KP Sharma

A total of 490 Bhutanese nationals have registered for the National Reintegration Programme (NRP) under the REVIVE initiative, according to the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, MoICE.

The registered returnees include 279 males and 211 females, an increase from 335 registrations in the first week of August last year.

The rise shows growing interest in the programme and the government’s efforts to help Bhutanese returnees reintegrate into the local workforce.

The NRP is designed to address the needs of Bhutanese returning from abroad by helping them integrate into the local job market.

The programme offers support in finding employment, exploring investment opportunities, and re-entering professional sectors.

However, it also faces challenges in terms of the job market’s capacity to absorb the returnees.

During the last Meet-the-Press session, MoICE Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji said that the NRP not only connected returnees with available job opportunities but also helped them explore investment options.

“If they want to invest in government agencies, the private sector, or start a new project based on their skills and experience, we are supporting them,” he said.

Lyonpo added that the government recognises the potential value returnees bring, as many have international experience and financial resources.

While the NRP aims to help returnees find employment, the immediate job market remains a challenge.

Lyonpo stated that those registered for employment have been referred to agencies such as the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), Druk Holding and Investment (DHI), and other sectors with available opportunities.

The civil service remains the largest employer of returnees, and with the regular appointment process for civil servants concluding in January, the exact number of vacancies for contract employees will be known after it.

However, Lyonpo clarified that the NRP is not intended to create new job opportunities but to help returnees integrate into existing sectors.

“Big companies will look at how the government works with returnees and will adjust their internal service rules to accommodate them,” he said.

To ensure the success of the NRP, the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship has been holding consultations with various stakeholders, including businesses and local organizations.

The ministry is also focused on providing career guidance, advocacy, and facilitating re-employment opportunities but stated the programme’s success will depend on the job market’s willingness to absorb returnees and the government’s ability to review and improve policies that support their reintegration.