Bhutan Daily News 24-06-23

𝗛𝗛 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗲 𝗞𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗽𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗵𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿

His Holiness the Je Khenpo has appointed the new chief auditor of the Zhung Dratshang, the new principal of the Phochhu Dumra central monastic school and the new Lams for the Drakna Goempa and Dongkola monasteries. The new appointees received Dhar from His Holiness at the Trashichhoedzong this morning.

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𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆

Bhutan has made history at the Five Nation Championship as the senior men’s national basketball team clinched Bhutan’s first international trophy at the expense of Bangladesh. The match was played last night. In a nerve-racking final, Bhutan came from behind late into the match to secure a memorable victory in the Maldives. The match was watched by thousands of Bhutanese supporters back home.

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Her Majesty Gyalyum Tshering Yangdoen Wangchuck and His Royal Highness Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel graced the ceremony to install Sertog on the Utse of Chari Monastery this morning.

The ceremony held to install the Sertog (golden pinnacle) was led by the Dorji Lopen. Chari Monastery, which was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in 1620, is of immense historical and spiritual importance to Bhutan. Major restoration works of the monastery started in 2016, overseen by the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development. The works include reconstruction of significant structures within the Monastery, as well as fortifying the surroundings to improve safety and access to the 400-year old monastery. The restoration project is expected to be completed in 2024.

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𝗡𝗖'𝘀 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

The Economic Affairs Committee of the National Council made two more recommendations on the Budget report. They were presented during deliberations on the Annual Budget Appropriation Bill and Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill at the National Council today. The committee recommended the government to direct the National Statistics Bureau to reexamine the method of calculating inflation and ensure that the calculation reflects the economic reality in Bhutan. Likewise, the committee also recommended the government to work closely with the Royal Monetary Authority to avert the possible violation of the Constitution and any other economic risks arising from the rapid depletion of the foreign reserves. The House endorsed the two bills without any amendments. The Budget Report along with the Annual Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2023-2024 and Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2022-2023 will be put to vote on Tuesday for formal endorsement or adoption.

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𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆

During the question hour session in the National Assembly today, Jomotshangkha-Martshala’s member of parliament Norbu Wangzom raised the concern of timely referral of patients and challenges faced by the patients and their attendants in India. The MP highlighted that cancer patients and their attendants are facing accommodation problems as they have to stay in India for years. However, the health minister said there is no delay in referral services while sharing the ministry’s plans to start medical services requiring ex-country referrals.

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𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗸𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 & 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀

Two students from the Draktsho Vocational Training Centre have bagged gold and silver medals at the ongoing Special Olympics World Games in Germany. 17-year-old Nima Yoezer won gold in the shot-put category. Similarly, 19-year-old Dechen Pem secured silver in the same category. Four students from Draktsho are representing Bhutan in the World Games. Tomorrow, 39-year-old Pelden will compete in the 100-meter men’s track race. More than 7,000 athletes from around 170 countries are competing in 24 sports disciplines at the event. The Special Olympics World Games is an international sporting event for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

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𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆

Paddy growers across the country are expecting a lower yield this year due to the delayed onset of the monsoon. As a result, most of them have decided to focus on cultivating enough paddy for their consumption. The delay in monsoon has significantly impacted farming practices in the country. In districts that rely on rainwater for irrigation, paddy cultivation has started later than usual.

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𝗦𝗢𝗘𝘀' 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

Finance Minister Namgay Tshering says the pay revision for State-Owned Enterprises will depend on if the boards of these entities utilize their operational and capital investment subsidies for a pay hike. This was revealed when the minister was responding to Opposition Leader Dorji Wangdi’s question today on why the employees of State-Owned Enterprises being public servants were not included in the 6th Pay Revision Report. Article 30 of the Constitution mandates the Pay Commission to recommend to the government, revisions in the structure of salary, allowances, benefits, and other emoluments of civil servants, elected leaders, and other public servants among others.

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𝗡𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗲𝗹 & 𝗠𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝗠𝗼𝗘𝗦𝗗 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

The Education Minister was questioned on the government’s plans to provide students of special education needs with opportunities for further studies or employment. The Tashichhoeling MP Dil Maya Rai, citing the Changangkha School as an example, shared that SEN students cannot continue their education after reaching the age of 16 and that there are limited job opportunities for them. Responding to the question, the Education minister said there is no such age limit. He also shared that there are schools such as the Wangsel and Muenselling Institutes that provide high school and undergraduate studies and that there are plans to upgrade them further.

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𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝗻𝘀

The Dratshang Lhentshog and UNICEF Bhutan have launched an Information Management System for monks and nuns in the country. The Tsugla Lopon of the Central Monastic Body graced the event in the capital today. The system is designed to meet the needs and requirements for monastic education such as having data and information of monks and nuns online. Similarly, the Dratshang Lhentshog in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, the Akelius Foundation, and UNICEF also launched the Akelius project. Through this project, monks and nuns can learn English using an application. It will be a pilot project.