Tshering Tobgay

Paying for support

May 15, 2010Government, Local Government

Dasho Nima Wangdi, director general of finance, justifying the government’s decision to increase the allowances and benefits of gups, was quoted as saying that: The pay commission, which was not a full time committee, could be instituted by the government only for major systemic changes in pay and allowance structures. “In the gups’ case, the government has the full authority to decide.” He’s right: the Pay Commission is not a full time committee. And he’s wrong: the government does not have any authority to revise the pay and allowances of public servants, including gups, independently. It can do so…

Education city

May 13, 2010Government

Today, yet another concerned person asked me about the education city. And he too wanted to hear my views on the 1 billion dollar project.
Some of you may have seen my views in Tenzing Lamsang’s story. But, it appears that many others haven’t. So, with the permission of Business Bhutan, I’m reproducing their entire story….
Billion $ education city under scanner
US$ 500m foreign exchange a year and around 30 international universities on 1,000 acres: this is what the prime minister’s pet project, the planned education city, aims.
If MediaGlobal, a United Nations-based news agency, is to be believed, the ground breaking ceremony for the city is just a year away.
“While anchor universities should start operating initially, it is likely to be 10 years for the entire city to be in place gradually,” MediaGlobal quoted Kushal Sengupta of Infinity InfoTech Parks, the agency that is proposing to implement the project at a site yet to be identified.
But critics of the project say the manner in which the country’s biggest foreign investment plan is being pursued is not proper.
Opposition Leader Tshering Tobgay said that he is ‘very concerned’ about the project by its lack of transparency.

Registering CSOs

May 13, 2010Civil society

Commenting on my last post, several readers reiterated that the Tarayana Foundation is doing some wonderful work. I agree. But did you know that Tarayana Foundation, established seven years ago, is not a registered CSO? Similarly, the Youth Development Fund, established 11 years ago, and RSPN, established 24 years ago, are not registered CSOs. We know that Tarayana, YDF and RSPN are doing a good job alleviating rural poverty, developing our youth and protecting our natural heritage respectively. They’ve proven it. We also know that many other NGOs have made significant contributions to the development of our country and…

Fighting poverty

May 11, 2010Civil society, Villages

A popular attraction at the recent Tarayana Fair was the Lhop house. The house, which barely measures 8 feet by 9 feet, had belonged to Ap Pen Tshering, and in it, he and his wife, Aum Gagay Lham, had raised their four children. 75 year-old Pen Tshering’s house had been dismantled and transported to Thimphu, where it was carefully reassembled to showcase the lifestyle of the Lhops, Bhutan’s first inhabitants. And Pen Tshering had been more than happy to abandon his house. After all, he had no need for it. Ap Pen Tshering, you see, had built a bigger,…

Update on fifth session

May 7, 2010Legislature

The National Assembly’s draft agenda for the fifth session of the Parliament was distributed yesterday. The Assembly will discuss the Water Bill, Financial Services Bill, Disaster Management Bill, and the Annual Budget 2010-2011. The joint sitting of the Parliament will meet to discuss and endorse the Tobacco Control Bill, RMA (Ammendment) Bill, Standards Bill, and Service Conditions Bill for Constitutional Offices. In addition, the prime minister will report on the State of the Nation. Please keep sharing your comments on these bills. And, don’t forget to check the National Assembly’s website periodically to see if new bills have been…

Parliament’s fifth session

May 6, 2010Legislature

The National Assembly has announced that the fifth session of the Parliament will begin on 28th May. That’s in about three weeks. But, I still don’t know what will be discussed. And I still haven’t received the bills, if any, that will be introduced in the fifth session. So I’m at a loss about how to prepare for the Parliament’s imminent session. It appears that the government has recently submitted four bills to the National Assembly. They are the Childcare and Protection Bill; the Child Adoption Bill; Water Bill; and the Financial Services Bill. The first three are on…

Sonam’s question

May 3, 2010Culture

Last month, Sonam Ongmo, who blogs and tweets from New York, asked her readers: have a Q 4 Bhutanese. What happens to orange scarf 4 elected ministers after they leave office? This is a pertinent question. And we should discuss it. So send me your comments. And take the poll.

Successful SAARC

May 1, 2010Government

The Sixteenth SAARC summit is over. And, by all accounts, the event was a grand success. So compliments are in order. I offer my congratulations to the prime minister, the officiating foreign minister and the government; civil servants (all of them, but especially those in the foreign ministry); RBP, RBA and RBG; the Thimphu City Corporation; teachers and students; volunteers; and the clergy. Special thanks are due to the Government of India for their generous support. The banner, showcasing the eight SAARC leaders, was sent in by Lhendup Dorji, an official photographer with Business Bhutan. The gallery has a…

River potential

April 26, 2010Economy

National Geographic has rated rafting on the Drangme Chhu – from the Trashigang Bridge to the Royal Manas Park – as one of the 25 Best New Trips for 2010. But it’s not just the Drangme Chhu. Every one of our major river systems provides some of the world’s best rafting experiences. Dave Allardice of Ultimate Descents says that our rivers are: A gigantic staircase rising from the Indian border to the high Himalayas of Tibet, the soaring peaks of Bhutan are an untapped treasure house of whitewater. The rivers are powerful and challenging. And the National Geographic calls…

Stop press!

April 21, 2010Media

The second Annual Journalism Awards will take place on 3rd May, coinciding with World Press Day. Good. But, like last year, the government is organizing the event. Not good. It is in the media’s interest to decide, without government interference, how to recognize and reward good journalism. And, equally important, who to recognize and reward. So the media should be organizing this important event. When the government is involved, the awards lose credibility. And the whole process – from defining categories to selecting judges to awarding prizes – will be questioned. For the sake of a vibrant media, the…

Druk Stars

April 19, 2010General

We were totally wrong. Our poll predicted that Jangchub Choden would win the Druk Star contest. And that she would be followed by Jamphel Yangzom, Phurba Chencho, Sonam Tobgay and Chencho Norbu in that order. In reality, yesterday, Jamphel Yangzom won the contest. She was crowned Druk Star, was declared the Voice of Drukyul, and drove off in a brand new Maruti Swift. Chencho came in second, followed by Sonam, Phurba and Jangchub. We were completely off. I’m happy for Jamphel Yangzom. And I’m happy for the other contestants who made it to the top 5. They’ve worked hard.…

Counting on gentlemen

April 16, 2010General

Several of you have complained that Druk Star’s voting process is flawed. Yes, you are right. Voters are permitted to cast multiple votes. But, they have to pay good money for each vote. So the candidate with the most money, or with the richest supporters, will, in all likelihood, get the highest number of votes. And win the coveted title. The voting process, however, is purposely flawed. They are a business. Their primary aim is to make money. And what better way to do that than by turning a blind eye at the otherwise glaring fault. But all elections…

Druk Star gazing

April 15, 2010Culture16 Comments

We are divided on the question of Bhutan’s accession to the WTO. 40% of you answered “No” in the poll that asked “Should Bhutan Join the WTO?”, 37% replied “Yes”, and the rest said, “I’m still unsure”. I’ll give my views on this important matter soon. For now, we need to consider another important matter: Druk Star! After four months of music and entertainment, we are down to the final five contestants. One of them will be crowned Druk Star this Sunday. Our poll asks the burning question: who will be the next Druk Star?

Dasho Damcho on LG

April 15, 2010Government, Local Government

“Where is Dasho Damcho la …” enquired Sonam_t commenting on my open letter to the Dasho Dzongdags. “Where is honourable Damcho?” echoed Tangba. Dasho Damcho's recent response to their queries follows: Dear Sonam_t and Tangba, Thanks for your concern. I am still sticking around but like to keep a low profile. The issue that Hon’ble OL has raised was discussed with me and was discussed several times in the preceding NA Sessions as well. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of it because of absence of live telecast and the papers were not interested in covering these issues in…

Managing performance

April 14, 2010Government

Chapter 12 of the BCSR is dedicated to performance management. It provides a detailed prescription of how civil servants must plan, review and rate their work in order to improve productivity and accountability in the civil service. The general idea is good: it is to cultivate a performance-based culture that rewards meritocracy and professionalism. It is also intended to boost morale in the civil service. So the RCSC’s performance appraisal system should be implemented faithfully. But, we are told, it isn’t. Civil servants say that the appraisal system is not taken seriously, and that it does not work. They…