Farmers in the country will soon have access to improved seeds which will help in enhancing food and nutritional security. This is because the country has agreed to promote cross-country seed-sharing with other countries from Asia and the Pacific at the Regional Cooperation for Seed Sharing Conference in Thimphu. The two-day conference ended on Wednesday.

The Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa has declared three more candidates and the party secretary general for the upcoming parliamentary elections. With this, the party has declared 15 candidates so far.

The discussion on the Civil Liability Bill has led to confusion among members of the National Assembly. The deliberations on the Bill today were cut short with the house breaking for a plenary session after most members said it was too complex and technical. The bill was deliberated and adopted by the National Council during the last session where it was submitted as a Private Member’s Bill. A Private Member’s Bill is a legislative bill introduced by any member of the parliament other than a minister.

During the deliberations on the bill yesterday, the House endorsed an additional recommendation to provide a uniform carriage charge of Nu 40,000 to all civil servants during transfer and retirement. The house also adopted its Economic and Finance Committee’s recommendation to provide duty vehicles for all MPs. These recommendations drew a lot of attention on social media. While many applauded the National Assembly’s decision on the uniform carriage charge, the recommendation to provide duty vehicles for all MPs drew even more criticism. Our correspondents in the districts compiled public opinions on this.

Many people are following the discussion of the Property Tax Bill 2022. While the National Assembly has already passed the Bill, the National Council will adopt the Bill next week. There is a general consensus among the people BBS talked to that the tax has to be revised, however, they are worried about the rate at which the tax is being revised. 

Applicants interested to invest in mining and those seeking to lease mines will no longer need to physically visit the office to submit and track their applications. They can now apply it online by using the newly launched Mines and Administration System. The system worth Nu 2.98 M efficiently streamlines the overall application procedures for mining. It is developed as a part of ICT initiatives of the 12th Five Year Plan by the Department of Geology and Mines under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.