…𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 By Kezang Choden Bhutanese traditional ornaments, deeply rooted in the country’s rich cultural heritage, are being preserved through innovative designs that blend contemporary aesthetics with age-old craftsmanship. This initiative ensures that these ornaments, once an integral part of Bhutanese attire and identity, are not lost to time but continue to thrive in …

…𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒉𝒐𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐 𝒅𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝑴𝑬𝒔 By Yeshi DolmaPrivate sector is preparing for increased financial pressure as the National Assembly debates the Excise Tax Bill 2025. The bill proposes higher excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products with the goals of reducing harmful consumption and increasing …

…𝒂 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 By Sonam Choden Youth involvement in agriculture remains vital for sustaining rural economies and ensuring food security, despite the challenges faced by traditional farming. The story of a young entrepreneur from eastern Bhutan shows how innovation, persistence, and the effective use of resources can …

…𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 By Kezang Choden In the ongoing parliament session, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Lyonpo Chandra Bdr Gurung, outlined a set of strategic investments and policy measures focused on the development of Nganglam. A key component of this plan is the finalisation …

The Excise Tax Bill 2025, currently under deliberation in Bhutan’s National Assembly, aims to curb the consumption of alcohol and tobacco by raising excise duties. While this objective is rooted in public health concerns, the economic impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) deserves equal consideration. In developing economies like Bhutan, taxation policy should function as an instrument for enabling …

By Tashi Tshewang In celebration of World Environment Day, Bhutan launched its utility-scale biogas project “Production of Commercial Biogas from Household Waste,” aimed at converting Thimphu’s organic urban waste into clean energy and biofertilizer. The South Asian Association of Regional Corporation Development Fund (SDF) and Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) led the initiative, marking an important step in country’s move toward …

…𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 2,000 𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 By Kinzang Lhamo Gakiling Gewog has initiated its first coffee plantation in Sektena as part of efforts to diversify crops and create sustainable income sources. Supported by the Haa Dzongkhag Administration, the project is currently on a trial basis and marks a new direction for the gewog …

…𝒎𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 By Sonam Choden and Yeshi DolmaAccording to a World Bank report, nearly 150,000 Bhutanese remain vulnerable to falling into poverty due to economic or climate-related shocks. As the country faces increasingly frequent natural disasters, including floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods, building climate resilience has become a …

The comprehensive town development plan for Nganglam reflects a timely and strategic approach to balanced regional growth. By prioritising infrastructure, industrial investment and integrated urban planning, the initiative addresses both immediate needs and long-term objectives. This form of guided development is not only relevant to Nganglam but offers valuable lessons for every dzongkhag. What sets this effort apart is its …

…𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 By Kezang Choden The Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC) at Wengkhar, located in Mongar Dzongkhag, is advancing agricultural technologies to tackle challenges faced by farmers in the eastern region of Bhutan. Researchers at the centre are focusing on practical …