The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Prime Minister, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, commented on the public controversy over the Economic Stimulus Plan (ESP) loan issues during the monthly meet-the-press on friday.
He said he had informed the new Indian Ambassador to Bhutan about the ESP controversy, noting that the issue reflects the program’s popularity and the high demand across sectors. “Those who did not get loans, or those seeking to politicize the matter, are raising it on social media. It shows that everyone wants ESP,” he said.
The PM said that ESP loan money was initially given to the banks who were not disbursing it due to which the public complained, and that is why the funds had to be channeled through the Bhutan Development Bank Ltd (BDBL).
The PM said, “On the matter of the loans, we have nothing to do with it, and I certainly have nothing to do with it. If any of the ministers have tried to influence, intervene and intimidate BDBL (on ESP loans), let me know because that minister will be out of a job. Get evidence and hold us to account, but please do not speculate. If you speculate and get evidence then do speculate, but if we are speculating without evidence, we doing the the country and the youth a great disfavor.”
The PM said if there is corruption in the ESP then people should provide evidence to him, and then if he (PM) does not do anything about it then the he should be held to account and resign from his post.
He said if people have any evidence of wrongdoing, they can even approach the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) directly.
The PM directed the BDBL CEO to make public, the list of all those who got ESP loans with the amounts and locations unless the law prohibits. The BDBL CEO said the Financial Services Act (FSA) does not allow it.
The PM said the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) should see if the names can be published along with those who did not get the loans.
The PM said unverified speculation online is changing the mood of the public. The PM also said the around 1,600 people who did not get the loan will not be happy.
The PM said there is no need to write anonymously, as he, himself, kept a blog as the Opposition Leader from 2008 to 2013, and as long as one has the evidence there is no need to fear as the law would be on their side. He said the moment something is anonymous, something is wrong.
He said the media can use anonymous posts as a basis to investigate, but it should not be taken as the truth.
The PM said that in no country in the world will one have the ACC investigating something based on anonymous posts. He said ACC would not have done so, but he, himself, asked ACC to investigate.
He said if there is real corruption then the public, including the youth, have the right to know, but if there is no corruption in this case, then people and youth should be educated.
The PM said that even in other areas, like construction, if people think there is corruption, then they should report it, but it is also true that those who do not get the job file complaints.
He said in certain government or SOE job vacancies, there maybe one post and 50 people competing for it. Even if that one person gets it on merit, many of the others will allege nepotism.
The PM said he is not saying that every post is won on merit, which would also be a stretch.
He said if one is to go by online gossiping standards then every civil servant and journalist in the room there must have got the job through nepotism.
He said politicians are not elected based on jabtha, but by campaigning hard and going door-to- door, and once elected they have to govern with responsibility.
The PM said it has been almost three weeks, and the ACC should announce its findings as soon as possible.
The PM turned to the ESP Steering Committee Director, and he said the civil servants should tell the media or the ACC if any politician pressured the ESP committee, but if there is nothing then the civil servants should clarify.
The PM said their job as the Cabinet is to get the money and allocate the money to different buckets, and then hand it over to officials and not get involved at all.
Giving the examples of hotels asking for ESP RGF loan, he said if it is not given then people will not be happy, but if it is given then speculations will start on a certain hotel owner being related to this or that minister.
Lyonchhen said the danger is the perception of corruption, and when that spreads then that is accepted as reality. He said it is absolutely not right for the country.
In the villages, he said when a farmer gets a loan and another does not get, the presumption made is that one had jabtha and another did not, even if both are simple villagers.
The PM said no bank will give loans if one has a bad record, which is recorded in the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) report, but even such people will insist on ESP loans and on being denied due to CIB report will say they were unfairly left out.
The PM said there was also controversy in the first ESP, as Karma Tshering was appointed as the head even though there was a committee of officials who selected him, and even at that time, the Chair of the committee Sonam P Wangdi said nothing.
The PM said he will never put civil servants in the front, but now, this has to stop. The PM said he is going to now ask the civil servants to speak up, especially since they (Cabinet) are not involved at all.
The PM said the controversy is keeping him awake at night, not because he has done anything wrong, but because of the perception of governance, youth’s perception and the outside perception of Bhutan due to this issue.
