BHUTAN TODAY The New Perspective

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 …