On 20 December 2020 Thimphu Thromde went into a lockdown after a 25-year-old female tested positive for COVID-19 at the JDWNRH Flu Clinic. Soon enough, more community transmission cases of COVID-19 were detected in multiple dzongkhags, and the nation went into its second lockdown national lockdown, with Thimphu being locked …

In countries with poor regulatory checks and weak ethical systems, Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects often end up in controversy. Bhutan’s first PPP, in the form of Thimphu Thromde’s Multi-Level Car Park (MLCP), has been mired in controversial decisions, unexplained ballooning figures, huge loans with questionable collateral, and clear attempts …

Starting in mid and late 2020 Bhutanese exports of vegetables and fruits started facing a lot of issues and problems with the Customs and Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) in India demanding paper works and formal documentation. The government, at the time, said the issues were due to the formalization of …

An agency bought computers and office equipment worth Nu.1.52 million from a firm owned by close relatives of the official by prescribing specific preferences in bid evaluation and award. Another agency awarded the contract for supply and installation of cubicles to a firm worth Nu.3.79 million. The firm was owned …

The 114th National Day Royal Address of His Majesty The King had several aspects and parts, but there was no mistaking the central message of His Majesty The King in asking and commanding for accountability in matters of service to the nation, if Bhutan and its people are ever to …

Recently the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it is giving USD 24 mn in loan and USD 6 mn in grant for 1,000 units’ low cost housing in Nganglam, Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse, Thimphu, and Trashiyangtse. However, as soon as the announcement was made many people came online to …

15,602 registered Bhutanese living abroad and many more leaving but actual numbers could be double PM and OL not in favour of Bhutan becoming dependent on remittances Bhutan’s remittance from Bhutanese abroad in 2020 at Nu 8.269 billion (bn) was larger than the total tariff paying tourism foreign exchange earnings …

Projected Revenue is well below the Nu 194 bn Current Expenditure outlay of the 12th plan This may impact the overall size of the Nu 310 bn 12th plan No salary cuts or new taxes but there will be cost cutting The Ministry of Finance (MoF) while replying to an …

The 2019 Pay Revision Act is very clear that Ministers or positions equivalent to them are entitled to one chauffer driven SUV of 3,000 cc each, which means one Toyota Prado for each of them. However, in contravention to the Act, it has been learnt that the Finance Minister, Foreign …

The 2020-21 Annual Audit Report for the first time has given a lot of space to the  issues of increasing national debt, rising fiscal deficits and the faster rise of current expenditure compared to revenue. RAA has pointed to debt as one of the main issues in its executive summary …