In response to a question at the monthly ‘Meet the Press,’ the Home Minister, Lyonpo Damcho Dorji said that his ministry is working on some safety guidelines and rules for archery ranges. The Prime Minister, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay said that while archery was a national sport and in the ‘DNA’ …

The government’s East Development Initiative (EDI) which aims to bring about economic development in the six eastern Dzongkhags of Lhuentse, Mongar, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse, Pemagatshel and Samdrup Jongkhar will also be relying on bringing Tourists to the East in much larger numbers. To do this, the report says that the Department …

The Eastern Development Initiative (EDI) identified and prioritized Kanglung, Nganglam and Gyalpoizhing as the regional growth centers based on multi-criteria analysis which include poverty rate, rural-urban migration, land, spatial location, water, existing strategic infrastructure, economic base and potential for growth, environment, social impacts and impact on agriculture land. The EDI …

A common and often repeated narrative in the national discourse is on the relative backwardness of Bhutan’s Eastern region compared to other regions of the country. The government, in an ambitious effort, has come up with and given in principal approval to a 30 page plan called ‘East Development Initiative’ …

There is more to the recent and heated Dzongkhag Tshogdu (DT) meeting in Trashiyangtse, in which local government leaders expressed apprehensions against the Kholongchu project hiring outsiders instead of the locals who would be affected by the project. The DT has raised objections saying that they heard that a labor …

Though sale of vehicle quotas have been banned for both MPs and civil servants since 2000 with the ‘Sales Tax, Customs and Excise 2000’, there has been little or no effect on the sale of vehicle quotas. The same Act which was amended as recently as 2012 even made it …

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) is in the final stages of handing over the Lhakhang Karpo report to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for prosecution. This case could turn out to be the first major embarrassment to the PDP government as sources indicate that the then Haa Dzongda …

In an era of high and super high vehicle taxes, especially on third country imports, like Toyota Prado, Toyota Land Cruiser and other luxury vehicles, the lack of any ceiling on MPs’ vehicle quotas could potentially turn some of them into overnight millionaires. This is because the two vehicles, Toyota …

A key component of the Economic Stimulus Plan (ESP) which is the Business Opportunity and Information Center (BOIC) will start its activities from the 27th of August, 2014 according to the Minister for Economic Affairs, Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk. The BOIC will start accepting applications for Nu 1.9 bn worth of …

Financial Institutions feel that the tough conditions would restrict credit growth and hit the economy The Financial Institutions Association of Bhutan (FIAB) which met on 18th July to discuss the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) draft guidelines reopening housing, vehicle and consumer loans has decided to ask the RMA to do …