The Cottage and Small Industry or CSI estate in Tsirang still remains a project under progress. This is about three years since it began. The estate was expected to home various manufacturing units, but not a single factory has been constructed. Entrepreneurs blame the covid pandemic and financial constraints as reasons for being unable to start the construction works.
The CSI estate is located at Changchay which lies at the base of Semjong Gewog. The project, worth around Nu 45.9 M, started in 2020 and was supposed to be completed in July 2021.
The project includes the construction of basic amenities like roads, water, electricity and offices, and manufacturing units.
The government has finished the construction of basic amenities including the installation of a wastewater treatment facility and solid waste management system.
But what still remain incomplete are the manufacturing units. Plots were allocated to nine individuals with different business ideas but not a single unit has been set up.
According to some plot owners, they could not start work due to challenges posed by the covid pandemic and also due to the moratorium on loans at the National CSI Development Bank and the Bhutan Development Bank.
During the Meet the Press session last month, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Lok Nath Sharma assured that the work progress is expected to gain momentum as the National CSI Development Bank and the Bhutan Development Bank have lifted the loan moratoriums for some selected business activities in some districts.
“We have distributed nine plots to interested individuals but construction works are affected due to the pandemic. The other reason is due to the country’s transformation and financial constraints since loans from the National CSI Development Bank and BDBL got frozen because of the Non-Performing Loans. These things have delayed the work. Now, vacant plots have been re-announced and the two banks have also started giving loans. We are expecting to complete the remaining work soon.”
Because there was no progress, the government took back ownership of eight plots out of nine in March this year and called for new proposals.
For now, only one entrepreneur who plans to start a fruit juice manufacturing unit has piled some construction materials at the site.
An official from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment said the business idea scrutiny for the new plot owners will be conducted in the coming weeks.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Tshering Zam
