The capital city is, once again, under excavation. From Motithang to Babesa, roads and drains are being dug out severing water, electricity, cable and internet lines, and making roads narrower. The works are to improve our drainage system and other amenities. While improvements are most appreciated, the inconvenience caused is not.
The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a major fiscal reform in recent years. These new reforms are part of a broader effort to modernise the country’s tax system to make tax...
Two decades ago, in February 2005, Kuensel increased its publication frequency to twice a week. This move was a direct response to our readers’ growing needs and a conscious preparation for the nation’s ongoing political evolution. By 2009, embracing further growth, we transitioned to become a daily newspaper.
Over the years, the civil society sector has quietly assumed a critical role in bridging policy and people. Often referred to as the third sector, CSOs have emerged as indispensable partners in Bhutan’s...
The debate on private sector participation in healthcare has reached an unhelpful impasse. This is mainly because it is shaped more by...
The Royal Audit Authority’s (RAA) latest annual report is disturbing, to say the least. Financial irregular...
The Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) investigation into the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) loan was meant to settle a controversy that had raged on for months. In some narrow legal sense, it does. The ACC found no criminal intent, no bribery, no quid pro quo that meets legally defined thresholds for corruption.
The fourth round of the Gelephu Mindfulness City volunteer programme, which drew a record 10,000 participants, pushing total participation beyond 22,500, must be celebrated as a nati...
The parliamentary endorsement of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Thailand marks a watershed moment in Bhutan’s economic history. Set to...
The shortage of farm labour is a real problem faced by farming households across the country. Over the years, this has undermined productivity, escalated food prices, and led to a stea...
For 15-year-old Nima Dema, a student from Tendruk Central School in Samtse, the opportunity to take part in the ongoing National Unified Sports Competition has been special. Despite living with an eye condition, her disability has done little to dissuade her from participating in sports.
The resumption of works on the 1,200-megawatt Punatsangchhu Hydropower Project I offers a flicker of hope. After all, the hydropower project is going to be...
Bhutan’s clean air is becoming a comforting myth—pleasant to repeat, dangerous to believe. For years, we have worn the reputation for pristine air like a badge of honour. Snow-fed rivers, forested hills, and l...
We love to talk about innovation, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance. In fact, we use these words in excess in policy documents, speeches, and conferences. Yet, on the ground,...
The 118th National Day of Bhutan, celebrated in the sacred Bumthang Valley at the historic Wangduechoeling Palace grounds, was more than a commemoration of nationhood. It was a moment of collective reflection and renewed purpose, set against a landscape that embodies Bhutan’s spiritual origins and continuity.
Some historic events are planned, others unfold as if by destiny, arriving at the opportune time for a profound reason. Today, as His Majesty the King addresses the nation from the Wangduechhoeling Palace grounds in Bumthang...
The civil service is the backbone of our nation’s development. From remote gewogs to the capital, civil servants have played a key role in keeping the government running and serving citizens...
The recently concluded SDG Impact Finance Forum showed the potential for global investments in the country.
The country’s plan to restore 50,000 hectares of degraded forests, farmlands, and urban lands is not simply an environmental initiative. It is a national ultimatum. We are standing at a point where the land that defines our identity is weakening under our watch.
This week, Australia enforced the ban on social media access for children under 16. This is unprecedented and bold. While some critics have labelled the ban harsh and even draconian, this new law i...
The government’s allocation of Nu 30 billion for education transformation in the 13th Plan, second only to the economic transformation budget, sends a p...
The discussion on tourism policy is like Atsara Phentho’s chham. In other words, a lot of motion without progress. On Monday, members of Parliament demanded accountability for the reforms they recomme...
The launch of the Gelephu–Kolkata international air route marks far more than the addition of a new flight on the country’s aviation map. It is a statement of intent – a signal of where we are headed, how prepared we are, and how seriously we are positioning ourselves for a future centered on connectivity – anchored by the vision of the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC).
Charmi Chheda’s relationship with the stage began long before she understood what theatre could mean. At eight years old...
The latest trade figures reveal a story written not just in ledgers, but in our daily choices.
The capital city is, once again, under excavation. From Motithang to Babesa, roads and drains are being dug out severing...
Three borrowers have refunded a combined Nu 240.48 million to the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) pool following the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) directive to submit action taken reports on procedural lapses identified in four projects.
Read MoreThe Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) has launched a nationwide review and redeployment exercise to address growing disparities in teacher distribution across schools, in wake of teacher shortages in key subjects and rising teacher attrition.
Read MoreBhutan is confronting a mounting demographic crisis that economists warn could undermine the country’s ambitious 10X National Economic Vision, as declining fertility, rising youth outmigration, and a rapidly ageing population begin to reshape the foundations of long-term economic growth.
Read MoreThe National Assembly yesterday tabled the Renewable Energy Tax Exemption Bill of Bhutan 2026, proposing time-bound and conditional tax breaks to attract investment and accelerate the development of hydropower, solar, and other renewable energy projects.
Read MoreThe 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 conflict drags on, investors are seeking to diversify away from Gulf nations, especially Dubai while navigating geopolitical tensions and global volatility.
Read MoreCharity has always been an inherent value of Bhutanese society. Neighbours lend a hand, communities pull together in sickness and death, and strangers step up in hard times.
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