Investing in Guyana

Simpler investment options include GYD or USD savings accounts, fixed-term and special investment accounts, and Certificates of Deposit at licensed deposit-taking institutions. The deposit insurer (Deposit Insurance Corporation) protects eligible deposits up to G$2,000,000 per depositor and member institution, including interest. Reimbursement is intended to occur within 30 days; price losses and securities are not insured. Government Treasury bills have maturities of 91, 182 or 364 days. Individuals, companies and financial institutions can bid through a bank or an authorized commercial bank in a competitive auction. The minimum amount is G$50,000 and must be bid and then settled in multiples of that amount. Under the treatment stated by the Bank of Guyana and the Guyana Revenue Authority, the discount on Treasury bills is currently subject to 20 percent withholding tax. Government and corporate bonds exist legally and in practice, but each requires an assessment of the issue terms, the issuer’s financial strength and tradability. Government securities generally have a lower default risk than corporate bonds. With corporate bonds, repayment and the ability to sell depend more heavily on the condition of the individual company and demand. Shares are traded on the Guyana Stock Exchange. The self-regulatory exchange organization (GASCI) operates this exchange under the Guyana Securities Council. Access generally runs through registered brokers such as Trust Company (Guyana), Hand-in-Hand Trust, Guyana Americas Merchant Bank or Beharry Stockbrokers. The local share market is small, concentrated and illiquid. An indicated price therefore does not guarantee a quick sale at that price. The Securities Industry Act covers Unit Trusts and Mutual Funds. However, publicly documented information is insufficient on their current availability to retail investors, fees, redemption terms and custody. A broad local offering of ETFs or online brokers for retail customers is not established. Private employer pension plans are registered with and supervised by the Bank of Guyana. They may use defined-benefit, defined-contribution or group annuity models; access and terms depend on the employer and the individual plan. Direct investments and projects are particularly relevant in agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, forestry, manufacturing, ICT and business-process services, tourism, logistics, health, education, financial and professional services, and real estate. They generally involve ownership, foreign direct investment or project finance and are not liquid in the short term. Land titles, permits, sector approvals, financing, implementation and later disposal can strongly affect the outcome. A formal investment agreement (Investment Agreement) for a business or project follows a separate procedure. GO-Invest prepares three copies, which the Guyana Revenue Authority reviews and recommends; the Minister of Finance then approves them, and the Guyana Revenue Authority decides case by case on an exemption or concession letter. This procedure does not automatically apply to passive purchases of securities. Domestic and foreign investors can generally use support from the investment promotion agency (GO-Invest). Depending on the investment, sector approvals, identity and anti-money-laundering checks, tax registration, acceptance by the bank and custodian, and foreign-exchange processing may be required. Virtual assets and providers of such services are subject to anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing rules. Official notices documented restrictions through 31 December 2025; the later authorization and operating status was not clear in the primary sources reviewed. Guyana should therefore not be presented as an established regulated retail cryptocurrency market. Unregistered foreign-exchange offers, pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes and informal rotating savings arrangements (Sou-Sou) carry fraud and loss risks. Before buying, investors should check the intermediary’s registration with the Guyana Securities Council, the issuer’s reporting status, the prospectus and financial statements, the rights attached to the share class, liquidity, the bid-ask spread, custody, fees, tax treatment, beneficial ownership and possible disposal. Costs may include brokerage, custody, account, transfer, registration, foreign-exchange, legal, accounting, land and audit costs, as well as fund costs. A balanced allocation may combine insured cash, Treasury bills, bonds, shares and direct investments according to liquidity needs. Diversification should consider asset class, maturity, issuer, currency and geographic region. GYD obligations should be considered separately from USD or foreign assets. The Guyana Revenue Authority generally taxes net taxable capital gains at 20 percent, allows losses to be offset and lists, among other things, exemptions for income-like gains, disposals after more than 25 years and gains up to G$500,000. The treatment of gains from listed shares may differ and should be confirmed in writing before the sale. Capital gains are generally reported together with an individual income tax return (Individual Income Tax Return) and a calculation sheet by 30 April. Interest and distributions to non-residents may trigger withholding tax unless an agreement or exemption applies. Securities complaints go to the Guyana Securities Council, complaints about regulated financial institutions, insurance or pension plans go to the Bank of Guyana, and tax matters go to the Guyana Revenue Authority. Key risks include exchange rates between GYD and USD, inflation, interest rates, default, low liquidity, concentration in oil, gold or other commodities, political and permitting changes, land problems, project failure, custody or counterparty failure, tax changes, cybercrime and fraud.