The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba passed away on the morning of Monday 9th September 2024 after a duration of illness.
His friend and former colleague right from their school days, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk paid tribute to his late friend.
Lyonpo Khandu said, “The passing away of Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba has left a deep void in the many lives he touched, including mine.”
Lyonpo said he knew Lyonpo Zimba since 1960 when they were gathered in the hill station of Kalimpong, India to pursue thier studies.
“Since then we studied in the same school in Darjeeling (North Point) and shared the deep honor and privilege of serving His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and His Majesty The King for decades as colleagues.
“Lyonpo Zimba was in the first instance, a very good human being with truly a heart of gold and most compassionate. An exemplary family man and a good friend to all.”
He said Lyonpo was a devout Buddhist and he knows of no religious sites that he and Aum Thuji has not visited in the country and the region.
“Lyonpo loved nature and was an outdoor person.”
Lyonpo Khandu said that on the career front, as an official in the service of his Kings, country and people Lyonpo Zimba served with utmost loyalty and integrity.
“I regard Lyonpo as our first economist who made substantive contributions to many of our socio-economic policies. Lyonpo had an intellect of the first order and an illustrious career as demonstrated by the high responsibilities entrusted to him and the many honor and awards bestowed on him.”
“Thank you Lyonpo for the friendship and the fond memories we shared of our schooldays and as colleagues in the service of our Tsa Wa Sum. Rest in peace my friend. We miss you.”
Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba did his his College in St Joseph’s College, Darjeeling where he got two Bachelor of Arts degrees. Lyonpo served in the Gokha of His Majesty The Fourth King for a while.
Lyonpo went for a Masters Degree in Economics in the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He was the Managing Director of the Royal Monetary Authority from 1983 to 1986.
Lyonpo worked in the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission.
He was initially appointed as the Joint Secretary of Finance in 1991 and also conferred with a Red Scarf in the same year.
He was promoted as the Finance Secretary in the year 1994 and served till 1997.
Thereafter he was conferred the orange scarf and appointed the Deputy Finance Minister till July 1998.
In 1998, His Majesty The Fourth King devolved his executive powers to an elected Council of Ministers. The members of the National Assembly elected the Ministers by secret ballot.
Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, one of the six elected ministers, took over as the Finance Minister in August 1998 when he was conferred with the orange scarf and title of Lyonpo and served till July 2003.
He also served as the head of government or Prime Minister twice from 2000-2001 and 2004-2005 on the rotational basis system of the time.
Lyonpo then served as the Ministry of Trade and Industry till mid 2007 when he resigned to take part in the first democratic elections in 2008.
From 2008 to 2013 Lyonpo served as the Minister of Works and Human Settlement in the first elected government and then from 2013 to 2018 as a Member of Parliament.
