Bhutan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) saw its lowest growth rate in 2013, at 2.1 percent, reports the Royal Monetary Authority’s Annual Report 2013-2014 which goes into depth on the issue. In 2012, the GDP growth recorded at 5.1 percent and the highest growth recorded in 2007 at 17.9 percent. The …

For the first time ever, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, Ministers, Secretaries, Dzongdas and Planning Officers sit down together at a meeting to share and discuss the plans and programs of ministries (central government) with the dzongkhags (local government). Thanking the cabinet ministers, secretaries, dzongdags and dzongkhag officials assembled for the event, …

The Rural Electrification Project for clean energy, better living and sustainable growth in Bhutan was registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project on 21 October 2014. According to the press release issued by the Department of Renewable Energy (DRE), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) in collaboration with the Bhutan …

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF) has asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for support to start a “chiwog grant assistance for farm mechanization and services” project The project aims to provide 1,450 power tillers at the chiwog level. The Programme Director of Agriculture Machinery Centre, Karma Thinley, …

Paro is a gateway to Bhutanese economy, and that explains why our economy is unhealthy. I am quite new to this place to understand the secret to how they managed to keep the town so dirty. It’s amazing how people can adapt to living in dustbins and I don’t quite …

The draft Mineral Development Policy is probably the most delayed and contentious Bhutanese economic policy till date. Now running in its sixth year the draft MDP is yet to be finalized. The MDP became an issue primarily on account of the poorly regulated, controversial and ad-hoc nature of mining in …

A parallel and related proposal to revise the royalty rates on minerals is also on the cards   The draft Mineral Development Policy (MDP) is on the verge of celebrating its sixth birthday as a draft, but the latest version has some interesting changes which if finalized could bring substantial …

His Majesty The King granted an Audience to 174 students who received scholarships to study abroad after excelling in their Class 12 examinations on 11th March 2014. His Majesty The King congratulated the students for their achievements so far, and said that they must now compete and excel among students …

The intensive effort put into grooming and training the young national footballers by the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) has finally paid off with a 1-0 victory in the first round of World Cup qualifying match against Sri Lanka on March 12. Bhutan which is the lowest-ranked team in the world, …

The annual Black-necked crane count, in their prime habitat across the country till 18 January this year, is about 544 cranes, as per records maintained by the Royal Society of Protection of Nature (RSPN). The cranes arrive in the country, their winter habitat, in October every year. They depart for …