EDITORIAL

The 13 State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) under the Ministry of Finance have always been in a strange no man’s land for many years. They are not government departments and hence neither civil servants or even public servants. On the other hand, they are not a part of the well resourced …

There is an old saying that if something is too good to be true, then it probably is. Until recently, many professionals and young graduates headed in droves to Australia on student visas with the main intention of making some money and building a life there. However, it was not …

This paper, since its establishment in 2012, has always believed in the value of impact journalism. We write stories not only for the sake of writing them, but also to bring about change and an impact. This may be frowned upon in some circles, but journalism should not be mistaken …

The nation can ill afford a pay hike at the moment given our dire economic situation, but the government has given one mainly aimed at preventing the alarming levels of resignations from the civil service. The pay hike will cost the country Nu 6 bn and it will go to …

When the nation is in the midst of so many changes, it is important to do some soul searching of our weaknesses. While much has been made about how we are a small society where everybody knows everybody we need to see its other side. We have become like the …

A recent upbeat Tourism Department press release announced 52,173 tourists came from 23 September 2022 to 10th May 2023 and in so many words indicated things are improving and going well. It said 32,517 are Indian guests paying the INR 1,200 SDF while 19,656 are other tourists paying either the …

The West Bengal government has introduced the Suvidha tax of around Nu 5,000 for Bhutanese and other trucks exporting goods to Bangladesh. While it is the business of Indian states to charge levies on its trucks, it comes as a matter of surprise that such a tax is being imposed …

Among the many reasons that the private sector has not lived up to its potential is a mix of lip service with no action, generally dismissive attitude and some jealousy from government officials. It has been the traditional view that while civil servants serve the government and nation, the private …

Bhutan so far has largely had smooth sailing in international waters, especially so after it became a democracy with various institutions including a Free Press. Except for the occasional blips, it has seen its international stock rise as it did increasingly better in various ratings and measurements. However, just as …

There has been much speculation over Bhutan’s decision to mine Bitcoins and what it means. It is good that the Druk Holding and Investments has come forward and transparently laid out what it is doing and why. It is important to know that Bhutan is not ‘gambling’ or has ‘lost’ …