The details of the 13th Plan are out. The total budget for the Plan is more than Nu 512 billion, a 63 percent increase from the 12th Plan.

With the details now out, we are looking at a massive plan that has considered a 10-year strategic framework, looking beyond the next five years. The 13th Plan, like the Prime Minister announced, is critical as Bhutan stands at a crossroads. Besides the size of the Plan, it is the starting point of making Bhutan not only  rich but also a high-income GNH country in the next decade, by 2034.

The Plan, according to the government, is a transformative agenda designed to address the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. Many will understand the Plan as they have already read the details and scrutinised the budget allocated in their interest areas. What we can surmise, going by the document, is that the 13th Plan is an inclusive plan calling on all agencies, local or central, to take ownership in implementing, monitoring and taking accountability.

What is encouraging, even as we kickstart the biggest Plan in terms of budget size and activities, is the support of our development partners. There is the commitment from out reliable partners in our furthering our priorities. This should be welcomed as many speed bumps along our development journey could be smoothened out. For Bhutan’s small economy to expand, we need the support and commitment of our development partners. 

There is a palpable optimism in the air. Bhutan is embarking on a journey from a donor-dependent to a high-income country. The priorities are set with achieving economic development, if not economic independence, being the main goal, and understanding the importance of other priorities like infrastructure, digitisation, agricultural advancement, health, education and tourism to be implemented in consultation with local government, private sector, farmers and government agencies.

The priorities of the 13th Plan are also in line with addressing our key development challenges and transitioning to a sustainable and prosperous economy. Earlier this year, we launched what is called the “Taking the Green growth Agenda Forward” initiative, which is in line with the Plan. Bhutan’s development, guided by our GNH philosophy, is a proof that economic growth is possible without harming the environment. The 13th Plan aims at strategic shifts in implementing GNH to meet our evolving needs, finding the middle path for economic development.

However, how the new Plan transforms Bhutan will be closely followed as we start the activities. For skeptics, these are no new priorities, perhaps. We have been building roads since the first Plan, talking about food self-sufficiency, energy, and more. What will transform will depend on the commitment of the government and its machinery to roll out the planned activities. 

A good reference point is the Flagship Programmes of the 12th Plan. After the initial hype, there are many questions – what have we achieved after spending millions? What is the progress?  Will they be carried over in the current plan? Will newer priorities overshadow the flagship programmes?

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