I am of the opinion that government has not violated the Constitution in the class 10 cut off debate. The confusion has mainly arisen out of understanding Article 9, which is the ‘Principles of State Policy’. Section 16 of this article says, ‘The State shall provide free education to all …
Read More »Opposition and Govt differ on allowing foreign maids
PM says govt will take its time and maids will only be allowed after a modern monitoring system is in place While one of DNT’s pledges has been to allow foreign maids or help in a regulated manner, the Opposition party took a stand against it in its press meet. …
Read More »Opposition questions govt over self-reliance and pledge funding
PM says govt will ensure self reliance and can raise funds for pledges In response to a question, the Opposition party questioned the government’s push for self sufficiency on one hand and at the same time having many expensive pledges which have not yet been even budgeted in the 12th …
Read More »As media faces extinction via e-procurement, PM gives assurances
Opposition says e-procurement cannot be allowed to lead to a weak media There is a great deal of concern within media houses on the revenue impact of E-procurement on an already ailing media sector. E-procurement involves the government placing advertisements on a website, instead of in the media with the …
Read More »Austerity is coming
MoF sends out cost cutting circulars to government agencies as part of a new austerity drive However, its effectiveness is yet to be seen given that such past measures did not address the core causes of government flab and in-efficiency The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has sent out a circular …
Read More »30 ministerial rank individuals spent Nu 370 mn in ‘hospitality and entertainment’ in last 10 years
MoF to draw up guidelines to put a cap and control this expenditure A ‘Financial Thrift’ report compiled during the interim government period found that the lack of a cap or rules on actual ‘hospitality and entertainment’ expenditure has led to huge expenses by 15 ministerial ranks from 2008 to …
Read More »Bhutan’s hydro has a future provided it can stay competitive against India and Nepal: Hydro Report
As Bhutan develops multiple hydro projects an important question to ask is not only on the price of the projects or its loan component and tariff rates, but more importantly, on the future power market scenario for Bhutan’s existing and upcoming projects. The Hydropower Committee Report addresses this issue by …
Read More »A deep dive into Bhutan
ISBS leads to a ‘Bhutan Studies’ in its own right and a better insight into Bhutan on its own terms As any Bhutanese will be acutely aware, Bhutan is broadly defined in two ways. One, is that of a small but strategically important country lodged in between two giants along …
Read More »Ex-PM’s Key-note address at Oxford focuses on Monarchy, Sovereignty, Culture, Democracy, Environment, GNH and welfare
The Former Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay delivered the main key note address at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford University on 9th January as the main event of the three-day International Society of Bhutan Studies (ISBS) conference. The topic given to the former PM was, ‘Does Bhutan Matter? Stories from …
Read More »Govt to lose Nu 212 mn in tax as 56 MPs’ Prado quotas issued
USD 3.8 mn impact on dollar reserves This is at a time when there is no money in the govt with Nu 9 bn T-Bill loans funding the govt 72 MPs including ministers are eligible to get Prado quotas Even before the MPs had their first Parliament session, around 57 …
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