Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas announces upcoming reforms to Guatemala's public procurement law

The Ministry of Public Finance of Guatemala, through its official X account, announced a forthcoming legislative proposal aimed at reforming the country’s public procurement system. The series of posts, published on November 10, 2025, outlined both the timing and objectives of the new initiative.

In a post from November 10, 2025, the Ministry stated that @CongresoGuate Detalló que, con esta propuesta de ley, también se dará solución a una de las ocho barreras no arancelarias que el Gobierno de Estados Unidos ha señalado como problema a corregir en el país. This message highlights that the proposed law seeks to address one of eight non-tariff barriers identified by the United States government as issues needing correction in Guatemala.

Later that day, another post detailed the timeline for presenting this legislative change. According to the Ministry: El ministro de Finanzas Públicas, Jonathan Menkos Zeissig (@jmenkos), anunció que en las próximas dos semanas se presentará al @CongresoGuate la nueva iniciativa de Ley de Contrataciones Públicas, que sustituirá la normativa actual, aprobada en 1992, la cual ya está. This announcement confirms that Minister Jonathan Menkos Zeissig will submit the new Public Procurement Law initiative to Congress within two weeks. The current legislation was enacted in 1992.

A third post further explained the goals behind this legislative effort: @jmenkos @CongresoGuate “Lo que busca esta nueva iniciativa de ley es construir un sistema nacional de contrataciones públicas que permita implementar políticas públicas y desarrollar cadenas productivas, cuidando los recursos en los procesos de adquisición, pero garantizando la mejor. The statement emphasizes building a national public procurement system designed to support public policy implementation and productive chains while ensuring resource efficiency during acquisition processes.

The planned reform comes amid ongoing calls for modernization and transparency in Guatemala’s public procurement practices. The existing legal framework has been in place since 1992 and is widely regarded as outdated. International partners such as the United States have repeatedly urged improvements in regulatory barriers affecting trade and investment between both countries.