Poor planning...

Yesterday, the National Assembly approved the revised budget estimates for the financial year 2008-09. Like the previous year (see earlier entry), the last financial year also saw a huge difference between the approved budget and the most recent revised estimates. This time, however, the difference was completely on the other side of the spectrum – the government expects to spend much, much more than what had been approved.

How much more? The total outlay for 2008-09 approved by the National Assembly last year was Nu 21,096.281 million. The government’s revised estimate for 2008-09 is a whopping Nu 25,519.695. That’s an upward revision of Nu 4423.414 million. And, that amounts to a difference of 21%.

Again, poor planning. Or, poor implementation. Or both.

Some have argued that the upward revision is good; that that indicates that our government has done more than what was approved. And, that may be so. But, at 21%, the difference is big, too big to be conveniently ignored. Especially if changes to the original plan are not well considered, but are ad hoc.

This is how the upward revision was sanction. During the winter session of the Parliament, a supplementary budget of Nu 488.439 million was approved. During this session, a request to approve another supplementary budget of Nu 4,238.447 million was submitted.

But, the government also reported to the National Assembly that about 10% of the original budget has still not been used. That would work out to Nu 2,158 million!

Confusing? Yes. Why? Poor planning. And poor implementation.

In total darkness...

We’ll be up by five tomorrow morning, to take in the total eclipse of the sun from Kuenselphodrang. Many of my neighbours – indeed, many Bhutanese – will also enjoy this very rare natural phenomenon when the moon completely blocks out the sun. Bhutan, after all, falls bang on the path of the total eclipse.

But you won’t find many tourists. We didn’t market the occasion. The heavens have blessed Bhutan with the longest total eclipse, of about three minutes, in the 21st century. And we have not used it to boost tourism.

The Finance Minister reported today that, in 2008, about 27,000 tourists visited Bhutan, and that the government would generate revenue of about Nu 490.1 million from tourism. But, that the government expects tourist arrivals to decrease in 2009, due to the global recession, and that, as such, the government estimates revenue of only Nu 417 million during the 2009 – 10 financial year.

Yes, tourism generates important revenue for the government. But, more importantly, it creates jobs. And, it distributes wealth. So, we should not sit on our hands, waiting out the recession. We must be imaginative and proactive in marketing our wonderful country as a preferred tourist destination.

Just imagine: totality packages to Bhutan. Many tourists would have flocked here, and paid good money, to view the total eclipse of the sun from Tashichhodzong. Or from Trongsa Dzong. Or from the Phajoding lakes. Or from Laya. Or from Merak, if it is open to tourists. Or from any other part of our blessed kingdom.

Planning implementation...

Today the finance minister presented the National Budget bill for the year 2009 – 2010. I’ll post a few entries on the status of our kingdom’s finances in the next couple of days.

Following the Finance Minister’s presentation, the National Assembly discussed the first part of the report, the annual financial statement for the financial year 2007 – 08. The budget for that year was prepared by the previous government. And, most of it was implemented by the interim government. The current government was in office for the final three months of that financial year.

The total approved outlay for 2007 – 08 was Nu 23,051.839 million. But, the actual outcome was only Nu 17,913.359 million. That’s a decrease of Nu 5,138.480 million between the estimated and actual outlays for that financial year. And, that works out to a decrease of about 22% of the approved outlays for that year.

The huge discrepancy between the estimated and actual budget figures can mean that the planning was poor, or that the implementation was poor. Or, that both, planning and implementation, were poor.

Whatever the case, we have underperformed: our farmers lost out; our economy lost out; and our job seekers lost out.

Noble king...

A year ago, on 21 July, during the first sitting of the Parliament after the signing of the Constitution, I proposed a motion to nominate His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo for the Nobel Peace Prize. To recall the importance of that motion, I’m featuring a photograph of our beloved kings, taken during the signing of the Constitution, in the banner. And, I’m posting a rough translation of the statement I made in the Parliament last year.

On the 15^th day of the 5^th month of our calendar, His Majesty the King affixed his signature, in pure gold, to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan. That historic moment, which took place in the Grand Assembly Hall of the Trashichho Dzong amid the sacred representations of the Lord Buddha, was witnessed by the monks of the Zhung Dratshang; His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo; Their Majesties the Queen Mothers, members of the Royal Family; ministers, members of the Parliament; officers of the security forces, civil servants; and the thousands of people who had congregated from many dzongkhags.

By this royal action, His Majesty the King gifted the Constitution, and, with it, the complete powers of governance, to the people of Bhutan.

In 1907, one hundred years ago, our forefathers had voluntarily given up all powers of the government to our first king, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck. Since then, under the golden reigns of successive Wangchuck monarchs, the people of Bhutan have enjoyed unprecedented peace, prosperity and happiness.

Now, by introducing democracy, along with the Constitution, His Majesty the King has ensured that the sun of peace and happiness will never set on Bhutan and the Bhutanese people. This is a most precious gift. So, together with all our people, from all corners of our country, I respectfully submit my heartfelt gratitude and tashi delek to His Majesty the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan is without equal. No where else in the world, and at no time in history, has a constitution such as ours been constructed. Similarly, no other monarchy in the world, at no time in history, has given their powers to their people. The devolution of absolute powers from the Golden Throne to the people is, indeed, unique to Bhutan. In addition, in no other country has democracy been introduced in an environment of complete peace and stability, for in practically every other country, the transition to democracy has invariably been accompanied by war and strife.

All this has been made possible in Bhutan because of our visionary monarch, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, a true Dharma King. His Majesty has transmitted his noble thoughts and deeds, through the Constitution, to the Bhutanese people. Peace, prosperity and happiness will, therefore, continue to favour Bhutan and her people.

We must also allow other peoples, in other countries, throughout the world, to learn about and to benefit from the unparalleled wisdom and compassion of our beloved monarch. For this, it will be fitting to present His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Prime Minister should, therefore, on behalf of all the Bhutanese people and members of the Parliament, submit a proposal nominating His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo for the Nobel Peace Prize. I propose that the nomination, along with complete justifications, be sent to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, based in Norway, as soon as possible.

The construction of a constitution such as ours is, in itself, sufficient reason to be presented the award. But, in addition, His Majesty has, at the height of his popularity, devolved all powers of government, introduced democracy and abdicated from the throne . His Majesty has ensured peace, stability and the security for our country; developed the social wellbeing of our people; promoted our unique culture and heritage, and protected our pristine environment. This is why Bhutan, a small country, enjoys so much peace and happiness. And, this is why it is most appropriate to present His Majesty the Nobel Peace Prize.

But that is not all. His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, a King of Destiny, has given Bhutan and the world, Gross National Happiness. This timeless development philosophy is already gaining widespread acceptance and is guiding development in many parts of the world.

We, parliamentarians, recently celebrated the signing of the Constitution together. Similarly, I call upon all my fellow parliamentarians to collectively support this proposal to nominate our beloved monarch for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Gift from the Golden Throne...

Priceless

One year ago, on 18^th July 2008, His Majesty the King signed the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan. I am pleased to reproduce below, His Majesty the King’s address to the Nation on that historic day.

On this day of destiny, in the blessed land of Pelden Drukpa we, a fortunate People and King, hereby resolve to bring into effect the root and foundation – the very source – of all law in our nation.

On such an auspicious occasion, on behalf of the people I offer gratitude to His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. During his reign His Majesty built a strong nation and secured the hopes and aspirations of the people through the process of democratization and the enlightened vision of Gross National Happiness. His Majesty has also laid a clear path for our future through this Constitution.

The significance of His Majesty’s unique achievements as leader has transcended the experiences of our country and been acknowledged by the world. In our own country, many generations into the future, the Constitution will continue to inspire our people as it stands testimony to a selfless and extraordinary leadership.

This Constitution is the most profound achievement of generations of endeavor and service. As it is granted to us today, we must remember that even more important than the wise and judicious use of the powers it confers, is the unconditional fulfillment of the responsibilities we must shoulder. Only in understanding our duties will the exercise of our powers be fruitful. If we can serve our nation with this knowledge and in this spirit, then an even brighter future awaits our country.

It is my fervent prayer that through this Constitution we will, with our body, speech and mind work with complete commitment and conviction as we strengthen the sovereignty and security of Bhutan; secure the blessings of liberty; ensure justice and peace and enhance the unity and happiness of all Bhutanese, now and always.

Lastly, this Constitution was placed before the people of the twenty dzongkhags by the King. Each word has earned its sacred place with the blessings of every citizen in our nation. This is the People’s Constitution.

And today, through this, my Hand and Seal, I affix on to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan, the hopes and prayers of my People.

Dressed to talk?...

Boring...

In our last poll,  many of you – almost 60% – said the National Council conducts its debates well. Very good. And, most of you said that there’s a lot to be desired in the way the National Assembly conducts its business. That’s bad.

Our poll results, incidentally, may have a relation to the respective Houses’ policies on live TV broadcast. The National Council welcomes it. And, the National Assembly does not allow most of its proceedings to be telecast live.

Even though I’m a member of the National Assembly, I’m inclined to agree with the results of the poll. What’s more, I do believe that the quality of the discussions – in style if not in substance – were much better in the earlier Assemblies, when the members, mostly farmers, did not have to produce a formal university degree to establish their ability to legislate.

There’s another area where today’s National Assembly is put to shame by previous national assemblies: textile. Bhutan’s rich tradition of hand-woven intricate fabric were celebrated and showed off, in a riot of colours and patterns,  in every one of the past assemblies. And as the honourable members sought to outdo each other, their wardrobes of fine silk also grew. I learnt that one member, a dzongdag, had collected 30 silk ghos. While another, his rival, also a dzongdag, had amassed no less than 35 silk ghos.

I’m not sure if we can, or if we even should, do anything about the quality of the clothes we wear in the Parliament. But we definitely must improve the quality of our debates. And, the perfect way to start would be to reintroduce live TV broadcast to cover all our discussions.

Our next poll is a serious one: is drug abuse already a problem?

World class advice...

McKinsey's client

Jack recently posted a comment in “Double vision” asking for my “…opinion regarding the government paying USD 9.1m to a global management consultancy firm, McKinsey and company”.

I’m afraid that I know very little about “Accelerating Bhutan’s Economic Development”, the project that McKinsey will implement. And, the little I know comes from what Kuensel had reported a few days ago. The project must be interesting. And exciting. So, I’m already looking forward to learning more about it.

But let’s look at what we know. In “Really hard business”, we talked about how difficult it was to do business in our country. The World Bank’s Doing Business report 2008 ranked Bhutan a dismal 119 out of the 178 countries studied for ease of doing business.

In “Doing business isn’t easy anywhere” we noted that doing business in Bhutan got more difficult during the previous year. The World Bank’s Doing Business report 2009 put Bhutan at 124 of the 181 countries. We inferred that rules and regulations needed to be reviewed to make them business friendly.

In “Getting down to business” we looked at the ten dimensions of doing business that were covered in Doing Business report 2009. Six of the ten areas needed drastic improvements if doing business in Bhutan were to be made easier.

And, in “Official business” I suggested that, to make doing business easier, we would first need to change the mindset and the attitudes of our officials.

Why do I mention these previous entries? Because, let’s face it, all of us, in the private sector and in the government, know, more or less, what must be done to make doing business easier in Bhutan. Now, if McKinsey is needed to get the job done, so be it. But, be warned, don’t expect any magic. Ultimately, it’s up to us.

A problem...

Last Friday, an MP asked the health minister, Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa, what his ministry was doing to address the growing problem of drug abuse in our country. In his response, Lyonpo Zangley informed the National Assembly that, in 2008, a total of 418 people had been arrested for drug abuse. And that, in the same year, in 2008, 132 drug dealers had been arrested and charged in our courts.

Now look at the numbers. 132 drug dealers and 418 drug addicts were caught in the same year. That’s only 3.17 drug addicts caught for every drug dealer caught. And that can’t be right. The average drug dealer must surely have many more customers. And so, 132 drug dealers would actually cater to several times the 418 drug addicts who were caught.

But consider this: no one really knows how many drug dealers there actually are in our country. It’s obviously more than 132. And, obviously, the greater the number of people selling drugs would mean that we have an even greater number of people using them.

And consider this: in the last month alone, Thimphu police arrested 57 drug abusers.

We have a problem.

Questioning questions...

The National Council had summoned two ministers – Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel and Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba – to attend Question Time yesterday. Both of them didn’t show up. So the Council adjourned for the hour earmarked for Question Time.

By now, it’s safe to assume that the Council will continue to hold Question Time, which they have scheduled on Tuesdays and Fridays. And, that they will continue to expect cabinet ministers to attend to deliver their answers in person. But it’s also safe to assume to our cabinet ministers will not attend the National Council’s Question Time.

Last Friday, Kuensel gave us glowing accounts of the successful meeting between our prime minister and members of the National Council to “clear up misunderstanding and facilitate dialogue”. But it’s becoming clear that’s all’s not hunky-dory: the misunderstanding – if the current standoff can be called that – between cabinet ministers and the Council persists. Or, perhaps, this issue was not discussed at all. Either way, it’s important that the Council and the Cabinet meet again.

It’s important for democracy. And it’s important for our people.

Double vision...

The editorial in the Dzongkha edition of the Kuensel this morning confused me. The editorial denounced the National Council’s decision to legalize the sale of tobacco through high taxes. And, it called on the National Assembly to overturn the Council’s decision and endorse the Tobacco Control Bill.

Why was I confused? Because yesterday’s English edition of the Kuensel carried an editorial applauding the National Council’s decision to legalize the sale of tobacco products through high taxation policies.

Editorials represent a newspaper’s stand – their point of view – on important issues. So, obviously, a newspaper’s opinion on a particular issue, especially if conveyed in different languages, must be consistent. Otherwise, they risk confusing the reader. And, losing their credibility.