MoF reportedly rejects US-based Company’s offer; bottled water project stuck

The bottled water project that was proposed in 2010 as a joint venture between Druk Holding and Investments (DHI), and Carpenter and Company (C & C), a Boston-USA based firm has seen little progress since then.

DHI officials say that C&C carried out a valuation of Bhutan Agro Industry Limited (BAIL) with which the company wanted to run a trial basis of the scheme, and that the report has been…

Raising taxes on alcohol sale not working, another ban in the offing

Raising taxes on alcohol sale only leads to fronting, selling and leasing of already existing licenses at higher prices.

This was discussed in the seminar on Alcohol Use and Abuse in Bhutan last week where data presented showed that despite raising taxes on the sale, alcohol consumption remains the same.

An official from Department of Trade (DoT) under the economic affairs ministry (MoEA), Kuenzang Dorji, said that as per the alcohol…

Sunkosh hydropower project on the cards; Lamoizingkha to act as gateway to central Bhutan

Sunkosh hydropower project which was downsized to 2,560 MW from 4,060 MW is finally on the verge of implementation with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be finalized by July this year. The communities, it is said, will  reap many benefits.

The economic affairs minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, said the construction will commence either by the end of this year or early next year.

Harnessing Sunkosh River is part of the…

For the lack of a name

Last night I and my brother had a discussion regarding the reporters  using anonymous sources in their stories.

He was of the opinion that reporters are using fake sources or else putting in their own quotes with attributions like ‘name changed’ or ‘declined to be named’.

Even I would have thought the same if I were not in journalism. And I believe that most of the readers too feel the same.

But…

Nepotism – a rampant and spreading social evil

“Nepotism” is a word much talked about in Bhutanese circles. I have never experienced it myself though I have heard about it and seen a few cases myself.

To share an incident which I witnessed, I had gone to the hospital with a friend of mine to meet her grandmother who was a heart patient undergoing electro cardiogram (ECG). …

Intolerance speaks

 Gross National un-Happiness It has been four years since 2012 and there is now a growing concern about the path that Bhutanese democracy is taking.

This is especially so as constitutional bodies and the media is coming under increasing pressure from an increasingly sensitive government.

The latest example is statements on BBS and other media outlets by the Health…

Proper address system to deliver services at your doors

Come June Thimphu residents will have their mails, parcels and utility bills  delivered promptly at their doorsteps.

This will be enabled by a proper city address system implemented as a pilot project by the Thimphu Thromde (TCC) and Bhutan Postal Corporation Limited (BPCL) to facilitate fast access to all kinds of urban services.

The new address system will help in…

Mindfulness mantra catching up in RUB colleges

In a move to adopt Gross National Happiness (GNH)-inspired education, all the colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), have started to to conduct “mindfulness practice” classes which see a large number of students and teachers on a regular basis.

“I feel calm and stress-free, and I can focus more on my studies after attending the sessions,” said Kinley…

Deeper pipelines for Dakarla

Residents of Dakarla who till now were facing water shortage will have a continuous supply of water after around 20 days when pipes and construction materials reach the village.. Dakarla Gup, Gado stated that the present water source is too small and insufficient for 115 households.On top of that, the water pipes were laid on the ground surface which leads to formation of ice  in winter.The villagers are constructing…

Bailey bridge to benefit 215 households and three schools

The suspension bridge over the Mangde chhu connecting the villages of Nimshong, Korphu and Nabji to the Trongsa-Gelephu highway will be replaced by a bailey bridge by June next year. The bridge will benefit 215 households and three primary schools. It’s been five months since the project which is being sponsored by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) commenced. Dia Nippon Construction (DNC) is in charge of works.“People from these…