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…𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Kinzang Lhamo Farmers across the country are raising concerns over what they see as an unequal land tax concession policy that favours wetland (Chuzhing) over dry land (Kamzhing), prompting discussions across the agricultural sector and rural communities. Currently, Chuzhing is granted a 90 percent tax concession, while …

…𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 By Tashi Tshewang Farmers from Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag recently participated in a nationwide exchange program that gave them practical exposure to advanced agricultural and livestock technologies. Led by the Dzongkhag Agriculture Sector, this initiative supports ongoing efforts to modernize rural farming, improve food self-sufficiency, and …

…𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 By Sonam Choden The Community for Skilled Workers (C4SW) is an initiative designed to organize and empower Bhutanese tradespeople, particularly certified plumbers and electricians, under a unified professional platform. With the aim of creating dignified work opportunities and strengthening the skilled labor ecosystem, C4SW is built on principles …

…𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒔𝒆-𝒚𝒂𝒖𝒌𝒉𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕 110 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 By Kezang Choden The blacktopping of the long-awaited Rangtse-Yaukha farm road in Gakiling Gewog, Haa Dzongkhag, began on June 6. The four-kilometre stretch is expected to be completed within this month. Once complete, the improved road will benefit 110 households—30 in Yaukha village, 70 in Rangtse, and 10 …

…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 …