The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Changchey Industrial Park in Tsirang was planned under the pilot “CSI Industrial Park” of the Startup and CSI Development program in 2020 and was scheduled to completed by July 2021.
The project is worth approximately Nu 52 million. It was aimed to leverage Tsirang’s rich agricultural produce to boost local industry. Initially, in 2021, nine plots were allotted to prospective businesses.
However, these plans failed when all nine businesses withdrew their proposals, primarily due to difficulties in securing loans amidst the moratorium and other COVID-19 related challenges.
During the Meet-the-press, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Employment, Namgyal Dorji shared, “The Department of Industry has been persistent in its efforts to set up the park. So far, we’ve made four announcements, calling for applications to occupy the plots. These efforts have resulted in the issuance of Provisional Letters of Interest to seven new applicants, although two subsequently withdrew, citing unpreparedness to commence their projects.”
The previous government stated that the construction work was impacted by the pandemic, and another reason was the high level of Non-Performing Loans (NPL) which caused the National CSI Development Bank and BDBL to freeze loans.
Currently, five CSIs have been successfully allotted plots in the industrial park. These include the manufacturing processed cheese and ice cream, production of fruit juices using local fruits, processing of meat, including sausage production, ham production, meat segmentation, packaging and marketing, production of fruit juices, and production of nutraceutical foods from organic raw materials.
Lyonpo further added that the department remains vigilant in closely monitoring the progress of the established industries and providing necessary support.
However, the new businesses have faced challenges, particularly in obtaining food clearance certificates from the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA). In response, the Department has proactively engaged with BFDA, which has now instructed its Tsirang office to issue provisional certificates. This will enable businesses to proceed with obtaining their business licenses.
Additionally, the Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) has upgraded the transformer at the site to meet the power demands of the new industries, based on the Department’s request.
Although the basic amenities were reported to be completed during the first government’s tenure, not a single unit was established.
Spread over an area of two acres, the park is designed to accommodate approximately 14 Cottage and Small Industries (CSIs).
The Department of Industry is also collaborating with other Dzongkhags and Gewogs to attract more applicants to the park, aiming to fully utilize the available plots and support the growth of the local economy.
