The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Expanding the size of the economy to USD 10 billion by 2034 from the current level of approximately USD 2.85 billion in 2022, Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) manifesto aims to propel Bhutan towards a high-income nation by 2034 and achieve economic self-reliance and promote an open and progressive economy.
Economic transformation
BTP, under its economic transformation and job creation, pledges to accelerate the economy and maintain macroeconomic stability. In order to double gross domestic product (GDP), BTP aims to constitute an economic advisory council to advise the government on various aspects of the economy so as to achieve a high-income nation status by doubling GDP value to Nu 500 billion and Nu 1 trillion by 2029 and 2034 respectively, and per capita income of USD 7,500 and USD 15,000 by 2029 and 2034 respectively.
They plan to increase average annual household income by seven-fold from the existing Nu 406,134 to Nu 3 million by the end of 2029 and half the poverty level by the end of 2029.
Skills
BTP wants to develop a National Skills Policy to identify and address the future and chronic skills shortage across different occupations. Assist every unemployed youth to reskill, retrain and reequip with 21st century skill in partnership with the private sector for 100 percent employability within and outside the country. Endeavor to achieve full employment by 2029, strive to reduce youth unemployment rate below 10 percent and facilitate gig economy to build digital skills.
It wants to maintain foreign currency reserves to cover at least 12 months of essential imports.
Loans
It wants to initiate one-time establishment loan amount of up to Nu 150,000 at concessional rate for new employees both public and private and facilitate private sector/contract employees to avail consumer loan up to Nu 500,000 from the banks.
SDF
Remove SDF for MICE and student exchange, consultancies, businesses, and promotional purposes. Introduce preferential SDF for tourists from SAARC countries in consultation with the Department of Tourism and remove SDF for tourists from India at border towns.
Infrastructure
Build helipads in each gewog on need basis and explore an alternative airport in the east. Expedite establishment of railway link to border towns. Start a national broadband connectivity strategy that enables every office, school, and hospital to connect to world-class communications infrastructure.
Education
As for the education, BTP pledges to ensure that every Bhutanese get a world class education to be prepared and work for a developed Bhutan and the world market. It will introduce an Education Bill to minimize political interference in the education system by empowering education professionals to assume a higher level of accountability and responsibility for quality learning outcomes.
It will allow Principals and DEOs to change their Major Occupational Group, facilitate the private and non-governmental organizations to collaborate with schools to provide alternative education to reduce teacher’s workload.
Facilitate providing lunch in urban schools and continue with two meals for rural day scholar students. Upgrade tertiary education by reinstating arts and humanities courses, attract scholars from abroad, affiliate with the top colleges and universities in the world.
Health
In the health sector, BTP plans to address the chronic shortage of health workers, introduce family physician in urban areas and homecare of the differently-abled and elderlies.
BTP plans to improve welfare of the patient and general services by doing away with the parking fees in hospital areas.
Senior citizens and home ownership
They plan to prioritize the well-being of senior citizens and vulnerable groups through adopting social security policy, which encompasses provision of allowances to old age, differently abled people, and other vulnerable groups on need basis. Also, introduce universal basic income (Phamai Drinlen Zurpho) to non-pensioner senior citizens above 65 years and (Jhamchong Zurpho) to differently abled citizens.
To nurture a cohesive and compassionate society, BTP plans to build a multi-purpose hall for sports, meetings, and film city in partnership with private sector, introduce special home ownership quota to public servants who has served more than 30 years, and increase rural life insurance compensation amount from Nu 30,000 to Nu 150,000.
