Stopping imports not an answer: PM

PM-Import-MeetThePressThe Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, hinted that the import ban could be lifted in the near future. The Prime Minister was responding to a question on keeping the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country at 10 percent as PDP had pledged during Meet the Press, today. Lyonchhen said that in order to strengthen a country’s economy imports and economic activities were very important.

“Both savings and investments will expand our GDP and will be good for the long term. We have to learn to produce more, so that we can balance our trade.”

The Prime Minister said stopping imports is not the answer. “We have stopped imports, the last government stopped imports; that is not the answer. That is cutting off the nose just to spite the face.” Lyonchhen said in order to strengthen Bhutanese economy, local production needs to replace some of the unnecessary imports. “We need to produce more domestically so that we can export. We have free trade with India. We have the world’s biggest emerging middle class just outside our border.”

During the program the Prime Minister was also questioned on the progress of the one hundred day pledges of the PDP government. Lyonchhen said, of the 34 pledges nine have been fulfilled.  They are free electricity to rural households and the meet the people programme.

He said PDP’s pledge of doing away with the preliminary examinations of those sitting for the Bhutan Civil Service Examinations is yet to be fulfilled.

Lyonchhen said the rest of the pledges are all works in progress.

The government will complete hundred days of being in the power on November 5.

Top Stories

Related Stories

5 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Comments

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube