The National Council will discuss Bhutan’s tourism related policies and programmes and youth unemployment issues for the first time in the upcoming session.
These issues are on the fore front of the national interest, according to the National Council’s Deputy Chairperson, Tshering Dorji. However, he said they were never reviewed by the house in the previous sessions comprehensively.
“Currently, the policy is targeted at bringing in high-end tourists. However, it seems there are some inconsistencies in way which it is being implemented.”
The Deputy Chairperson said they need to debate whether maintaining Bhutan as an exclusive destination for tourists is really going to help Bhutan or should tourism be openly liberalized.
The economic affairs committee of the house is studying tourism programmes while youth unemployment issue is being taken care by the social and cultural affairs committee. The two committees will present a report each in the upcoming session.
“We would really like to see whether there is really an issue called unemployment and how can it be addressed and what are the long term and short term solutions.”
NC MP Tshering Dorji said maybe they will be able to, through the discussions, give some recommendations for the considerations of the government in order to tackle the issue.
Apart from these two issues, the National Council will also discuss Election amendment bill, Entitlement and Service Conditions Amendment Bill 2014 for holders, members and commissioners of constitutional offices of Bhutan.
Hydropower policies and programmes, Annual Anti-Corruption Report of 2014 and Budget and Appropriation Bill for 2015-16 will also be discussed.
The parliament session will begin on May 8 and prolong until June 9.
