Bhutan Daily News 20-03-23

1. Rural communities in Bhutan and throughout the world live with the impacts of climate change in the form of floods, irregular rain, droughts, pest infestations and diseases among others. However, climate financing to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change in local communities is almost non-existent. The need for climate financing in local governance was the highlight of discussions during the recent capacity development workshop for the media fraternity and financial institutions in Paro.

2. A 52-year-old man and a 19-year-old male succumbed to the injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident yesterday. The accident took place in Khaling, Trashigang at around 10:00 PM.

3. Bhutan’s senior men’s national football team left for Nepal today to play in the Prime Minister Three Nations Cup. The tournament will start on Wednesday.

4. Situated in the young Himalayan range, Bhutan is prone to earthquakes. And building earthquake-resilient structures is crucial. To test the strength of the composite masonry structures to earthquakes, the Department of Culture in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA conducted the final test and demonstration recently. The demonstration marked the end of the six-year project.

5. Oral health among Bhutanese remains poor with an increasing number of dental caries or tooth decay cases. This is according to the preliminary report on the National Oral Health Survey which was conducted last year. Health officials said the incidents of dental caries among young children and adults are more than 80 per cent at the World Oral Health Day celebration in Thimphu today. Officials attribute it to poor eating habits and flaws in brushing technique.

6. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in domestic violence cases in the country and across the world. However, last year saw a decline in domestic violence cases in the country. As per the statistics maintained by Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women (RENEW), domestic violence cases reduced to 555 last year from more than 700 cases the year earlier.

7. Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering visits European Bank Headquarters in Luxembourg and had meeting with Vice President Kris Peeters and his team to discuss investment opportunities. Prime Minister's Office - PMO, Bhutan

8. World Consumer Rights Day - Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions was observed on 15 March to increase public awareness of consumer rights, consumer protection, and empowerment as well as to call attention to a serious issue that has an impact on consumers worldwide.

9. In response to a request from the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB), the Government of India (GoI) has made an amendment to its import policy.

This exception will allow the import of 10,000 metric tonnes (MT) of marble from Bhutan under Indian Trade Classification (ITC), Harmonised System (HS) Codes 2515 and 6802 on an annual basis without a Minimum Import Price (MIP).