Report cards
Here's some fun, on another gloomy Pedestrian Day, courtesy "Bhutanomics", a website many have been frequenting recently. I'm tempted to run a poll to see whose report card is the funniest (i.e., the most accurate).
Amazing social media
Social media is amazing. Click on a few buttons, like a page, follow a friend, and, voila!, you know everything that's going on around you. To politicians, that knowledge is invaluable. It allows them to hear the people, to listen to them, to feel their pulse. But social media has an even bigger gift for politicians. It facilitates communication. It allows politicians to interact continuously with people, easily and directly. Yes, social media is amazing. That's why I, as a politician, am active on Twitter and Facebook. That's also why I'm on Youtube and Bambuser and Linkedin and Instagram.…
Democratic parties
Bhutan joined the world in celebrating International Democracy Day over the weekend. In Thimphu, a panel discussion was held to promote a better understanding of democracy, and to talk about why it is especially important for citizens to enjoy their rights but also to fulfill their responsibilities in a young democratic country. There's no doubt that such discussions are important. They will go a long way in educating our people; in building strong foundations for our democracy; and in making sure that, through democracy, the promises of peace, liberty and prosperity are fulfilled. So we must have more of…
Clear to run(?)
About 6 weeks ago, at a press conference, the prime minister claimed that the Election Commission of Bhutan should disqualify the opposition party from taking part in the next round of elections for failing to clear its debts by the 30 June deadline. Remarkably, the prime minister also suggested that the two members in opposition should not be permitted to run in the next elections … not as members of their current party, not by starting a new party, not by joining another party. As it turned out, the election commission, having reviewed the status of the two existing…
Aiming for gold
Our population base is small. And we lack the resources. That’s why it’s almost impossible to bring home medals in any sport from any recognized international competition. But what if we had about 1500 sportsmen, spread across the country, all using the latest equipment, and all putting in long training hours to compete in one national tournament? If that were to happen, we would then surely achieve the best international standards at that sport. In fact, that did happen, very recently. A record-breaking 260 teams, consisting of 1,560 archers, took part in the Yangphel Open Archery Tournament. The tournament,…
Comments rule
This blog has enjoyed tremendous success. That success – measured by the number of readers who visit this blog every day – is not just because of my posts. Instead, it’s driven mainly by your comments. Many of your comments are informative. They are thoughtful. And they are insightful. In fact, many of them are better than the original post. That’s why they generate so much attention. And that’s why there’s such vibrant debate. So naturally, I am deeply grateful for your comments. That said, some of the comments have also been spiteful. They’ve been written with the sole…
Hejo vs Denchi
About two years ago, I'd written about a group of residents in Hejo, Thimphu. Their land had been taken over by the government. But they had not accepted the government's compensation for their land. They claimed that the government's compensation rate - set by the Property Assessment and Valuation Agency, PAVA - was too low. They protested that their land, located adjacent to Thimphu's dzong and close to the capital's business center, fetched much higher prices in the market. And they pointed out that even PAVA's rates were considerably higher for land that is located further away from the…
Keeping watch
Today's issue ofThe Bhutanesehas only three announcements (one each by BOB, CBS and TCB), and one felicitation message (by Lhaki Group).
Public resources control media?
About four months ago, on 28 April, The Bhutanese complained in their editorial that the government was increasingly “using their advertisement revenue to ‘fix’ critical papers …” Last Saturday, Business Bhutan published a copy of a circular, marked “confidential”, directing all departments within the Ministry of Information and Communication “not to provide any advertisement, announcement, notification, circular, etc” to The Bhutanese. The letter, dated 2 April, was issued at the instruction of the Minister. Lyonpo Nandalal Rai, the minister of information and communications, has clarified that the circular was a result of miscommunication; that he had meant “Bhutanese media”,…
Acting late
Four years ago the prime minister pledged to enact a right to information law. The prime minister didn't give a definite time frame, but he promised that it would be done "soon". It's already been four years since the government made that promise. And we are still waiting for them to keep their word. Now, however, finally, there seems to be some movement: the Department of Media and Information has conducted an RTI awareness workshop, and the Ministry of Information and Communication has distributed a draft RTI Bill for public comments and feedback. But all this is for nothing.…
Expensive talk
The Ministry of Agriculture says that the prices of local vegetables is increasing. They are right. In fact, the prices of local vegetables have not just increased; they have skyrocketed. Between this time last year and now, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, the price for local cabbages increased from Nu 37.43 to Nu 48.75. That's an increase of 30.25%. The price of local chillies increased from Nu 270 to Nu 300 or by 11.11%. And the prices of potatoes and beans have jumped by a massive 47.22% and 39.40% respectively. So what's driving the prices of local vegetables? …
Studying pedestrian day
On pedestrian day, the number of vehicles driven is halved, and the number of people walking is doubled. At least, that's what a study by the National Environment Commission says. Good. But what would be better, essential in fact, is for the government to study the impact that pedestrian day has on the quality of our lives. And the impact that it has on doing business in Bhutan.
Royal Grandmother
My last post was about Dr Aubrey Leatham, a leading pioneer in cardiology and the development of pacemakers. Dr Leatham, along with others, like Dr Albert Craig, had been invited to Bhutan by Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother, Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck, to care for His Majesty the Third King. Between then and now, Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother has also spearheaded innumerable programs to care for the health of the people. They include, among many others, the introduction of, for the first time in Bhutan, drugs to fight leprosy and tuberculosis. What’s more, Her Majesty, now in her…
Thimphu High Street
Thank you for taking part in the last Big Picture. Your answers were varied - Changangkha, Phobjikha, Gangtey, Wangdue, Paro, Bumthang, Dagana, Lhuntse and Thimphu town - and rightfully so. The old photo, after all, could have been taken anywhere in Bhutan. The picture, as you can now easily see, was taken outside the Tashichhodzong. It shows the beginnings of modern Thimphu complete with offices, shops and, in the background, the dzong undergoing major renovation and expansion. Dorji, "Pothery" and "River" all identified the place correctly. But the first correct answer came from Ugen, who wrote, "Settlement outside Tashichhodzong…
About relief
Consider this: His Majesty the King issued a Kasho yesterday granting Nu 200 million towards the reconstruction of the Wangduephodrang Dzong. Nu 100 million was granted from the armed forces, and Nu 100 million from His Majesty's Kidu Foundation. Now consider this: The government has allocated Nu 20 million per year to the Druk Gyalpo's Relief Fund until the balance reaches a ceiling of Nu 100 million. The Relief Fund was passed by the Parliament in the last session. Nu 20 million per year is woefully inadequate. I said so in the Parliament. And I wrote about it. How…