Guyana inks US$156M deal with World Bank for infrastructure development

The local transport infrastructure is expected to undergo significant transformation following the signing of a US$156 million loan agreement with the World Bank to upgrade and rehabilitate Guyana’s road network, making it more resilient to natural hazards and improving mobility for citizens. Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, signed the agreement for the Integrated Transport Corridors Project (ITCP) with the World Bank’s Vice President (VP) for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Susana Cordeiro Guerra.

Minister Singh was in Washington, D.C., attending the 2025 World Bank Group / International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings, held from October 13 to 18. The agreement was signed during an engagement on the margins of the meetings. Back in February of this year, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved the project, noting that the initiative is geared towards supporting Guyana in its quest to upgrade and rehabilitate the country’s road infrastructure, and will focus on enhancing the country’s transport network in selected regions in order to allow for better equipped infrastructure that could withstand natural hazards while providing safer and more reliable movement for persons.

Improving productivity and connectivity
Delivering remarks prior to the signing, the Finance Minister welcomed the World Bank’s engagement, noting that the ITCP project will make a tremendous contribution to the Guyana Government’s ongoing efforts to expand and upgrade the country transport networks. “This project has the potential to help unlock increased production and productivity in our non-oil economy, such as through farm to market roads which facilitate both production and trade, as well as to improve connectivity between communities,” Dr Singh underscored. According to a statement from the Finance Ministry on Saturday, this ITCP aligns with Guyana’s national development goals to: boost agricultural exports and food security by improving market access; unlock housing and tourism potential by improving access to new development areas; reduce traffic fatalities with improved road design and safety features; enhance economic growth by facilitating efficient movement of goods and people; improve access to social services such as health and education, and improve climate resilience through dedicated infrastructure solutions. When the World Bank had announced the approval of the loan earlier this year, it had noted that the project will implement critical infrastructure improvements such as enhancing drainage systems, stabilising slopes, and raising embankments to prevent erosion to safeguard vital transport links that support agriculture, tourism, trade, and access to essential services like healthcare and education. The project will also prioritise road safety and inclusivity. This includes the safety assessment of the entire primary road network and road safety audits for selected roads, followed by the installation of road safety engineering solutions like crash barriers and traffic calming measures, and the creation of dedicated lanes for non-motorised transport, such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Special attention will be given to high-risk locations like schools, hospitals and markets. Mobility plans tailored to the needs of women and other vulnerable groups will feature in the project as well as road asset management systems, creating safer and transportation options.

World Bank
“Guyana’s rapid economic expansion places increasing pressure on infrastructure, while the growing risks from natural hazards, such as flooding and storms, further challenge the country’s systems. This project will help Guyana’s road network keep pace with its growth by making it safer and more resilient,” the World Bank Group Resident Representative for Guyana, Diletta Doretti, had stated at the time.
The World Bank had recognised that Guyana’s road infrastructure faces several challenges, particularly in the coastal regions, where roads are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. It noted that over 60 per cent of the road network consists of smaller roads, many of which sit on low-lying coastal plains, making them highly exposed to the impacts of rising sea levels, increased rainfall intensity, and more frequent extreme weather events like storms and flooding. In fact, it said the most recent flooding event in 2021 caused over $100 million in damage to the agriculture and transport sectors. According to the World Bank, poor road conditions hinder access to essential services like healthcare and education, disrupt economic activities, and isolate communities. Moreover, the bank had also expressed concerns about the road safety situation in Guyana, highlighting its road mortality rate of 15 deaths per 100,000 population.

PPP/C Manifesto
This US$156 million ITCP project is aligned with the commitment by the Government to modernise Guyana’s infrastructure across the country as reflected in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) Manifesto objectives for the period 2025-2030. It is poised to generate significant economic and social returns as the country, under the President Irfaan Ali-led Government, continues the path of rapid modernisation and economic expansion. Over the last five years, the PPP/C Government implemented the most transformative infrastructural development projects ever seen in the history of the country and these have literally transformed the landscape of Guyana. New transport networks such as several bridges, roads and highways are visible and being utilised, creating ease for road users while others have been upgraded. The Government over the next five years plans to continue rolling out its aggressive agenda to transform the country’s transport infrastructure with the dual aim of unlocking economic potential and improving the quality of life of all Guyanese. As part of its infrastructural development agenda, Government recently commissioned a new bridge across the Demerara River that links Regions Three and Four, for which construction commenced during its first term in office. Construction of another bridge across the Berbice River to link Regions Five and Six, and cater for cargo trucks etc. will shortly commence as well and this will further the administration’s plans of making Region Six an industrial hub as well as connect Guyana to its neighbours Suriname and Brazil. Major transport infrastructural plans in 2025-2030 manifesto also include continuing the upgrade of the Linden to Lethem highway and construction of bridges at Kurukupari and Puruni, completing the upgrade of the Soesdyke-Linden highway and four lane highway along the East Bank of Demerara (ECD) to Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), completing the highway from Land of Canaan to the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Silica City and the CJIA as well as the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River to link Guyana with Suriname and open up additional markets. The Corentyne River Bridge is to be built in collaboration with Surinamese counterparts.