EDITORIAL

The news that a 76-year-old American tourist is Bhutan’s first COVID-19 case caused much consternation and some degree of panic. People first headed for drug stores to buy out masks and hand sanitizers and then headed for the markets to hoard up on essential supplies. Cars lined up in long …

It is instructive that His Majesty The King spent his 40th Birth Anniversary praying in the Machhen Lhakhang in Punakha, and then granting Land Kidu. This shows a leader, who even on his birthday, is engaged in activities that would benefit and public and the nation. This will not come as …

There is no doubt that the government must be lauded for getting the Nu 1,200 regional SDF fee through Parliament. However, in doing so it has also made some major blunders which not only dilute the High Value and Low Volume tourism policy but also potentially endanger our security. It …

From the information available, it is now becoming clear that China may have suppressed information on the virus for up to 15 days, by which a large number of people left the affected areas of Hubei province and Wuhan city for the new year holidays for the rest of China …

There is much interest in the discussions in the Parliament on the Mines and Minerals Bill for the last few days. The main argument focused on ownership and obligations of the miners. The Bill is unique in that the Economic and Finance Committee held a public hearing which was broadcast …

The government’s various tax measures, on the whole, is a movement in the right direction. The judgment on GST comes from the private sector itself which has largely welcomed the tax reform measure pending some minor issues that they want resolved. The main challenge though will come in implementation. The …

The Prime Minister has come up with a bold new proposal to do away with the traditional five year planning system. He has two main arguments around it. The first is that by the time a new party comes to power the five-year plan is already drafted and made by …

In 1999, the then Council of Ministers came up with a document ‘Bhutan 2020: A vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness’. The vision document set broad targets in a range of social and economic areas. Today, the report card on the Bhutan 2020 is a mixed bag. While a lot …

The economy does not look good with growth hitting 3.03 percent in 2018 and credit slowing down significantly coupled with high Non Performing Loans. The strains are showing with many private associations and companies approaching the government for help. Some would say this is the typical boom and bust cycle …

Whenever one looks at the history of any nation one will always notice some pivotal periods in its history that have played a major role in shaping it be what it is today. Bhutan has similarly arrived at a juncture in our history where have taken a call under the …