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Recent data from World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024 shows encouraging declines in national poverty rates, reflecting sustained economic growth and successful social interventions. However, beneath these headline successes lies a stark and troubling reality: poverty remains deeply entrenched in rural areas, where the majority of the vulnerable population continues to face systemic barriers that threaten to reverse hard-earned …

…𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔 By Tashi Tshewang and Yeshi DolmaAmid a steep rise in outward migration, Bhutan is witnessing early signs that its growing diaspora, particularly in Australia, could become a significant contributor to national development. As increasing numbers of youth and professionals leave in search of better prospects, remittances …

…𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Tashi TshewangThe Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) has confirmed that Yonphula Domestic Airport in Trashigang will undergo significant upgrades, marking a key step in improving aviation safety and flight reliability in eastern Bhutan.After evaluating the viability of alternative locations in the region, the …

…𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝑱𝑫𝑾𝑵𝑹𝑯 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 By Tashi TshewangHospitals are the cornerstone of any country’s healthcare system, serving as places of vulnerability, treatment, and recovery. In Bhutan, the dedication of healthcare professionals remains a pillar of strength, especially at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu. As the nation’s premier …

…𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏 2025 By Yeshi DolmaAlthough Bhutan’s overall unemployment rate has declined to 3.6% in 2024, youth unemployment remains alarmingly high at 17.1%. With a new wave of college graduates set to enter the job market in 2025, the question of how to provide meaningful employment for them has …

The recent wave of outward migration, particularly to Australia, has stirred renewed debate on whether the country is witnessing a genuine case of brain gain or simply masking deeper structural challenges through rising remittances. While the World Bank’s latest update paints an optimistic picture of diaspora-driven development, a closer examination suggests that the story is more complex and demands urgent …

…𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒋𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 By Tashi Tshewang A step forward in supporting rural livelihoods and promoting local enterprise was marked on May 20 with the official inauguration of the Farmer’s Sales Outlet in Jomotsangkha, Samdrup Jongkhar. The outlet, inaugurated by a member …

…𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒌𝒉𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 By Kezang Choden In an effort to enhance rural livelihoods and promote sustainable agriculture, seven households in Pakchenkha village under Dhap Chiwog, Geling Gewog in Chukha Dzongkhag have received 10,000 asparagus crowns. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Chukha Dzongkhag Administration, the National Centre for Organic Agriculture (NCOA), …

…𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂’𝒔 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒖. 45 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Tashi Tshewang The Thimphu Dzongkhag Administration has launched multiple road improvement projects across Mewang and Dagala Gewogs to enhance connectivity and support rural development.Funded under Phase I of the Government of India’s Small Development Project (GoI-SDP), the initiatives …

…𝒂 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 By Sonam Choden The Department of Employment & Entrepreneurship (DoEE) under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment has launched Jabchor 2.0, an enhanced equity financing platform aimed at strengthening Bhutan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This platform builds on the earlier Jabchor program initiated by …