As opposed to the National Assembly’s recommendation, the Office of the Prime Minister will continue to function under the Cabinet Secretariat. This was what the joint committee of the Lhengye Zhungtshog Bill, 2020 recommended. The joint sitting of the Parliament endorsed the recommendation today. The National Assembly, during the fourth session of the third Parliament, recommended that there should be a dedicated Secretariat office for the Prime Minister which the National Council did not approve.
As per the joint committee’s recommendation, the Prime Minister’s Office under the Cabinet Secretariat will have adequate and specialized staff and the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) will provide the specialized staff. The joint committee amended the sections concerning the recruitment and remunerations of specialized staff. According to the joint committee’s recommendation, the RCSC will recruit certain specialized professionals on contract as per the Civil Service Act in case specialized staff are not available within the civil service. The committee also recommended that remunerations, allowances and service conditions of the specialized staff will be governed by the Civil Service Act. The National Assembly’s recommended that the specialized staff can be recruited either from the civil service or outside it and that the Prime Minister shall determine the remunerations for these staff in consultation with the finance ministry.
The joint committee recommended inserting these sections under Chapter nine which pertains to Cabinet Secretariat and not as a new chapter. Previously, the National Assembly proposed to include these sections under the Office of the Prime Minister as a new chapter. However, the National Council did not accept it.
Today, at the joint sitting, most members of the parliament supported the joint committee’s recommendation.
“Enough manpower is required and it is not possible to say how many will staff will be required. As per the Civil Service Act and Rules and Regulations, RCSC will give accordingly,” said Dorji Khandu, National Council’s Member of Parliament from Gasa.
“I support the recommendation. The recommendation says the Royal Civil Service Commission shall provide specialized professionals. And even if the office recruits professionals besides RCSC, they won’t recruit as they wish,” added Dawa, National Assembly’s Member of Parliament from Chhoekhor-Tang constituency in Bumthang.
The Bill will now be submitted to His Majesty The King for Royal Assent.
Karma Wandgi / Tshering Zam
