Fourth thromde elections set for July 15

The dhamngoi zomdu (candidate selection meetings) for Thrompon candidates will begin for the fourth local government elections of Thimphu and Phuentsholing Thromde Tshogdes, scheduled for July 15, according to the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB).

International review puts country’s forest carbon credits within reach

Bhutan has taken a step closer to joining international forest carbon markets with the launch of an independent assessme...

Drayang closure to remain permanent

More than two years after promising to review the closure of drayangs, the government has ruled out the possibility of reviving the entertainment venues, signalling a definitive end to an industry that once formed a significa...

The house that must never be empty

It has been less than a month since Rinchen Yangzom moved into the Bjarpa community house beside Ngangla Lhakhang in Ngangla Trong. For the next three years, this is her home. She cannot leave it for a single day.

Empowering women through waste upcycling

After receiving training from Women’s Self-Support Group on Waste Management in 2023 on crafting new products from plastic waste, Jamyang Choden, 44, from Lhuentse, decided to give it a try.

Educated Tshogpa paves way for younger highlanders

An educated youth has shattered traditional age boundaries to get elected as Tshogpa, completely rewriting what leadersh...

NA directs talks on reducing high lending rates to ease burden

Banks in the country maintain high lending rates and low returns on deposits, which continue to strain businesses, parti...

BLDCL at loggerheads with private retail outlets and distributors

Private livestock dealers claim a state-owned corporation lured them into investing, only to turn around and aggressivel...

DoT spends 85 percent of budget, but key infrastructure projects lag behind

The Department of Tourism spent over 85 per cent of its budget, yet critical tourism infrastructure is still lagging. Wh...

NC supports Renewable Energy Tax Exemption Bill

Are we giving away massive corporate tax exemptions until 2040 without a fallback plan? While the government pushes forw...

NC endorses annual budget as per NA

The National Council yesterday deliberated on the National Budget Report for FY 2026–27, the Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2026–27, and the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2025–26.

Bhutan to pilot green finance taxonomy from June

Bhutan will begin testing its expanded Green Finance Taxonomy 2026 with a six-month pilot from June to November, before...

Stop recording, start living

Like television, the internet, and AI, TikTok can be a force for good or bad. It entirely depends on how it is used.

Stop recording, start living

Like television, the internet, and AI, TikTok can be a force for good or bad. It entirely depends on how it is used.

Ask Mr Bhutan: “Money can’t buy happiness.” Is it true, when everything is dependent on money?

Once born into a physical body, there are certain absolute necessities without which most of us are incapable of experie...

Duchen Nga Zom: What a butter lamp and a few flower petals can teach us

Duchen Nga Zom is a duzom—an auspicious convergence of sacred time within the Buddhist calendar, marked by the meeting o...

The virus, the fear, and the freedom beyond both

Hantavirus is not a single virus but a family of rodent-borne viruses that occasionally spill over into humans, sometime...

Whose face are you wearing?

The desire for happiness is universal, and beauty, prestige, and wealth have always been seen as pathways to achieve it. In that sense, this is nothing new.

A memoir of hustle and heartache

From monastery to street: A Bhutanese case for rap

Café by the waterfall

About six kilometres before Trongsa town, just past the Bjee Zam Bridge, a traditional one-storey house appears on the left of the highway. It is not easy to miss. This modest structure...

Where tradition meets treatment

In Bhutan, healing is not a choice between past and present but a collaboration between the two. Across the country, patients move between modern clinics and traditional medicine units with ease, guided as much by...

Reform or stay shut

The closure of drayangs (entertainment centres) is an issue that most sensible Bhutanese, except perhaps the operators, have supported. While the current government may have pledged during the campaign to review the previous government’s decision to shut them down, any sane government should not back down from that closure.

Overseas employment isn’t the solution

The conflict in the Middle East has once again exposed our dependence on overseas employment as a pressure valve for domestic unemployment.

United for Project 108

Bhutanese, friends of Bhutan, and our well-wishers are willingly answering the call to fulfill the Royal vision of erecting 108 Jangchub Choetens along the Mao Chhu in Gelephu Mindfulnes...

Banks can unlock growth through affordable credit

Financial institutions are the lifeblood of any modern economy. They mobilise savings, allocate capital, manage risk, an...

A missed opportunity

The Thromde election process has begun, with the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) notifying registered voters in Thimphu and Phuentsholing thromdes who are eligible for postal v...

Chain-link fencing: somebody’s gain, another’s loss

Chain-link fencing is perhaps one of the most viable solutions policymakers have managed to narrow down in the long and...

Fixing and fine-tuning GST regime

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was never going to be an easy transition. Major tax reforms rarely are. Introduced in January this year, GST was envisioned as a modern tax system, replacing an outdated framework...

Insolvency law, a long overdue

Bhutan’s economy has changed dramatically since the Bankruptcy Act of 1999 was enacted. Back then, the private sector was small, cross-border trade was limited, and the financial system was far less complex.

GMC was a masterstroke

The conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted the global economy and fueled uncertainties, has led investors to question whether oil-rich nations remain a safe haven. As the confl...

Fighting online scams

The digital age has transformed Bhutanese society in ways unimaginable in just a decade or two. Social media and online platforms have opened enormous opportunities for communication,...