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Gewog Administrations tops complaints leading to investigation: ACC report

By Puran Gurung In Anti-Corruption Commissionโ€™s Annual Report (2020-2021) โ€“ the commission registered highest complaints against gewog administrations that qualified for investigation. ACC reported that the commission in terms of agency, it received highest complaints against gewog administration with 15 complaints, followed by 10 complaints against ministries and then nine complaints against corporations. There were four complaints against Thromdes and …

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Country’s strict quarantine measure to keep virus at bay

Citing the governmentโ€™s stand on strict quarantine measures, any variant that may come as long as the incubation period doesnโ€™t vary, no virus can affect the country, says the Prime Minister. This is regarding the increasing cases of Omicron, a variant of concern declared by the World Health Organization and the concerns on preparedness for the new variant Omicron if …

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Finance Minister appointed Vice-chair of the WB Group

By Staff Reporter In a milestone for Bhutan, finance minister Namgay Tshering will step in as the Chair of the Small States Forum (a group of 50 countries) and as one of the Vice Chairs of the Board of Governors of the World Bank Group. Bhutan, as the current chair, will lead the forum that brings together finance ministers and …

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Piloting the Digital Ngultrum

The move is driven by Bhutan’s desire to enhance digital and cross-border payments. By Staff Reporter The Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) has partnered with Ripple to use its infrastructure to pilot a central bank digital currency. According to an announcement from Ripple, the move is set to expand the countryโ€™s financial inclusion efforts and extend its commitment to sustainability as it aims to become …

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BPC suspends Director accused for sexual harassment

However, if the allegations labeled against him are found untrue, the Director could counter-charge the accuser for defamation By Tashi Namgyal/Thimphu The Director accused of sexual harassment of a female employee under Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) has been suspended by the company after the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company issued a suspension order late last Friday. According to …

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Is Bhutan prepared for the Big Quake?

WFP study on the impact and plan of action for potential earthquakes is the first ever model in Bhutan for humanitarian planning By Tashi Namgyal The Himalayan region has amongst the highest earthquake risk globally, with recent moderate-sized events resulting in tens of thousands of casualties. Despite this, understanding of earthquake risk in the region is limited, particularly in Bhutan, …

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Impasse over Mining Bill

While the two parliament houses remain on a deadlock, exporters shout-out for their provisional rights over the mining sector By Tashi Namgyal By the look of things, the much disputed Mines and Minerals Bill 2020 will have to take a hefty ride down the tunnel to be resolved for good. While the National Assembly (NA) favors a private-sector induced mining …

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Southern Bhutan in Red Alert

By Phurpa Wangmo Even as the Prime Minister assured the nation that all eligible population will be given the second jab of vaccination within the next four weeks, the countryโ€™s southern border towns have seen heightened pace of covid-19 infections over the days. The country, as of yesterday, had 261 active cases with majority of the cases or more than …

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The Increasing Role of Bhutanโ€™s Women Farmers

Compiled by Phurpa Wangmo Aum Kinzangmo, 36, lives with her three children, husband, and her parents in the heart of Buli village in Bhutanโ€™s Zhemgang Dzongkhag district. As a progressive farmer, Aum Kinzangmo cultivates a variety of vegetables in her 30 decimal kitchen garden. This enables her to earn a decent income by selling her produce to the nearby dratshang (monastic school), …

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