The Bhutanese Leading the way.
According to Entertainment Licensing Committee (ELC) under Thimphu Thromde, the committee issued the rectification letters to 56 karaoke bars not meeting the technical specification requirements.
Among those, 17 businesses were penalized. So far, Thromde has not collected any fines as the businesses have appealed and requested the ELC to review it decision.
Four businesses have resumed operations and 52 are still under suspension till date.
As per the Committee, the Rules and Regulations for the Places of Entertainment 2022, framed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA), was revised and came into effect on 18 July 2022, which required higher standards to ensure safety of all places of entertainment.
The karaoke owners are given until 30 November 2022 to rectify.
ELC says that the business operation will be suspended during the rectification time and resuming it will purely depend on how fast an individual can rectify.
The owners are allowed to resume their business only after obtaining a business resumption order from ELC.
The committee said that it is clearly stated in the letter issued to the owners that business operation will be suspended only during the time of rectification, and resumption of business will be based on how fast the rectification work is completed.
