While the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) report pinpointed the illegal and inflated term loans and Over Draft loans given by a Bhutan Development Bank Limited (BDBL) project officer, Pema Nidup, coming to around Nu 576 mn, questions remain about the system and lack of oversight that allowed this to happen. …
Read More »Bhutan’s Hydro basket gets smaller as India becomes power surplus and tariff rates drop
From 2008 onwards the ‘10,000 MW by 2020’ was projected as the solution to all of Bhutan’s economic woes, and the main basis by which Bhutan would become economically self sufficient. The basis being India’s perennial power shortage and the huge expected demand of the future. It was for this …
Read More »GoI asks RGoB to wait for 2 months before looking at Bhutan’s GST requests
The Indian government has told a Bhutanese delegation from the Ministry of Finance that Bhutan would have to wait for two months before India can make any special concessions for Bhutan on the new Good and Services Tax (GST), which came into effect from July 1st A senior official said. …
Read More »Understanding the Doklam border issue
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), on 29th June, issued a press release saying that China’s building of a road inside Bhutanese territory is a violation of the 1988 and 1998 written agreements between the two countries to maintain peace and tranquility and the status quo pending a final settlement …
Read More »Bhutan hoping for a 12.5% hike in Chukha Tariff
In the recently held Chukha tariff revision talks between Bhutan and India in New Delhi on 22nd June, though both sides agreed that it is time for a revision, there are differences in what could be the final revision. The 1974 agreement on Chukha project outlines that the tariff will …
Read More »India agrees to trilateral MoU on hydropower, Chukha tariff revision and clarifies on CBTE
A Bhutanese government delegation led by the secretary for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dasho Yeshi Wangdi along with other relevant officials from the MoEA and Foreign Ministry, had talks with an Indian delegation of a similar composition on 22nd June in New Delhi. The three main items for discussion …
Read More »Dr Shacha Vs Ap SP case reopened as SC reviews its own judgment
The much publicized legal case between Tandin Bidha and her daughter Dr Shacha Wangmo versus Sonam Phuntsho was considered to be closed in early April 2017. However, the Supreme Court is doing a final review of this last judgment which has given some hope to Tandin Bidha and BNB that …
Read More »Indian police closes AK-47 bullets case but Bhutan investigation still on
The infamous AK-47 bullets case earlier this year has taken a new turn with the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport police informing Bhutan’s Foreign Ministry that they have closed the case. The IGI police which had filed an FIR against school teacher Sonam Choden and put the case in a …
Read More »DNT says BKP did not follow rules in selection of new President
The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) President Dr Tandin Dorji while responding to a question on DNT’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2018 polls also said that Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) did not follow the proper procedures in electing its new President, Dasho Neten Zangmo. “When BKP took out a party …
Read More »DNT says 40 out of 47 candidates already selected for 2018
The attention of the media in the last few weeks has been on BKP but the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), which was the third largest party in 2013, announced this week that it has already selected 40 out of the 47 candidates for the 2018 polls. DNT General Secretary Tenzin …
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The Bhutanese Leading the way.