Three focus areas for the government

Every elected government so far has come in promising and attempting to solve a host of issues in five years and very often, by the end of it, they make minimal impact in all the areas due to a dissipated impact.

However, the results can be quite different if a government comes in with focus and decides to stick to two to three high impact areas which could be related to a lot of the issues plaguing Bhutan.

In that sense, after five years, if the DNT government can ensure three basic things then it would have done its job to secure Bhutan’s future.

The first is an improved health care system right from the grassroots level, the second is an improved education system for all sections and aspects of society and the third is strengthened civil liberties and freedoms.

It has made a good start with a revolutionary higher pay for medical staff and teachers, which is commendable.

It must build on this and improve the systems, infrastructure, manpower, skills, equipment etc. with the primary focus on patients in healthcare and students in the education system.

Now someone might say, ‘what about jobs or youth unemployment,’ but youth employment is closely linked to the education system in terms of equipping them with the right skills or giving them the skills to start something on their own.

There may also be those who ask about the private sector or the economy. Here again, the long term economic transformation of Bhutan can only happen once its people are developed as human resources and good health and education are the most important tools for that.

Along with a healthy and well educated nation we must also ensure that people have the ability to secure their rights and speak their minds without fear. This is where civil liberties come in. Civil liberties can also help fight corruption among other evils.

If DNT can achieve this golden triangle of a good health system, good education system and civil liberties then it will go down in Bhutan’s history as a government that truly helped transform Bhutan.

The advice is not to ignore the other sector and areas but to given them the necessary focus and care so that they don’t suffer but the main strategic push should be in the above three areas for our long-term future.

Never let a short term desire get in the way of a long term goal.
Curtis Martin

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