Media wars

Posted inMedia
Mass media in Bhutan has enjoyed exceptional growth recently. During the last four years, five new newspapers – all privately owned – started operations in quick succession.  Bhutan Times, Bhutan Observer, Bhutan Today, Business Bhutan and The Journalist hit the newsstands on 30 April 2006, 2 June 2006, 30 October 2008, 26 September 2009 and 20 December 2009 respectively. Till then Kuensel, which started as a government bulletin in 1967, was our country’s only newspaper. Our airwaves have also seen rapid growth. Beginning with Kuzoo FM, which started operations in September 2006, three other private radio stations (Radio Valley,…

Allowing allowances

Posted inGovernment, Legislature
Last month, when, at the end of the Parliament’s Fourth Session, the National Assembly approved salary increases for MPs, I had complained that: Parliament does not have the powers to consider or grant pay increases unilaterally. Instead, according to the Constitution, it’s the Pay Commission’s job to recommend increases in the salaries and allowances of public servants. And that includes us, politicians. Now we hear that the Cabinet has approved allowances (equal to 45% of their basic salaries) for “ACC investigators and related professionals”. The Prime Minister had, in fact, announced that ACC employees would be given allowances, but…

Nyilo photos

Posted inGeneral
Yesterday was Nyilo. And, to celebrate the “return of the sun” to our part of the world, I cooked a hearty breakfast for my family. Then I went biking: from Taba through Dechhenchholing, Samteling, Hejo and Zilukha to Sangaygang; and from Sangaygang through Motithang, Changzamtog, Norzin Lam and Chubachu back to Taba. I’ve posted some photos that I took while biking on our gallery. Nyilo tashidelek!