The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE) is making a collaborative effort to fully operationalize the Changchey Cottage and Small Industry (CSI) Park, aiming to strengthen the agro-based industries in the country. Despite having all the necessary infrastructure and equipment in place, seven out of nine plots still remains vacant.
As a part of its initiative, the Department of Industry has set up necessary equipment in the park such as drying raw materials and packaging of final products, including vacuum packaging and labeling services which is cost effective for the businesses, avoiding the procurement of such equipment individually. Additionally, MoICE has been actively promoting the park to attract potential proponents and investors.
“The park offers ready-made ecosystem for the business, with access to water, electricity, roads and equipment especially designed for processing. This will be cost effective for the businesses.” The minister of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE), Namgyal Dorji said. “2 proponents came forward with the intention to work and they also got the necessary financial aid.”
He also mentioned that, although the Changchey CSI Park is not performing as anticipated, it does not indicate that the overall agro-based industry in the country is struggling.
The Department also makes frequent announcements via the mainstream media and the Department’s website and social media pages, attracting interested and potential proponents to apply for vacant plots in the park. While the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship disseminates information to the starts up in the Startup Center at Changzamtog on the availability of vacant plots for lease for interested entrepreneurs. The Tsirang Dzongkhag administration is also reaching out to interested businesses on the plot availability.
Changchey CSI Park spans 2.44 acres and was designed as a pilot project exclusively for food-based industries. Each plot ranges from 6.8 decimals to 25.7 decimals in size, providing enough space for cottage and small industries. The CSI Park couldn’t prosper due to the limited numbers of proponents coming forward, financial aids and COVID- 19 also hindered the intended outcome.
