BHUTAN TODAY The New Perspective

Tashi Penjor, Thimphu The rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has created significant confusion for both consumers and vendors. While the policy aims to modernize the tax system, expand the revenue base, and streamline economic transactions, the current implementation has revealed gaps in planning and communication. The experience highlights how even well-intended reforms can face challenges if stakeholders …

…𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒚𝑺𝒂𝒌𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 By Tashi Tshewang The Annual Dham (Nye) Puja of Sektena Chiwog was observed in Sektena from January 14 to 15, coinciding with the celebration of MagaySakrati, the Hindu New Year. The two-day religious event brought together devotees from Dumtoe and Denchukha gewogs under Samtse Dzongkhag, along with …

…𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔 By Tashi Tshewang Chhukha dzongkhag and affected local communities have expressed strong and unanimous support for the 570 MW Wangchhu Hydropower Project, reaffirming Bhutan’s commitment to renewable energy expansion and long-term energy security. The endorsement came during a public consultation held on January 12 in Jigmechhu, where communities from Bongo and …

…𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒎 By Kezang ChodenThe Bhutan Integrated Tourism Master Plan 2025-2034 lays out a comprehensive roadmap to transform the country’s tourism sector into a sustainable driver of national development. Building on Bhutan’s long-standing High Value, Low Volume policy, the plan seeks to position the country …

…𝑹𝑺𝑷𝑵 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 16 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅’𝒔 𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒅𝒔 By Kezang Choden According to the 2025 Annual Report of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), Bhutan’s population of the endangered White-bellied Heron has increased to 29 individuals, marking a 16 percent rise from 25 …