The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Government will review the existing weighbridge system and cross-verification arrangements for aggregate exports following concerns over alleged manipulation of weighbridge slips and inaccurate reporting of export consignments in Phuentsholing.
The issue was raised during the 31st Meet-the-Press, after concerns were raised about some aggregate exporters allegedly not taking vehicles to weighbridges for actual load assessment, inadequate monitoring and cross-verification of weighbridge slips, and cases involving allegedly fake slips.
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE) said the ministry takes such allegations seriously.
“The ministry takes any allegation of manipulation of weighbridge slips or inaccurate reporting of export consignments seriously. Accurate weighing is essential for transparency and integrity in mineral exports,” the MoICE Minister, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, said.
However, Lyonpo said the ministry has so far not received any formal complaint or found specific evidence of such irregularities involving aggregate exports.
“So far, the ministry has not received any formal complaint or found specific evidence of such irregularities involving aggregate exports,” Lyonpo said, adding that the concerns raised by Kuensel would be treated as an alert and looked into.
The MoICE Minister also disclosed one previous case involving a limestone consignment. According to the response, a non-Bhutanese transporter reused a previously issued weighbridge slip and forged the signature and seal of the weighbridge operator, reportedly to expedite vehicle registration in the SUVIDA system.
The Bhutanese exporter was reportedly unaware of the manipulation. The Department of Geology and Mines (DGM) took action and imposed a Nu 35,000 penalty on the exporter.
Different figures on weighbridges
The responses also provided different figures on the number of commercial weighbridges operating in Phuentsholing.
Lyonpo said that, as of 9th September 2026, five commercial weighbridges are licensed and recorded as operating in Phuentsholing.
According to the Minister of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR), Lyonpo Sonam Tashi, seven weighbridges are currently operational in Phuentsholing under commercial licences issued by MoICE.
Of these, six are operated by private entrepreneurs and one by Phuentsholing Thromde.
The Finance Minister subsequently said that the specific figures relating to licensed private weighbridge operators and cases detected and penalised would be provided after verification with the respective competent authorities, rather than relying on unverified figures.
DGM says officials verify loads and slips
The MoENR Minister said the DGM regulates and monitors the export of mineral-based products under Section 50 of the Mines and Minerals Management Act (MMMA) 1995.
Lyonpo said the exporters must obtain Transport Permits (TPs), and mineral exports without a valid TP cannot proceed through the country’s exit points.
DGM Mines Inspectors at the Phuentsholing exit gate are responsible for issuing TPs to mineral-based exporters from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.
The minister said, “These officials are trained to cross-check the actual load and verify the authenticity of weighbridge slips before approving TPs for each exporter.”
The minister also said the weighbridge system is fully digital and largely resistant to manipulation, while acknowledging that no system is entirely foolproof.
DGM said that over the past six months it had detected only one case involving a fraudulent weighbridge slip, which was brought to its logical conclusion under the prevailing legal and regulatory provisions.
Ministry of Finance to lead review
The Finance Minister, Lyonpo Lekey Dorji, said concerns over under-weighed consignments, unauthorised or inaccurate weighment slips and fraudulent documents, if established, could affect royalty collection, tax and customs compliance, and the integrity of the export process.
The minister said there could be gaps in the end-to-end control and cross-verification arrangements, particularly where private weighbridges are involved.
“Rather than treating this as an issue belonging to any one agency, the Ministry considers it important to examine the entire process, from weighment and certification through royalty assessment, export permitting and customs clearance,” Lyonpo said.
Moreover, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) will take the lead in coordinating with DGM and agencies responsible for the regulation and technical certification of weighbridges to review the existing arrangements and establish the facts.
The review will look into the number and status of private weighbridges operating in the area, ownership and potential conflicts of interest where relevant, the adequacy of existing verification and cross-checking mechanisms, and any cases of fraudulent or irregular weighment documentation that may have been detected.
Where violations are confirmed, the appropriate agency will take action according to applicable laws and regulations. Where weaknesses are identified, the government will consider stronger controls, including better information sharing, risk-based cross-verification and, where feasible, greater use of digital or automated verification mechanisms.
Customs officials are also mandated to verify the approved invoice and weight of each consignment at the country exit point. However, the MoF clarified that Customs does not need to routinely duplicate every verification undertaken by another competent authority and can conduct further verification where discrepancies or reasonable grounds to question documents exist.
The government’s stated objective is to ensure that there is no gap between institutional mandates through which an irregularity could pass undetected.
“The MoF will coordinate the relevant agencies to establish the facts, address any identified weaknesses and take the matter to a logical conclusion,” Lyonpo said.
The specific figures on licensed private weighbridge operators and cases detected and penalised will be provided after verification with the respective competent authorities.
