Bhutan Daily News 28-06-23

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗶-𝗚𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗶 𝗕𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

A couple is still missing after the Kuri-Gongri Bailey Bridge collapsed early this morning. The couple, a driver and his wife from Tsirang was travelling in a 10-wheeler dumper truck ferrying bricks to the Gyalsung Project in Monggar. The Nganglam-Gyalpozhing highway will remain closed until further notice. The bridge was reconstructed after it collapsed in May.

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𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝘀𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀

Bhutanese working in embassies, missions and consulates will now get a lump sum allowance instead of containers and carriage of personal effects when transferred. The Finance Minister highlighted this change in the Pay Revision Bill during the National Council session today. This section was also reflected in the Pay Structure Reform Act of Bhutan 2022. Until now, Foreign Service members when transferred were eligible for a 20 feet container or truck and a carriage of a personal vehicle.

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𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮-𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

The National Council adopted the Annual Budget Appropriation Bill for the upcoming financial year and the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill for Financial Year 2022 to 2023 today. All 23 members present, voted in favour of the two bills.

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𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿

The members of the National Council raised their concerns on how the government is going to align the pay structure of the private and corporate employees with that of civil servants. The members questioned the finance minister at the introduction of the Pay Revision Bill in the National Council today. Civil servants are to see a pay revision of at least 55 per cent of the minimum pay scale across all position levels for the civil servants and public servants.

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𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹

The National Council has adopted the National Digital Identity Bill with recommendations of including two new sections. The house has recommended that the National Digital Identity Company shall be formed as a public limited company with all of its shares to be owned by the Druk Holding and Investments. Similarly, the house has also recommended that the offences and penalties mentioned in the bill shall be in accordance with the Penal Code of Bhutan. Moreover, six new definitions and minor changes have also been recommended in the bill. It has been forwarded to the National Assembly and will be re-deliberated on Thursday.

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More than 13,000 devotees are receiving Wang-Lung-Thri on sacred works of Longchen Rabjam from Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche at the Tharpaling Monastery in Bumthang.

The two-week-long religious ceremony which began last Friday is expected to conclude on the 7th of next month. Besides local devotees, a few foreigners are also attending the empowerment and transmission ceremony. Tharpaling is among the eight seats of Longchen Rabjam in Bhutan. Born in the 14th century, Longchen Rabjam was one of the foremost Dzongchen masters.

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𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀

For working parents struggling with childcare concerns, you can now hire foreign child caregivers. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment launched its “Foreign Child Caregiver” project a few weeks ago. The project is aimed at easing the challenges associated with balancing work and childcare responsibilities. It is also to encourage families to have more children.

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𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 “𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽” 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

Has the government lived up to its promise of narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots, the rich and the poor? This was one of the questions raised during the question hour session of the National Assembly today. Narrowing the Gap is Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa’s party slogan and their overarching goal according to the party’s 2018 manifesto.

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𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Karma Donnen Wangdi, the former minister for erstwhile Information and Communications Ministry, has resigned from the post of the Member of Parliament for the Gelephu constituency. According to a news release from the National Assembly, the Speaker has accepted the resignation letter. The former minister voluntarily stepped down from his cabinet position in April this year after the reorganisation of ten ministries to nine.

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Wangdue Rabdey unfurled the Thongdroel of Guru Tshengay, the mega portrait of Guru Rinpoche's eight manifestations and other sacred relics of the dzong to public for the first time after the reconstruction of the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong.

Hundreds of devotees gathered to receive blessings. It is being displayed to commemorate the Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpochhe today.