Keeping Bhutan safe

June 26, 2021General1 Comment

A 72-hour lockdown has been imposed on Phuentsholing’s “Megazone 2”. This is terrible news, as it has been only a few days since a 62-day lockdown that all of Phuentsholing has had to endure was being gradually lifted. Imagine the relief when residents of Phuentsholing were informed that the lockdown was being lifted after they had been confined to their homes for two whole months. Now imagine their anguish when residents of the core area of Phuentsholing were informed that they will have to undergo another lockdown. This is the nature of the covid virus. It spreads insidiously and…

Mind the gap

May 8, 2019Government, Local Government3 Comments

The DNT government achieved a significant milestone yesterday. And they did not commemorate it with any fanfare. In fact, the opposition party and the media and all of social media have also been quiet. What’s the milestone? Six months: our third elected government completed their first six months on the job yesterday. For those who may have forgotten, His Majesty the King conferred dakyen to the incoming prime minister, ministers and opposition leader on the 7th of November last year. But it’s only six months? Yes. Now, look at it another way. Six months means 10% of the government’s…

Who killed the private media?

April 21, 2019Media2 Comments

Who's the hangman?The World Press Freedom report is out. Bhutan’s position has improved significantly to 80 from 94 from last year. Bhutan’s overall position has also improved during my tenure in government, from 92 to 80. So I’m happy. But I’m not happy about the state of our private media. In the two years leading up to the start of parliamentary democracy, private media thrived and continued to grow for a few more years. At one time, we had 11 private newspapers! Then, gradually, private newspapers started shutting down. Bhutan Observer was the first to fold. They were followed…

State owned enterprises

April 19, 2019Economy, Government, Media2 Comments

The Interim GovernmentLast year, during the election period, the Interim Government seems to have conducted a study of state owned enterprises and released a report that is critical of companies established by the former government. That’s okay. It’s good that the Interim Government was concerned whether “established protocol” was followed while establishing the new companies and recommended strategies to streamline the system. What’s not okay is the timing. The Interim Government seems to have taken up the issue of SOEs immediately after the primary elections ... that is after PDP lost. So I’m still wondering if SOEs would have…

Where is the opposition party?

April 18, 2019Political parties2 Comments

Article 18 of the Constitution requires the opposition party to “… play a constructive role to ensure that the Government and the ruling party function in accordance with the provisions of this constitution, provide good governance and strive to promote the national interest and fulfil the aspirations of the people.” But … where is the opposition? Yes, I see them attending ceremonies and photo ops with the prime minister and the government. That’s good. It promotes harmony. But just promoting harmony is not enough. In fact, if there’s harmony, but without a sound opposition, we risk undermining the institutional…

Fueling growth

April 17, 2019Economy2 Comments

Everyone is talking about the Pay Commission's report. And I too will gradually join the conversation. To start, I wish to discuss the Commission's recommendation to increase fuel taxes. Everyone would remember 2013. The country was experiencing an economic crisis. In its efforts to address the critical shortage of Indian rupees, the central bank imposed a series of policies including restricting the supply of rupees; rationing rupees to Bhutanese traveling to India for business, studies, medical treatment or pilgrimage; closing bank accounts of Indian citizens; and suspending loans in several sectors. These policies did little to solve the rupee…

Better late than never

April 14, 2019General

A bit of good news that the media covered last week caught my attention. Kuensel reported that, “the prime minister, cabinet ministers, opposition leader, national council chairperson, the chief justice of the supreme court, ACC chairperson, attorney general and the auditor general together surrendered 21 subsidised cylinders”. Kuensel’s coverage included two photographs of our leaders trading in gas cylinders “… for others who cannot afford the non-subsidised LPG.” The photo-op was a part of “Our Gyenkhu”, the government’s initiative to encourage citizens to buy non-subsidized gas. I applaud this initiative, and join the government in encouraging the use of…

Bhutan for Life

April 13, 2019Monarchy, Nature

Our responsibility to look after our protected areas – that’s 51% of our country – just got easier. Bhutan for Life and GNHC signed a grant agreement for Nu 2.4 billion to finance conservation activities during the next 14 years. Most of this should be spent during the 12th Plan period to protect our national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, and to ensure that people living in them receive support to enhance their livelihood. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to tell our conservation story to the world and to take part in the fund-raising efforts. My…

Enough entertainment

April 12, 2019General3 Comments

The Royal Audit Authority seems to have recently submitted their report on hospitality and entertainment expenses to the government. Their findings have caused widespread alarm in the country. I have not responded to the report for a simple reason: I have not yet received a copy of the report. I have not seen it, and I don’t know if they expect a response from me. The media, on the other hand, have already obtained (or were given) copies of the report. And they have run with it. Kuensel alone has written six pieces on the RAA’s findings and has…

Haa tragedy

September 3, 2013Monarchy, Security13 Comments

I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the tragedy in Haa that cut short the lives of eleven of our young soldiers and injured ten others. Young Bhutanese men in uniform with their entire lives ahead of them, some with wives and children, laid down their lives while in the service of our nation. I join all Bhutanese in offering my heartfelt sympathy to the families and loved ones of the victims of the Anakha tradegy. I hope that you can draw some measure of comfort knowing that you are not alone in your grief – that…

Draft RTI Bill

August 26, 2013Legislature14 Comments

The government will table the Right to Information Bill during the first session of the Second Parliament. The cabinet is still discussing the draft bill, and would appreciate your comments. Thanks in advance.

Draft Right to Information Bill, 2013

PREAMBLE

Whereas, the Right to Information upholds the principles of gross national happiness through good governance, it is essential to ensure an informed citizenry, to secure access to information held by public authorities, and to promote governmental transparency and accountability; and

Whereas, Section 3 under Article 7 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan guarantees the right to information to a Bhutanese citizen;

The Parliament of Bhutan at its _____ Session, on the _____ Day of the _____ Month of the ____________________ Year of the Bhutanese Calendar, corresponding to the _____ Day of __________ 20__, hereby enacts the Right to Information Act, as follows:

CHAPTER 1 – PRELIMINARY

Short Title and Commencement

1. This Act shall:

(1) be called the “Right to Information Act”;

(2) come into force on the _____ Day of the _____ Month of the ____________________ Year of the Bhutanese Calendar, corresponding to the _____ Day of __________ 20__.

Scope

2. This Act shall:

(1) extend to all citizens of Bhutan; and

(2) all branches and levels of government, including the executive, legislative, judiciary and military as well as private bodies carrying out public functions or receiving public funds.

Construction

3. In this Act, the singular shall mean plural and masculine shall mean feminine wherever applicable.

Repeal

4. The provisions of existing laws and regulations that are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed.

Cost-cutting measures

August 25, 2013Government, Media36 Comments

Press Release 23 August 2013 Bearing in mind the current state of the economy faced with a growing public debt, INR dearth and ever increasing current expenditure, the Fourth sitting of the Cabinet decided on adopting austerity measures to rein in unnecessary and excessive spending. As such, the Cabinet has decided to implement the following cost cutting measures until economic situation improves in the country: 1. Pay: As per recommendation of the National Assembly conveyed vide NAB-SP/2010/74, dated 16/12/2010, the pay scales for the Ministers of the Second Parliament was to be increased from Nu.78,000 – 1,560 – 85,800…

“We have emerged stronger”

March 27, 2013Democracy10 Comments

Kuensel recently interviewed me. Their piece is reproduced below: Q How have you grown since the time you became the country’s first opposition leader and today as you exit your first five-year term? It’s not for me to say whether I’ve grown or not in the past five years. I certainly hope I’ve grown. But that’s for my family and, more importantly, the people to judge. What I can say is that I have learnt a lot in the past five years. I have had the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life – the poor and…

Contrast and compare

March 25, 2013Education, Government4 Comments

Have you travelled on the Thimphu - Chunzom higway recently? Is so, you would have noticed a frenzy of construction activity at "Charkilo". What's being constructed is the road to the controversial Education City. For all the controversy surrounding the Education City, the government has made sure that the project has not suffered for want of attention or support. The cabinet has earmarked and approved the lease of 1000 acres of land as the government's equity for the project. A new company, DHI-Infra, was established two years ago to spearhead the project. A full board, with the works and…

Message on Happiness Day

March 20, 2013Government, Monarchy7 Comments

Today is a big day for Bhutan … and the world. Today, people all over the world will come together to observe the first International Day of Happiness. My family and I join the people of Bhutan in celebrating the first ever global happiness day. I thank the prime minister and the government for their hard work and perseverance in advocating Gross National Happiness at home and abroad. I congratulate them for for successfully promoting happiness in the international agenda, and for pushing the United Nations to adopt the resolution on happiness. Their efforts have led to the adoption…