EDITORIAL

The World Press Freedom Index for 2024 by Reporters Without Borders, which is the ranking for the year 2023, saw Bhutan drop by another 57 places to 147 out of 180 countries. Before that Bhutan had dropped from 33 in 2021 to 90 in 2022 which was again another 57 …

There are two contradictory positions right now on the loan deferral which is coming to an end on 30 June 2024. The Central Bank and the government has made it clear that there will be no more blanket deferrals like in the past and instead it will be left between …

Bhutan has always had a drug problem but we never truly realized its scale until His Majesty The King pointed to the urgency of the issue. The drug problem was steadily but surely creeping into our homes, schools, workplaces, and families and it had taken quite a toll until His …

While the numbers have reduced by half this year, still large numbers of Bhutanese are heading to Australia. This is not even taking into account Canada and other destination. The first reality check should be for young Bhutanese aiming to build a life in Australia. Thanks to the various visa …

If one looks at the crime statistics in Bhutan then it will be clear that the biggest threat to safety of women in Bhutan are men. Be it the Namgay Dolkar case or now the Sonam Choden case the perpetrators in both cases were men with the former being known …

A series of 13 investigative stories and 2 Editorials from April 2022 to March 2023 by this paper exposed the fact that Oil Companies in India were overcharging Bhutan for decades for fuel. This story alerted the Bhutanese government which took up the matter with the Indian government which graciously …

India has played an important role in Bhutan’s developmental journey right from the first five-year plan period and also an important economic role from the start of the 336 MW Chukha project. Bhutan in return has been a valuable and important friend of Bhutan both in the sphere of foreign …

The main factor that marked the election of the PDP government and its immediate aftermath was a high sense of hope among the people that it would get the country out of the rut it was in. This was visible during the election campaign period itself when the majority clearly …

The only economic sector where we can make a quick and impactful recovery is tourism, and while there has been improvement in the numbers this year compared to last year, there is still a long way to go. If Bhutan had time on its side we can wait, but we …

Passang Tshering, the Executive Director of Bhutan Toilet Org in a vlog about unpaid dues at Palas, a canteen turned shop outside Sherubtse College, found unpaid dues of Nu 500,000 to Nu 1 million going as far back as the 1970’s and in decades after that. This included later Ministers, …