Award for Bhutan

November 18 – The health minister, Lyonpo Zanglay Dukpa, left for Hanoi, Vietnam, to receive an award on behalf of the government for maintaining immunisation coverage over 95 percent since 2005. The award will be bestowed on the eve of the 10th anniversary of global alliance for vaccine initiative (GAVI), on November 19. The minister will also attend the 4th GAVI partner’s forum to be held from November 18 to 19 with a theme “Towards 2015: Responding to the Call for Life-saving Vaccines.” GAVI... Read more

US company eyes Bhutanese water

November 13 – An American real estate and construction company ‘Carpenter and company inc’ wants to invest in Bhutan’s mineral water resources, albeit with a clause that it be given exclusive rights to sell the water outside the India and Bhutan region. The company has been holding talks with Druk holdings investment (DHI) as a potential foreign direct investment (FDI) partner. This has already raised opposition from those involved in the water sector, like Bhutan agro industries, saying... Read more

GNH guarantees human rights

November 13 – Bhutan’s experience of democracy, Gross National Happiness, women and child’s rights, an independent judiciary and the issue of the people in the camps in Nepal form the core of the report on the human rights (HR) situation in the country, which will be presented to the human rights council (HRC) in Geneva on December 4. On the experiences and challenges of a parliamentary democracy, the report states that the government is aware of its responsibility to make democracy an... Read more

Will Bhutan green policy bear fruit?

November 13 – Bhutan will join 192 countries with three key negotiation points when they sit at the 15th session of the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), also called COP15, which will take place in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, next month. Bhutan’s special focus is on the adaptation fund, reward for conserving and managing sustainable forest and simplifying procedures to obtain green technology projects under clean development mechanism (CDM). “Bhutan is... Read more

Thai interest in Bhutanese mini hydels

November 11 - Two major Thai electricity companies, electricity generating authority of Thailand (EGAT) and provincial electricity authority (PEA) are exploring the possibility of constructing mini hydropower stations in Bhutan in collaboration with the Bhutan Power corporation (BPC). The two parties have been cooperating in training of BPC personnel, the exchange of technical and executive personnel to work on sites in both Bhutan and Thailand, and on upgrading electrical transmission systems technology... Read more

Himalayan bear killed by tiger

November 11 – In the first recorded incident of its kind in Bhutan, a Himalayan black bear was killed and eaten by a royal Bengal tiger in the Jigme Dorji national park. The carcass of the bear, with only its head, skin and paws remaining, was discovered by a team of foresters in Domenda, two days walk from Dodena in Thimphu, on November 7 at an altitude of 4,079 m. The kill has thrown up several questions on tigers being found at such high altitudes in winter, the relationship between bears... Read more

Combined Thai-Bhutan celebrations

10 November, 2009 – “It goes without saying that our great kings have done a great deal for the development, happiness and well being of our respective countries and people. That is why you in Bhutan love and respect your great kings greatly, that is why we in Thailand love and respect our great king greatly, and that is why we have gathered here tonight,” said Thailand’s ambassador to Bhutan, Chalermpol Thanchitt. The Thai ambassador and his wife, Sutida Thanchitt, played host to more... Read more

Misgivings on inter-govt. model

November 10 – According to a Times of India (ToI) news story, India’s investment in Bhutan’s 10,000 MW hydro projects could have an adverse impact on their annual budgetary provisions if it is in the ‘inter-government model,’ according to records of a recent meeting called by the Indian power sector officials. The record, according to ToI, says that India, under the inter-government arrangement, is committed to building projects of 10,000 MW by 2020. For this to happen, India will... Read more

Bangladesh PM on first visit to Bhutan

November 6: The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, will arrive today in Thimphu on a four-day state visit at the invitation of Lyonchhoen Jigme Y Thinley. This is her first visit to Bhutan and her first bilateral visit in the South Asian region since she was elected as Prime Minister last December. Sheikh Hasina is leading a 48-member delegation comprising cabinet ministers and senior officials. During her visit, the Prime Minister will receive an audience with His Majesty the King at Tashichhodzong.... Read more

Govt. put brakes on car tax proposal

November 6: With growing public disapproval on the car tax proposal the government is taking a step back by saying that people buying just one car should not be taxed. “Before the end of the financial year we hope to come up with a proposal where people buying just one car a family is not taxed,” said the minister of information and communications, Lyonpo Nanda Lal Rai. “But the government will have to consider taxing those buying more than one car.” He also said that his cabinet colleagues... Read more

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