The Bhutanese Leading the way.
During the Meet-the-Press held on friday, the Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk stated that Bhutan’s population is not growing, but remains stagnant. This is the reason for the PDP pledge to give Nu 10,000 to the third-born child until the child attains the age of 3.
Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said that the fertility rate of Bhutan has increased from 1.7 percent to 2 percent, which still falls short of the replacement rate of 2.1 percent.
However, he said that for the pledge to be a successful one, more research is being conducted considering the population report from the census during the last five years.
The Ministry of Health for the time being will advocate and encourage women to give birth at the right age, which is between 20 to 30 years to avoid risks.
“The finalization of this pledge has not yet been decided, as the research conducted by the Ministry of Health indicates that lots of budget allocation is necessary for the fulfillment of this pledge. Therefore, it is imperative to be precise about where, and how to effectively utilize these funds,” stated Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk.
In addition, the Prime Minister said, “We must prioritize the understanding of how our younger generations intend to start families, particularly given our current circumstances. Implementing this pledge, with an eye toward the future, is important. Nevertheless, the members responsible for this research will soon present the outcomes of this pledge, which will then be decided.”
