Government – Page 7 – Tshering Tobgay

Taxing job

June 30, 2010Government, Legislature40 Comments

Breaking News! Opposition Leader calls for Finance Minister’s resignation! Actually, that's yesterday's news. That's when the opposition leader called for the finance minister’s resignation, during the budget discussions in the National Assembly. But, for some reason or the other, the news has still not reached the media. Bhutan Today, Kuensel, BBS and all the radio stations have been remarkably silent on the opposition leader’s demand. The media may be uninterested. But you, I’m quite sure, want to know why I proposed such an audacious measure. Here’s the story. Chapter 5 of the 2010-2011 National Budget is about the tax…

Increase civil service salaries

June 30, 2010Government

The day before yesterday, during budget discussion, the seven reasons I reported on why it may be time to review civil service salaries: Domestic revenue of the government, through tax and non-tax measures, has increased considerably since the last salary increase. In 2008-09 domestic revenues were projected to be Nu 11,932 million. In 2009-10 it was Nu 14,108 million. And in 2010-11 it is projected to be Nu 15,816 million. Domestic revenues have increased by a whopping 33% while civil service salaries have remained stagnant. Between 2008-09 and 2010-11 budgets, the government’s overall outlay has increased by a considerable…

Domestic air service

June 28, 2010Government

The government has reassured us that domestic air services will begin by its October 1st deadline. But, with barely three months left, the government is yet to decide who will run the domestic airline. On 16th June, Kuensel reported that: Four companies submitted proposals by the February 12 deadline. Two companies, national airline Drukair, and a UK based company, Route Network LLP, were identified on May 7, by an inter-ministerial committee. The final decision was then left to the cabinet. Of the two proposals it appears that the government favours Route Network LLP. Kuensel, on 26th June: With Drukair…

Why the government may be lazy

June 26, 2010Government

We should be concerned that the government has been slow to implement the 7 billion Small Development Projects grant provided by the Indian government. The SDP grant is part of the 10th Five Year Plan and is for: implementing smaller, short-gestation and community-oriented projects in vital sectors of health, education, rural infrastructure (conference hall, farm roads, small bridges, etc), water supply, irrigation channels, Renewable Natural Resource (RNR) centres etc. It is expected that over 2000 such projects will be implemented all across 20 districts of Bhutan in five-years time. Two years of the 10th Plan is already over. And…

Corrupt quotas

June 18, 2010Government20 Comments

The government’s decision to increase taxes on vehicles has caused a bit of stir. Many people I’ve spoken with agree with the progressive taxes based on engine capacity. But most, like I, doubt if simply increasing taxes will help achieve the government’s goal of controlling the growing number of vehicles in Bhutan. Why? Because public transport, in Thimphu and elsewhere, is still inadequate. And, in the absence of a reliable public transport system, we will continue to buy cars, even at relatively higher prices. A real reduction in traffic volume will be possible mainly by improving the public transport…

Laurence of Taba

June 18, 2010Government

The road between Langjophakha and Dechhenchholing is being expanded. Good.
Traffic on the single-lane road that connects the upper precincts of Thimphu valley with the town had become heavy and dangerous. So it was time to widen the road to accommodate the growing number of vehicles.
The government is executing the work departmentally. And they’re doing a pretty good job. It’s been barely 3 weeks since starting the project in Langjophakha and they’ve already reached the Dechhenchholing bridge area. Impressive.
But some people have complained. Sonam commented that commuting has become difficult and unpredictable. And Laurence set me this email, which, incidentally, has not been published by the newspapers.

About administrative action

June 16, 2010Government

The second issue in “Administrative action” asked if prime minister had the authority to issue “… directives to the home ministry, the judiciary and the police to take appropriate actions against the senior dzongkhag officials.” Again, several of you felt that, as head of the government, the prime minister does have this authority. And again I refer to the laws of the land. Chapter 19 of the BCSR is dedicated to administrative discipline in the civil service. And in its pages are contained procedures for the identification, investigation and adjudication of offenses by civil servants, all powers for which…

Appointing dzongdags

June 16, 2010Government

My last post generated a lot of discussions. Good. Most of you feel that the cross transfer of the Samtse and Haa dzongdags does not represent new appointments. That they are merely transfers of existing dzongdags. And, that the home ministry has the authority to transfer existing dzongdags. I disagree. The home ministry cannot transfer existing dzongdags for two reasons: One, dzongkhags are not under the home ministry – they are independent, autonomous agencies. So, the home ministry does not have legal administrative authority over dzongdags. According to Chapter 16, Section 2.1.3 of the BCSR, only the RCSC can…

Administrative action

June 14, 2010Government

The Samtse Dzongdag has been transferred to Haa. His transfer, which was decided by the home ministry, is meant to be an administrative action against him. But Article 2, Section 19(q) of our constitution states that: The Druk Gyalpo shall, by warrant under His hand and seal, appoint: … Dzongdags on the recommendation of the Prime Minister who shall obtain nominations from the Royal Civil Service Commission. If it is the Druk Gyalpo who appoints dzongdags, then how is it that the home ministry has appointed a new dzongdag for Haa? And a new one for Samtse? Kuensel raised…

Paying for support

May 15, 2010Government, Local Government

Dasho Nima Wangdi, director general of finance, justifying the government’s decision to increase the allowances and benefits of gups, was quoted as saying that: The pay commission, which was not a full time committee, could be instituted by the government only for major systemic changes in pay and allowance structures. “In the gups’ case, the government has the full authority to decide.” He’s right: the Pay Commission is not a full time committee. And he’s wrong: the government does not have any authority to revise the pay and allowances of public servants, including gups, independently. It can do so…

Education city

May 13, 2010Government

Today, yet another concerned person asked me about the education city. And he too wanted to hear my views on the 1 billion dollar project.
Some of you may have seen my views in Tenzing Lamsang’s story. But, it appears that many others haven’t. So, with the permission of Business Bhutan, I’m reproducing their entire story….
Billion $ education city under scanner
US$ 500m foreign exchange a year and around 30 international universities on 1,000 acres: this is what the prime minister’s pet project, the planned education city, aims.
If MediaGlobal, a United Nations-based news agency, is to be believed, the ground breaking ceremony for the city is just a year away.
“While anchor universities should start operating initially, it is likely to be 10 years for the entire city to be in place gradually,” MediaGlobal quoted Kushal Sengupta of Infinity InfoTech Parks, the agency that is proposing to implement the project at a site yet to be identified.
But critics of the project say the manner in which the country’s biggest foreign investment plan is being pursued is not proper.
Opposition Leader Tshering Tobgay said that he is ‘very concerned’ about the project by its lack of transparency.

Successful SAARC

May 1, 2010Government

The Sixteenth SAARC summit is over. And, by all accounts, the event was a grand success. So compliments are in order. I offer my congratulations to the prime minister, the officiating foreign minister and the government; civil servants (all of them, but especially those in the foreign ministry); RBP, RBA and RBG; the Thimphu City Corporation; teachers and students; volunteers; and the clergy. Special thanks are due to the Government of India for their generous support. The banner, showcasing the eight SAARC leaders, was sent in by Lhendup Dorji, an official photographer with Business Bhutan. The gallery has a…

Dasho Damcho on LG

April 15, 2010Government, Local Government

“Where is Dasho Damcho la …” enquired Sonam_t commenting on my open letter to the Dasho Dzongdags. “Where is honourable Damcho?” echoed Tangba. Dasho Damcho's recent response to their queries follows: Dear Sonam_t and Tangba, Thanks for your concern. I am still sticking around but like to keep a low profile. The issue that Hon’ble OL has raised was discussed with me and was discussed several times in the preceding NA Sessions as well. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of it because of absence of live telecast and the papers were not interested in covering these issues in…

Managing performance

April 14, 2010Government

Chapter 12 of the BCSR is dedicated to performance management. It provides a detailed prescription of how civil servants must plan, review and rate their work in order to improve productivity and accountability in the civil service. The general idea is good: it is to cultivate a performance-based culture that rewards meritocracy and professionalism. It is also intended to boost morale in the civil service. So the RCSC’s performance appraisal system should be implemented faithfully. But, we are told, it isn’t. Civil servants say that the appraisal system is not taken seriously, and that it does not work. They…

Anonymous fear

April 12, 2010Government, Media

Of the many reasons we may have to comment anonymously, fear of government reprisal is the worst. Here’s how Kuensel introduced a contractor’s remarks recently: An owner of an established construction company, who requested anonymity, fearing possible backlash from the government, said that … The government must dispel such fears. The Constitution, after all, guarantees "...the right to freedom of speech, opinion and expression" as a fundamental right.