PM – Page 2 – Tshering Tobgay

We should (not) be proud

September 8, 2011Government47 Comments

I applaud how the prime minister has responded to allegations that he, and other powerful people, were allotted land illegally in Gyelpozhing. He has written to ACC to investigate the allegations, and he has promised that offenders, especially those holding current political authority, will be made fully accountable. The fact that the head of the government demands to be investigated is a very good precedent. We should be proud. But I also condemn how the prime minister has responded to the same allegations. He has questioned the motive for and timing of the media’s reporting on the so-called “Gyelpozhing…

CDG giveaway

July 18, 2011Local Government13 Comments

During a recent meeting with gups, the PM reminded the local government leaders that, “The constituency development grant of Nu 2M … was not fully used in most gewogs”. And he advised them to put the CDG “… to use to benefit the poor and contribute towards alleviating poverty.” The PM makes it sound like local governments have full authority over CDG. They don’t. Firstly, local governments cannot decide how to use the CDG. They can only submit project proposals. The proposals must ultimately be approved by their MPs. And the ministry of finance can release CDG funds to…

State of the government

July 1, 2011Government19 Comments

The prime minister took more than three-and-a-half hours to deliver his State of the Nation address to the Parliament today. He used that time to describe, in great detail, and to great effect, the achievements of his government. The PM is correct in highlighting the government’s performance in his annual report to Parliament. We expect him to use the occasion to showcase his government’s successes. And showcase he did. But we expect the PM to report on the status of some of the other institutions that are important to our nation as well. After all, he’s supposed to the…

Taking charge

April 11, 2011Government16 Comments

Here are two reasons why we should welcome news that the prime minister has formally taken charge of the foreign affairs portfolio: One, the foreign ministry, an important portfolio, has been without a minister for about a year. And two, this is a good opportunity for the government to reduce the size of the administration. Eleven ministers (a prime minister and 10 cabinet ministers) for a country of 700,000 people and a GDP of barely US$ 1.3 billion is excessive by any measure. Switzerland, for instance, has 7 ministers for 8 million people and a GDP of US$ 500…

What’s in a title?

December 27, 2010Culture

Our last quiz asked a straightforward question: What does HPM stand for? Regardless of how you answered, it’s obvious that you knew the answer. But “dungsamkota” was the first person to register it. He answered: “HPM = Honorable Prime Minister.” And for good measure he added: “HOL = Honorable Opposition Leader”. Well done! Your answers were interesting … and thought provoking. Thank you for taking part. But one of you, “Dodo”, who answered “HPM: Hon’ble Prime Minister. Can this be used formally?” seems to have read my mind! Is HPM a formal title? In Bhutan, we respect our elders…

Vice ministers?

December 6, 2010Government

What? The prime minister wants to call secretaries vice-ministers? Why? Who do we want to impress? Shouldn’t we focus on streamlining the civil service instead? Shouldn’t we be working towards making the civil service small, compact and efficient? Where did the prime minister get this idea from anyway? Where would vice ministers draw their legal basis from? And under what legal authority would they function? What? The RCSC is in the dark? Really?

Questionable lottery

October 11, 2010Government7 Comments

According to Business Bhutan, Nu 150 billion worth of Bhutanese lottery tickets were printed illegally every year in the Indian state of Kerala alone. That’s a lot of money by any measure. But to get a proper sense of how much Nu 150 billion really is, consider that our entire GDP is only about Nu 60 billion. Or that the Tenth Five Year Plan outlay is Nu 148 billion (the Ninth Plan outlay was Nu 70 billion). So I was surprised to learn that the prime minister’s fist response to the alleged lottery scam was remarkably casual. The prime…

About fines

September 7, 2010Government, Legislature

I’m impressed at the government’s readiness to abide by the law. Bhutan Today (whose website has been woefully inadequate) had recently reported that: The prime minister has ordered the information and communication ministry to pay about Nu 2.3 million in penalty for not following the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures in the construction of the Bathpalathang airstrip in Bumthang. But I’m not impressed at the prime minister’s cavalier disregard for the basic principles of accountability when he added that: … the fine will have to be levied even if it means paying from one pocket to another. I wonder…

Zoom on zoom

August 30, 2010Civil society

Quick updates on my previous post: I’ve uploaded some photographs in the gallery. Most of the officials who were invited to the art festival never did show up … But, many other visitors turned up, especially on the final evening … And, the prime minister made an unscheduled and unannounced visit to the closing ceremony of the festival. I applaud our PM.

Foreign trips

July 23, 2010Government63 Comments

The prime minister, in his State of the Nation address, reporting to the Parliament on foreign relations: My trips to India, Japan and Italy this year were also very useful in deepening our relations with these countries. I agree. But, the prime minister understated his international travel account. The following, in fact, is a record of his trips outside Bhutan during the 2009-2010 fiscal year: July 2009: Goodwill trip to India August 2009: Fukuoka, Japan to deliver address on GNH November 2009: Itaipu, Brazil to deliver address on GNH February 2010: Delhi, India to attend Sustainable Development Summit February…

State of the Nation

July 16, 2010Government, Legislature

The projected order of business for the Fifth Session of the First Parliament for Bhutan had, among many others, the following two entries: Thursday, July 1: Presentation of the Annual Report on the State of the Nation, including Legislative Plans and the Annual Plans and Priorities of the Government, to the Druk Gyalpo and to the Joint Sitting of the Parliament. Monday, July 12: Deliberation on the presentation of the Annual Report on the State of the Nation including Legislative Plans and the Annual Plans and Priorities of the Government by the Prime Minister As we all know, the…

Polling McKinsey

July 13, 2010Government27 Comments

During question hour today, I asked the prime minister to explain what work McKinsey were doing that couldn’t be done by our own civil servants. And in my leader to the question, I’d reported that the civil servants I’d spoken with had confided that they were not impressed with the work that McKinsey had done so far. Naturally, the prime minister saw it differently. He claimed that every civil servant he’d talked to had been impressed with McKinsey’s work and had lavished praise on the world’s leading consultancy firm. Perhaps. But still, let’s conduct a poll – we haven’t…

Advocating champions

July 8, 2010Government

The prime minster, an advocate of cycling and walking to work, referred to a certain setback in his State of the Nation address: I would also like to report that the government has not given up on its dream to make Thimphu a bicycle and pedestrian city despite the initial setback. What is that “initial setback” that the prime minister lamented? After all, the government has made no serious attempts to promote cycling (apart from installing a few bicycle stands in the capital) or to encourage walking (besides the agriculture minister’s famous HEHE walks). Bicycles. In particular the 400…

Taxing explanation

July 6, 2010Government

The prime minister devoted a substantial part of his State of the Nation address to justify the government’s recent tax hikes. And to discredit the “vocal few” who challenged the government’s ill-conceived tax policies. The prime minister: Much has been said of the fiscal incentives and tax increases in certain areas. It has been alleged that the government is being insensitive to the difficulties that these will cause to our poor and ordinary businesspeople and that they will suffer the most. However, one should not allow oneself to be influenced without seeing the full picture. One needs to be…

Working with NC

July 6, 2010Government, Legislature

The prime minister, in his State of the Nation address, on differences between the National Council and National Assembly: Already several issues have arisen between the National Council and this House which inevitably raised the question of seeking the guidance of the Supreme Court even before it was established. Now with its establishment, the wisdom of the judiciary too will be tested if indeed constitutional issues are brought before it. My hope is that, through the ongoing dialogue between the two houses, these issues will be resolved without judicial intervention. Very good. Now prove that there's some genuine commitment…