancy rules food retail sector and they apply even to firms that are not party to them.
(i) whether redundancy can be basis for terminating workers; (ii) - Abides by every law and regulation but does not grant workers more benefits than those
whether employer needs to notify and/or get approval from third mandated by law, regulation or (if applicable) collective bargaining agreements.
party to terminate 1 redundant worker and a group of 9 redundant
workers; (iii) whether the law requires employer to reassign or
retrain a worker before making worker redundant; (iv) whether
priority rules apply for redundancies and reemployment.
Redundancy cost
(i) notice period for redundancy dismissal; (ii) severance
payments, and (iii) penalties due when terminating a redundant
worker. Data on the availability of unemployment protection for a
worker with one year of employment is also collected.
Page 62
Employing Workers - Guyana
Details – Employing Workers in Guyana
Answer
Hiring
Fixed-term contracts prohibited for permanent tasks? No
Maximum length of a single fixed-term contract (months) No limit
Maximum length of fixed-term contracts, including renewals (months) No limit
Minimum wage applicable to the worker assumed in the case study (US$/month) 218.1
Ratio of minimum wage to value added per worker 0.4
Maximum length of probationary period (months) n.a.
Working hours
Standard workday 7.8
Maximum number of working days per week 5.5
Premium for night work (% of hourly pay) 0.0
Premium for work on weekly rest day (% of hourly pay) 0.0
Premium for overtime work (% of hourly pay) 50.0
Restrictions on night work? Yes
Restrictions on weekly holiday? Yes
Restrictions on overtime work? Yes
Paid annual leave for a worker with 1 year of tenure (working days) 12.0
Paid annual leave for a worker with 5 years of tenure (working days) 12.0
Paid annual leave for a worker with 10 years of tenure (working days) 12.0
Paid annual leave (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years of tenure, in working days) 12.0
Redundancy rules
Dismissal due to redundancy allowed by law? Yes
Third-party notification if one worker is dismissed? Yes
Third-party approval if one worker is dismissed? No
Third-party notification if nine workers are dismissed? Yes
Third-party approval if nine workers are dismissed? No
Retraining or reassignment obligation before redundancy? No
Priority rules for redundancies? No
Priority rules for reemployment? No
Redundancy cost
Notice period for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 1 year of tenure (weeks of salary) 4.3
Notice period for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 5 years of tenure (weeks of salary) 4.3
Notice period for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 10 years of tenure (weeks of salary) 4.3
Notice period for redundancy dismissal (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years of tenure, in weeks of salary) 4.3
Severance pay for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 1 year of tenure (weeks of salary) 1.0
Severance pay for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 5 years of tenure (weeks of salary) 5.0
Page 63
Severance pay for redundancy dismissal for a worker with 10 years of tenure (weeks of salary) 15.0
Severance pay for redundancy dismissal (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years of tenure, in weeks of salary) 7.0
Unemployment protection after one year of employment? No
Page 64
Business Reforms in Guyana
From May 2, 2018 to May 1, 2019, 115 economies implemented 294 business regulatory reforms across the 10 areas measured by Doing Business. Reforms inspired by
Doing Business have been implemented by economies in all regions. The following are reforms implemented since Doing Business 2008.
=Doing Business reform making it easier to do business. = Change making it more difficult to do business.
DB2020
Trading across Borders: Guyana made trading across borders more expensive by increasing the fees for mandatory inspection through scanners for exports, thereby
increasing the cost of export border compliance.
DB2018
Registering Property: Guyana made it easier to transfer property by decreasing the time to transfer a property by allocating higher resources in infrastructure and
personnel
Enforcing Contracts: Guyana made enforcing contracts easier by adopting a new code of civil procedure regulating time standards for key court events.
DB2017
Registering Property: Guyana made registering property easier by increasing the transparency of the Lands & Survey Commission.
Getting Credit: Guyana improved access to credit information by expanding the coverage of the credit bureau.
DB2016
Getting Credit: Guyana improved access to credit information by establishing a new credit bureau.
DB2014
Paying Taxes: Guyana made paying taxes easier for companies by reducing the corporate income tax rate.
DB2012
Starting a Business: Guyana eased the process of starting a business by reducing the time needed for registering a new company and for obtaining a tax identification
number.
Getting Electricity: Guyana made getting electricity more expensive by tripling the security deposit required for a new connection.
Registering Property: In Guyana transferring property became slower because of a lack of personnel at the deed registry.
DB2011
Starting a Business: Guyana eased business start-up by digitizing company records, which speeded up the process of company name search and reservation.
Getting Credit: Guyana enhanced access to credit by establishing a regulatory framework that allows the licensing of private credit bureaus and gives borrowers the
right to inspect their data.
Trading across Borders: Guyana improved its risk profiling system for customs inspection, reducing physical inspections of shipments and the time to trade.
DB2010
Starting a Business: Guyana made starting a business easier by applying a flat registration fee for all companies, regardless of capital amount; eliminating the duty
payable upon incorporation; and streamlining tax registration through the introduction of a unique tax identification number (TIN) system.
Trading across Borders: Guyana reduced the time for exporting and importing by implementing a system allowing customs brokers to submit documents electronically.
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Page 65
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Doing Business 2020 Guyana

Economy Profile of Guyana

Getting credit Movable collateral laws and credit information systems

Employing workers Flexibility in employment regulation and redundancy cost

About Doing Business

To learn more about Doing Business please visit doingbusiness.org

Ease of Doing Business in

Population 779,004 134 55.5

City Covered Georgetown

Rankings on Doing Business topics - Guyana

What the indicators measure Case study assumptions

Starting a Business - Guyana

Legal form Private Limited Liability Company

Paid-in minimum capital requirement No minimum

City Covered Georgetown

Indicator Guyana Latin America & OECD high Best Regulatory

Procedure – Men (number) 7 8.1 4.9 1 (2 Economies)

Time – Men (days) 18 28.8 9.2 0.5 (New Zealand)

Procedure – Women (number) 7 8.1 4.9 1 (2 Economies)

Time – Women (days) 18 28.8 9.2 0.5 (New Zealand)

Figure – Starting a Business in Guyana – Score

64.7 82.4 95.3 100.0

Procedures Time Cost Paid-in min. capital

DB 2020 Starting a Business Score

97.4: Jamaica (Rank: 6)

91.2: Puerto Rico (Rank: 59)

85.6: Guyana (Rank: 111)

85.4: Dominican Republic (Rank: 112)

79.6: Regional Average (Latin America & Caribbean)

36.4: Haiti (Rank: 189)

Figure – Starting a Business in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost

Time (days) Cost (% of income per capita)

Cost (% of income per capita)

Details – Starting a Business in Guyana – Procedure, Time and Cost

No. Procedures Time to Complete Associated Costs

2 Obtain declaration of compliance 2 days GYD 15,000

3 Register company with Registrar of Companies 7 days GYD 60,000 (fixed

- A copy of the Certificate of Incorporation

5 Register for VAT 7 days on average no charge

6 Register for the Social Security 7 days (simultaneous no charge

Self-employed Persons contribute 12.5% of their declared Income as Contributions, while

In order to apply, the following must be submitted:

- Certificate of Business Registration

7 Make a seal 2 days on average GYD 2,000

Takes place simultaneously with previous procedure.

Dealing with Construction Permits

What the indicators measure Case study assumptions

Dealing with Construction Permits - Guyana

Estimated value of warehouse GYD 48,234,540.90

City Covered Georgetown

Indicator Guyana Latin America & OECD high Best Regulatory

Procedures (number) 18 15.5 12.7 None in 2018/19

Time (days) 208 191.2 152.3 None in 2018/19

Cost (% of warehouse value) 2.4 3.6 1.5 None in 2018/19

Figure – Dealing with Construction Permits in Guyana – Score

48.0 47.6 87.9 26.7

Procedures Time Cost Building quality control index

DB 2020 Dealing with Construction Permits Score