There were some reports last year and this year claiming that Bhutan’s coal reserves are depleted, and the reports are mainly based on the Environmental Accounts Statistics 2024 and 2025. However, the Department of Geology and Mines (DGM) under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources disputed this claim and …
Read More »Absconding patients, aggression against staff, and patients fighting top incidents list at JDWNRH over last 12 months
Earlier this year, around 2 pm on March 5, a person drove in wildly with his Hyundai i10 car, entered the triage area of the Emergency Department at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), nearly hitting a nurse. After stopping the vehicle, he broke the car window using …
Read More »Understanding the causes of the recent petrol shortage
The past two weeks have seen a rush to fuel pumps in Thimphu for petrol, with rumors of a petrol shortage and the resultant panic leading to all petrol pumps running out at different times. The first two pumps to run out of petrol were the STCBL outlets in Ramtokto …
Read More »All eligible applicants for ESP Education Loan to get loans as 1,188 apply
A total of 1,188 students have applied for the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) Education Loan, with the loan size now at Nu 1.112 billion (bn) as the last date for applications ended on June 30. The ESP Steering Committee, in a meeting held on Friday, decided to support all eligible …
Read More »DHI Clarifies That It Retains More Than 10,000 Bitcoins and is Mining at Full Capacity
If one Googles Bhutan and Bitcoins these days, one will come across online articles from crypto-focused news sites claiming that Bhutan has sold the majority of its Bitcoin holdings and that Bhutan has stopped mining Bitcoins. This has crept onto some of the social media sites in Bhutan, like Reddit, …
Read More »Govt adds Nu 7.79 per litre to petrol and diesel to recover support provided during high global prices
When the government recently announced a drop in fuel prices, online commentators noted that they expected a sharper decline due to falling international crude prices. There are two main reasons why the expected drop has not materialized with one being domestic and the other external. Domestic Reason When the Iran …
Read More »ESP Education Loan demand exceeds Nu 1 billion as more than 1,000 apply
On 5 June 2026, Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, while announcing the extension of the ESP Education Loan application window until 30 June, said, “We will support those who meet the requirements, as it is meant for those coming from humble families.” These might be among the most expensive words …
Read More »Bhutan says no to ethanol fuel offer from Indian OMCs
These days, there are a lot of media and social media reports from India on how the ethanol introduced into petrol there, especially the widespread E20 blend, which consists of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol, is causing havoc for vehicles. A consistent issue being reported is the breakdown of vehicles …
Read More »Chief of Police clarifies that ACOP selected as per Service Rules
On 11th June 2026, the new Additional Chief of Police (ACOP) Colonel Lhundrup Dorji assumed office in a ceremony. The ACOP is the second highest position in the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) after the Chief of Police (COP). The new ACOP is the former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of …
Read More »Nu 3 bn in subsidies needed to ensure domestic power tariff does not double
In April 2026, the Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay said that the government has asked the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to relook at its domestic power tariff proposal, keeping affordability in mind. In March 2026, as part of its three-year tariff review cycle, the ERA had approved a power tariff …
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The Bhutanese Leading the way.