Excavating dirt

March 3, 2010Posted inLegislature
Two weeks ago, I accidentally telephoned Passang Dorji, the chief reporter at The Journalist. I’d meant to call someone else. But somehow, I dialed Passang’s number instead. So we made use of the unforeseen opportunity to catch up. I asked how he was doing. And how their new company, The Journalist, was faring. He replied that the times were difficult; and that they weren’t making enough money; but that, with support from friends and relatives, they were pulling through. Passang also confided in me. He told me that they were working on a scoop – a story about members…

Flowering forests

March 2, 2010Posted inGeneral
Almost everyone answered “Big picture – 8” correctly. Yes, the picture was part of an emerging rhododendron flower. And as Linda Wangmo suggested, I took the picture on my recent visit to Sombaykha Dungkhag in Haa. But Jigme Tshewang answered first. So Jigme wins the prize. Please contact me to claim the 2008 golden coronation badge. The area between Tergo-la (at about 3,800 m) and Taashi Thang (at about 1,800 m) is almost one continuous rhododendron forest. The forest is old. And it is pristine. Aum Rebecca Pradhan, a leading naturalist, estimates the forest to have about 35 species…

Digging deeper

March 1, 2010Posted inMedia
Business Bhutan, in their last editorial: “A country like Bhutan would be happy to be adopted by Tata,” a press release from the government’s media cell quoted the prime minister as saying. Writing about that in his blog and opening up another debate the opposition leader took a dig at the media too. “And to make certain that Ratan Tata did not miss the Government’s invitation for adoption, all our major newspapers – Kuensel and Bhutan Today and Bhutan Observer and Bhutan Times and Business Bhutan – carried the PM’s tempting offer, word for word,” he wrote. I did,…

Accountability

February 28, 2010Posted inGovernment8 Comments
The Tourism Council of Bhutan, it seems, has been made the scapegoat for spearheading the Government’s policy to liberalize tourist tariffs. Several of the people who attended last Wednesday’s meeting with the PM blamed TCB for not having consulted the stakeholders sufficiently, and for not having briefed our head of government properly. But was it really mainly TCB’s fault? Or were they, in fact, merely trying their best, as civil servants, to obey the Executive Order, signed by the PM, of their political masters of the day? And was it McKinsey who, in reality, sold the idea, directly to…

Adverse opinions

February 27, 2010Posted inGovernment, Legislature
Should civil servants be allowed to express adverse opinions about the Government? 93% of those that took the the last poll answered with a resounding “Yes!” Now our polls are not scientific, and their results may not necessarily represent popular opinion. Still, and particularly on this issue, legislators, the Government and the RCSC would do well to reflect on the results. The Constitution grants every Bhutanese citizen with the fundamental right to “…freedom of speech, opinion and expression.” And yet, the Civil Service Bill, which the National Assembly passed last year, requires civil servants to “Refrain from publically expressing…

Big picture – 8

February 26, 2010Posted inGeneral
It’s been a while since we did a Big Picture. The first person to guess the big picture correctly wins a golden coronation badge of His Majesty the King.

Flip-flop

February 26, 2010Posted inEconomy, Government
I’m happy that the Government has revoked its decision to liberalize tourist tariffs. And that it has decided instead to increase the minimum tourist tariff to US$ 250 per night from 2011 onwards. Liberalizing tourist tariffs would have undermined Bhutan’s valuable brand image and affected our economy and society significantly. But I’m alarmed at how the Government changed its decision. Just one meeting with stakeholders and the Prime Minister decides, during that meeting itself, that liberalizing tourist tariffs is not such a good idea. Just a simple show of hands of those present at the meeting, and the PM…

Precious gifts

February 26, 2010Posted inMonarchy
His Majesty’s birthday gifts to the people of Bhutan: a vibrant media and a strong judiciary for a successful democracy.

Birthday celebrations

February 25, 2010Posted inMonarchy, Villages
Sombaykha is the latest of our country’s 16 dungkhags. It was established barely two years ago to serve the two remote gewogs of Sombaykha and Gakiling. The offices of the dungkhag, which consists of three makeshift houses, are located in Sibthang along the banks of the Amochu. Last Sunday, on 21 February, farmers from Gakiling and Sombaykha, descended on their dungkhag to celebrate His Majesty the King’s birth anniversary. This week’s banner features the dungkhag office. More photographs of the festivities are in the gallery.

Land ceiling

February 19, 2010Posted inVillages
The draft national land policy, particularly the proposal to remove the 25 acre landholding ceiling, has already become controversial. That’s why Thinlay demanded “to hear OL’s views on this very important issue.” When I didn’t respond, Thinlay sent this reminder: “do you … have opinion on this, because this issue is to important to be ignored?” Yes, the issue is important. And yes, I do have an opinion on this matter. Removing the existing maximum landholding restriction of 25 acres will be the quickest way of stripping our farmers of their property. But the policy has caught me by…

Section 10.2

February 18, 2010Posted inGovernment
The Bhutan Civil Service Rules and Regulations 2006, commonly known as BCSR 2006, consists of 21 Chapters spread over 223 pages. It can be downloaded from the RCSC website. Read it. Now identify the most important provision in the document. Civil servants would probably point to Section 10.2 on page 200 of the BCSR. Section 10.2 states that: “Only one penalty shall be imposed in each case.” Why should Section 10.2 be so important? Because it protects civil servants from undue and excessive administrative authority. When civil servants transgress – when they are undisciplined, when they do not perform,…

Bhutanese power

February 16, 2010Posted inEconomy
I was happy to read about DHI’s plans to carry out major investments in power generation, power transmission, construction, information technology, aviation, mining, cement production and telecom in the next four years. These investments will add considerable value to the commercial interests of the Royal Government, while also leading and stimulating private sector growth. Of these investments, which, in total, are estimated to cost DHI about Nu 53 billion, I am most excited about DGPC’s project to start a hydropower construction company. Our country is blessed with perennial, fast flowing rivers perfectly suited to generate environmentally friendly run-of-the-river hydropower.…

Up for adoption?

February 16, 2010Posted inEconomy
That Ratan Tata has said that he is interested in investing in Bhutan may or may not be good for us. That will depend on how the Government eventually finalizes its foreign direct investment policy. But the Prime Minister, it appears, has already decided that Tata will be good for us. In fact, he’d gone so far as to tell the Chairman of the Tata Group that: “A country like Bhutan would be happy to be adopted by Tata”. And to make certain that Ratan Tata did not miss the Government’s invitation for adoption, all our major newspapers –…

Happy Losar

February 13, 2010Posted inMiscellaneous
Losar Tashi Delek! I wish all our readers happiness, success and prosperity in the Year of the Iron Male Tiger. The banner and the picture accompanying this greeting features the Sokpo Tag Thred (The Mongol leading the Tiger). Lam Kesang, my friend, tells me that the combination of the Mongol, Tree and Tiger is one of the representations of Rigsum Goenpo (The Lords of the three Families) with the Mongol symbolizing Jampelyang (Manjushri), the Tree Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), and the Tiger Chana Dorji (Vajrapani). Murals of Sokpo Tag Thred can be found on the entrance walls of some dzongs to protect their relics against…

Civil liberties

February 11, 2010Posted inLegislature
Yesterday’s workshop on human rights awareness confirmed what most of us already suspect: that we don’t have serious human rights violations, but that, occasionally, human rights do get inadvertently sidelined. Dasho Damcho Dorji, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Human Rights Committee, explained that instances of human rights violations were isolated and that they were: “not intentional” and resulted from either “ambiguity in laws” or “over enthusiasm by young officials.” But, intentional or not, the Human Rights Committee has decided to investigate all complaints they receive. They will also review legislation and government policies to ensure that…