The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A new bill, the Parliamentary Entitlement (Amendment) Bill of Bhutan 2024, has been introduced in the Fourth Parliament to update the Parliamentary Entitlements Act of 2008.
The bill was presented by Kuenga, the Chairperson of the Legislative Committee and MP for Nyisho-Saephu, aims to align Member of Parliament (MPs) entitlements with recent pay reforms and to ensure clearer procedures for adjusting salaries and benefits of the MPs.
“We are presenting this as a private bill, not a government bill, to address several challenges faced by MPs. This issue has been raised with an eye on the future, as failing to address it now could lead to more problems with MPs’ entitlements down the line,” said the speaker.
The motion was supported by a show of hands from the House.
Key provisions of the bill include new rules to prevent conflicts of interest by ensuring MPs receive an adequate salary. It also outlines allowances for local travel, with a minimum travel distance of 10 kilometers, and one-time lump sum payments for joining expenses and the purchase of official equipment like laptops and iPads.
The bill ensures that MPs’ salaries and benefits cannot be reduced during their term or in their next term. Additionally, in case of an MP’s death while in office, their spouse or immediate dependent would receive three months’ salary as bereavement support.
Other amendments propose that the allowances and benefits of key parliamentary leaders, such as the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chairperson of the National Council, and the Leader of the Opposition, be equivalent to those of Cabinet Ministers.
The Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson will also receive additional allowances for their extra responsibilities. MPs will be entitled to housing or rent allowances and provided with a designated duty vehicle or a grant to purchase one, along with exemptions from customs duties and sales tax.
If an MP resigns before completing their term, they will need to reimburse the government for the vehicle grant and other allowances, except in cases of medical resignation.
The bill also ensures that MPs are provided with well-furnished chambers and offers a gratuity at twice their last monthly salary for each year of service, with no gratuity payable if an MP’s service is terminated.
The main logic behind the bill is to keep MPs pay and entitlements separate from civil servants as it was felt the Pay Structure Reform Act 2022 and Pay Revision Act 2023 had clubbed both together.
An MP said a danger of clubbing both together is that MPs in the hopes of getting higher pay or better benefits could push for higher pay or incentives for all which could impact the exchequer.
The bill is currently under review by the house and is expected submit its review report in time for the Third Reading scheduled for 26th of this month.
