The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Nationwide consultations also roll out Tourism Minimum Facility Initiative to improve standards at tourist destinations
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE) conducted a nationwide consultation series from 31st July to 15th August 2026, under the Business Regulatory Process Review (BRPR), identifying 399 distinct issues raised by businesses and other stakeholders across 19 dzongkhags.
The BRPR is a whole-of-government initiative led by the MoICE to systematically review, simplify and streamline regulatory processes affecting businesses in Bhutan. The initiative has been active since 2024 and covers key areas including licensing, taxation, trade facilitation and access to finance.
The review extends beyond the MoICE, with the ministry coordinating regulatory reforms with other relevant ministries and local government agencies. Led by the MoICE Minister, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, the consultation series brought together local administrations, municipal authorities, business associations and individual entrepreneurs to discuss regulatory challenges and assess progress on issues raised previously.
The consultations aimed to communicate progress made in resolving previously identified regulatory issues, identify emerging challenges specific to the economic profile of each dzongkhag and strengthen collaboration between the government and the private sector. The consultations also served as a platform to reinforce shared ownership of regulatory reforms, with the MoICE emphasizing that improving the business environment requires coordinated action across the government and greater participation from the private sector.
As part of the consultation series, the MoICE also rolled out the Tourism Minimum Facility Initiative (TMFI), which seeks to ensure that tourist destinations meet standard quality pillars of being clean, safe, accessible, welcoming and authentic, in line with Bhutan’s high-value, low-volume tourism policy.
The consultation series began in Thimphu on 31st July. A total of 176 active participants formally raised issues during the open-floor discussions. Of the 399 issues recorded, 371 were classified as business-related, while the remaining 28 were categorized as non-business-related.
The consultation process is intended to provide the MoICE and other relevant agencies with a clearer understanding of regulatory challenges faced on the ground and help guide further reforms to make business processes simpler and more responsive to local needs.
