The next five years will go down as the most important and consequential in modern Bhutanese history.
This is because Bhutan will make several important moves in several major fields that will determine the future of this country and its people for a long time to come.
The 13th plan is not only the biggest till date but more than other plans before it, it seeks to transform the very economic bedrock of Bhutan with a healthier, better educated, better trained, more inclusive and more connected Bhutanese citizen.
The fact that the plan deals with hard truths like mass migration head on is important as the plan can then focus on redressing the causes. The plan will also try major governance changes with less red tape, more business friendly and a better coordinated system.
When it comes to energy, we are going for around 11,930 MW of hydro projects and 1,226 MW of solar projects in the medium and long-term spilling into the 14th plan too. This will be important for Bhutan in several fronts as we want to not just export power but also use it for our economic development.
Given that Bhutan will be doing these projects there will be a huge enhancement in our ability to build hydro projects and gain other downstream benefits.
The icing on the cake will be the hugely transformational Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) project that will run into at least two plan periods if not more.
More than anything else, the investments and changes that will take place here holds great potential to change the economic face of Bhutan forever.
The GMC is not just a city or a Special Administrative Region but it is a major effort led by His Majesty The King to not only plug Bhutan into the regional and global economy, but to take it to its very center.
Big results require big ambitions.-Heraclitus