The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Government Performance Management Division (GPMD), Office of the Prime Minister will conduct a mid-year review of the Annual Performance Agreement (APA), as directed by the Prime Minister.
The review of the six autonomous agencies will start on January 27. Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay had signed the APA with the heads of six autonomous agencies which are the Dzongkha Development Commission, Gross National Happiness Commission, National Statistics Bureau, Tourism Council of Bhutan, National Environment Commission and Business Opportunity & Information Centre.
BOIC
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will review the four main objectives of the BOIC.
BOIC was established to generate employment, substitute imports and to promote exports by promoting cottage and small manufacturing industries through timely integrated business support, and formulate and complete fund manual for both policies and procedure.
It has to implement human resource management, payroll, accounting software, launch the BOIC website and all workflows to be tracked on web based system. BOIC has to have a core team recruited, enforce service rules, all furniture and counters to be completed, institute performance management system and performance based incentive system (all employees to sign performance compact). It must formulate and implement organizational IT policy, and all the staff have to adhere to the media policy. BOIC must put in place the information data base for cottage and small business and create an inventory of resources.
It has to establish a network with all relevant agencies, prepare recommendations on integrated approach to economic development policy (EDP) submitted to government, to complete training on fund appraisal system, information dissemination, business development for the staff and to formulate and adopt a corporate strategic plan.
BOIC has to provide an access to revolving fund for viable cottage and small manufacturing projects and non-formal rural activities, create one-stop shop and improve efficiency of business processes and coordinate and improve entrepreneurship development program.
It has to facilitate employment generation in cottage and small manufacturing industries and non-formal commercial sector. BOIC is to create and approve commercially viable projects, and create and approve non-formal commercial projects.
To enhance business support in terms of information, business development, and entrepreneurship development, BOIC has to establish a fully functional one-stop center and website, identify and offer business opportunities to the public, and conduct workshops on basic business skills. BOiC must minimize Non Performing Loans (NPL), and establish a strong pre-sanction appraisal system and to establish a strong monitoring system.
NEC
Firstly NEC has to create an enabling legal environment to achieve a carbon neutral and climate resilient development.
There should be development of a national adaptation plans (NAP).
NEC has to develop the nationality appropriate mitigation actions (NAMA) for waste and transport, development of low emission strategy for industries, revision of EA Act 2000, and development of water regulation.
Secondly, to strengthen conservation, management and coordination of ecosystem and water resources, NEC should initiate preparation of the national integrated water resource management plan(NIWRM), whereby, the water resource inventory has to be completed in all 20 dzongkhags.
NEC has to strengthen water quality monitoring stations, develop drinking water quality standard in collaboration with Ministry of Health, and conduct preliminary assessment for environment flow guideline.
Thirdly, for strengthening environmental monitoring, information management and communication, NEC has to carry out sensitization and awareness creation of environmental legislations, conduct compliance monitoring of all active projects that are more than a year old, conduct annual compliance monitoring conference with the promoters of mines and industries, and improve air quality monitoring. In addition, NEC has to study the impact of air pollution on the health of the people in Thimphu, develop dzongkhag state of environment (DSOE) framework, and develop green house gas (GHG) inventory data management system.
GNHC
GNHC has to put in place, a long term sustainable socio-economic development and strategies, develop a long term perspective plan, make a reliable, robust in house macro-economic framework for policy makers, facilitate the establishment of stabilization fund, identify and develop a blue print for intervention in strategic sectors and monitor its implementation, and publish an economic advisory series.
GNHC is to spearhead the five-year and annual planning, and guide public policy formulation. GNHC is to review, update and prioritize sector for five-year plans.
It must ensure that GNH principles are mainstreamed into policies and mainstream gender, environment, climate disaster poverty. GNHC has to use the environmental overview tool and mainstream process steps into policies and implement targeted poverty reduction program.
To mobilize adequate resources on a timely basis and ensure equitable and efficient allocation, GNHC needs to prepare and update information on resource position, coordinate and mobilize external resources for financing programs and allocate resources efficiently to sectors and LGs.
To monitor, facilitate, and coordinate implementation of policies and programs GNHC has to monitor implementation of signed performance agreements and annual work plans and coordinate and debottleneck implementation issues and monitor policy implementation.
NSB
There are eight NSB objectives that would be reviewed. The first objective is to develop a national statistics development strategy (NSDS), and secondly, to draft a Statistics Bill of Bhutan (Statistical Legislation), and consult with stakeholders and general public and submit to the Cabinet.
NSB also needs to conduct socio-economic and thematic research on conduct child poverty study, conduct poverty assessment study, and conduct thematic analysis on youth, conduct the population housing census of Bhutan (PHCB). As well as collect and publish monthly, quarterly and annual official statistics reports (monthly consumer price index(CPI), quarterly producer price index, quarterly construction material index(CMI), quarterly socio-economic indicators( SEI), annual national accounts statistics (NAS), annual dzongkhag statistics (ADS), annual statistical yearbook and Bhutan at a glance (BAG).
NSB has to develop environmental statistics and accounting and develop IT framework and database for e-state, develop a roadmap for environmental accounting (EA) and a micro-data dissemination policy and establish geog level data centre in two pilot dzongkhags.
TCB
As per the agreement, the TCB has to fulfill seven objectives in the end of the agreement. The first is to promote Bhutan as a high-end destination and increase the visitor arrival and revenue generation.
TCB has to build brand Bhutan through effective channels, it has to tie up with international tour operators, introduce Bhutan to new international tour operators.
The other objectives are to conduct market research and explore new markets, promote sales by attending travel fairs and road shows and tourism seminars organized, initiate and host media familiarization tours, facilitate international tour operator familiarization tours, promotion through public relations offices, promotion through a dedicated key marketing manager for respective source market, and improve digital media marketing.
TCB has to improve the regional spread of tourism benefits, increase the percentage of visitors/ tourists visiting east, south and central circuits, develop new products, develop new public infrastructure, and increase employment.
To improve/upgrade tourism services, TCB has to classify tourist accommodations as per the classification system, and develop and implement sustainability standards. TCB also has to diversify, and develop new products as well as to improve tourism infrastructure, increase the number of Bhutanese employed and develop the human resources in the tourism sector.
DDC
The PM and Secretary, Dzongkha Development Commission (DDC) also signed an APA, effective from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
As per the agreement, the DDC has to improve the efficiency of Dzongkha and bilingual Dzongkha and English. It also must protect the local dialects and carry out a study on the dialects of the Bhutan.
