As the Tourism Levy Bill 2022 that increases the Sustainable Development Fee from USD 65 to 200 was passed in the Parliament, a major question that people are still asking about is, why the reform, what is it actually and what will its impact be? The reform is part of …

On 18 June 2022, a 55-year-old woman was killed in a landslide in Kabreytar, Phuentsholing when mud and debris flowed into her bedroom on the ground floor of the building,  killing her. The Bhutanese has learnt that the land was originally an Environmental 4 Zone land precinct that only allows …

The Heads of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO), Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB) and Guide Association of Bhutan (GAB), though all surprised with the transformation exercise in the tourism sector, welcomed the overall reforms. At the same time, they had suggestions to ensure it is a …

The biggest source of worry in the 2022-23 budget report is the biggest ever fiscal deficit of Nu 22.882 billion (bn) at 11.25 percent of GDP. To add to this there was another record fiscal deficit in the 2021-2022 budget of 17.498 bn. With most of the above fiscal deficits …

Board Director appointed by Govt despite Nu 1 mn bribery case trial The Board Director of the National Cottage and Small Industries Development Bank Limited (NCSIDBL) Tshewang Tashi, who is the Deputy Chief Planning Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF) was detained last week by the Anti …

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) have been doing research and having meetings on what can be done to change the current fuel pricing modality that will help bring down prices. Now, the main proposal from Bhutan’s side is to have …

On the evening of 13 June, 2022 Thimphu and other places started witnessing long lines of vehicles and even people carrying containers lining up outside fuel pumps as a rumor spread that fuel would soon not be available. The rumor started when fuel trucks were held up at Jaigaon customs …

Bhutan is witness to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, which is a combination of excessive government spending via loans, decline in revenue and depleted reserves. Nepal is also facing a crisis of depleting reserves and has restricted imports. Pakistan is looking for an IMF bailout. India’s growth has …

Bhutan, which is still seen as a deeply traditional country across the world, will be sending a Miss Bhutan to the Miss Universe Pageant, who is openly Gay, is of mixed ethnicity and despite losing both her parents at a young age, has achieved so much on her own terms. …

The owner of Choden Transport and Bhutan Ply in Phuentsholing, Phajo Nidup, is at the center for what is increasingly looking like a major defrauding of many banks and land buyers in Phuentsholing. As a result, banks and his alleged private victims have filed or are filing cases in the …