Guyana lacks a comprehensive framework for the effective protection of trade secrets, but the Competition and Fair Trading Act of 2006 and the Access to Information Act of 2011 provide limited measures addressing some issues related to trade secrets.

Guyana imposes an obligation to share passive telecommunications infrastructure for the provision of services to end users. In practice, passive infrastructure sharing is also implemented in both the mobile and fixed sectors through commercial agreements.
Under section 42 of the Telecommunications Act 2016, where an operator requests access, for the purposes of installing, operating, or maintaining its network, to any road, conduit, pole, cable, works, or other facility of a public utility, or where a public utility requests access to an operator’s facilities, the request is governed by section 42 and the applicable regulations.
These obligations are further elaborated in Art. 8 of the Telecommunications (Interconnection and Access) Regulations 2020, which requires every operator, service provider, and public utility to: (i) provide timely access, upon written request, to any facility it owns or controls on an unbundled and non-discriminatory basis, including physical access and the ability to install, operate, maintain, and repair equipment; and (ii) negotiate access agreements in good faith and in accordance with the Regulations. Art. 8.2 further specifies that operators and service providers must provide access to roads, ducts, conduits, poles, towers, cables, and other elements of their facilities (or public utility facilities, as applicable) for joint use and allocation, consistent with section 42 of the Act.

According to Art. 38.7 of the Telecommunications Act, the Public Utilities Commission may, where it deems appropriate, require that an operator or a service provider put into effect accounting separation between different portions of its telecommunications networks, facilities, and telecommunications services. However, it is reported that functional separation of SMP/dominant network operator(s) is not required by law.

Guyana is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

According to Art. 39.6 (b) of the Procurement Act 2003, there is a 10% margin of preference for domestic providers or domestically produced goods. However, it is reported that this margin is rarely utilised.

According to Art. 11 of the Small Business Act 2004 (as amended by Art. 3 of the Small Business (Amendment) Act 2021), the Government shall use its best endeavours to ensure that at least 20% of its procurement of goods, services and works to be executed annually is obtained from small businesses and for this purpose, the Council shall prepare annually a Small Business Procurement Programme.

It is reported that government procurement processes remain slow and opaque, with tenders that may change during the process and be reissued. Moreover, concerns persist regarding inefficiencies in contract award procedures. In the 2024 annual report, the Auditor General highlighted reported disregard for the procedures, rules, and laws governing public procurement, including instances of alleged overpayments and procurement breaches.

Guyana is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement, nor does it have observer status.

Guatemala has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Guatemala has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

According to Art. 13 of Guatemala’s Labour Code, employers are required to maintain a workforce composed of at least 90% Guatemalan workers, excluding general managers, directors, administrators, superintendents, and company heads. However, exceptions to this rule may be granted under specific conditions. As specified in Art. 13(a), the Executive Branch, through a reasoned resolution issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, may reduce the percentage of Guatemalan workers by up to 10% for a period of up to five years per company when justified by reasons such as the protection and promotion of the national economy, and the lack of qualified Guatemalan technicians in a given activity. In such cases, the Ministry must require the benefiting companies to train Guatemalan technicians in the relevant field within the established timeframe.

The type approval process for radio equipment in Guatemala is administered by the Superintendence of Telecommunications (SIT). All radio equipment devices require certification, and equipment that complies with ETSI or FCC standards is typically approved. Approvals are usually obtained within six weeks without the need for in-country testing or local representatives, and certificates have an indefinite validity period. Existing international test reports can be used for the homologation process, during which technical documents will be reviewed and validated.

Guatemala does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.

In accordance with Art. 214 of the Guatemalan Commercial Code, companies legally constituted abroad that wish to establish or operate in any form in the country, or to have one or more branches or agencies, must have at least one representative permanently in the country.