UK works with CoST to address challenges in the Guatemalan construction sector
Key government, private sector and civil society actors in Guatemala came together to promote changes in the Guatemalan construction sector that could lead to more transparency and investments.
Dialogue with COST
The Guatemalan chapter of the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) held a two-day dialogue to revamp perceptions about the infrastructure and construction sector in Guatemala, recently hit by local and global corruption scandals.
With the support of the British Embassy, HIVOS International, the Open Contracting Partnership and the School of Data and Article 19, the event aimed to generate ideas on an efficient use of resources invested in infrastructure and construction. CoST also aims to inform and empower citizens to hold decision-makers to account.
Participants included technical teams from the Municipality of Guatemala, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Communications and Infrastructure, and a special advisor to the Vice President’s Office. Private sector led construction companies and civil society’s transparency watchdogs also attended.
Some of the challenges identified throughout the sessions include inefficiencies in the planning process, elaboration of designs and feasibility studies of public projects. As for the competition rules, adjustments are needed around legalities of contracts, especially for amounts to be spent and execution periods. Finally, participants called to improve quality control on infrastructure projects and to involve more communities and other direct beneficiaries in the monitoring process.
CoST will continue developing new exercises in 2019 to promote deeper reforms. The UK Government is committed globally to working with key international partners, including Guatemala, in order to promote inclusive sustainable growth and increase global prosperity through tackling corruption.