People of Bartsham Gewog in Trashigang are concerned as the Bhutan Development Bank’s field office in the gewog is set to close by the end of this month. The office has been providing the community with banking services since November 2017.
The Bhutan Development Bank office in Bartsham has been a convenient financial lifeline for residents over the past eight years.
But in just a few days, it will shut its doors, leaving many anxious about how they will access essential banking services.
Chador Tenzin, a resident of Bartsham said, “We cannot read and write, so we cannot use mobile phones. Having the bank here made it easy for us to save or withdraw small amounts.”
Bainang Khar- Nangkhar Tshogpa Sonam said, “Most of us rely on loans and cannot manage without them. Once this office closes, we’ll have to travel to Trashigang. That alone costs around Nu. 1,500 a day for food and transport. And sometimes the process can take four to five days, which is a huge burden for our farmers.”
“I deposit whatever I earn daily at the bank. It’s also easier and safer to transfer money when the bank is nearby. We don’t worry about theft, and we can repay our loans on time,” said Pema Wangdi, a shopkeeper in Bartsham Gewog.
Residents say they have appealed to local leaders to intervene.
Bartsham Gup Kelzang Dawa said, “Last month, I wrote to the Trashigang Branch Manager, and recently I sent another letter to the CEO. I asked for the reasons behind the closure and shared the people’s concerns. But we have received no response so far. There was no consultation with local leaders.”
To cut operational costs, the gewog administration has proposed allowing the bank to use the Community Centre for free and operate with one staff member.
In response, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer stated that the office is closing due to low daily transaction volume, averaging only about 11 transactions a day. However, the bank will continue offering services through the Farmers’ Outreach Banking program, in coordination with the gewog administration.
As for deploying just one staff member, the CEO said internal policy and risk control guidelines do not allow operation with a single official.
So far, nine such branch offices have been closed across the country, and five more are under review for possible closure.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
