In his address to the nation on the 111th National Day, His Majesty The King said there are more than 29,000 civil servants working in various ministries and agencies of the government, around 13,000 personnel in the armed forces, more than 7,700 in various companies under DHI, and 3,300 in the State Owned Enterprises under the finance ministry.
This brings the total number of public servants, whose salaries and benefits are granted by the state, to around 54,000.
“On one hand, this is good news for us- it means there is one public servant for every 13 Bhutanese citizens,” His Majesty said.
“However, with such large numbers, there is a risk that our public servants can become an impediment to national development and progress. The greatest danger will come from their complacency and indifference.”
His Majesty said the public servants will fail in their duty if they do not learn from past mistakes and correct them, if they are unreceptive to feedback, if they lack accountability, if they are unresponsive to new ideas and solutions, if they have poor communication and coordination, or if organizations expand and multiply without direction or coherent vision.
“In this case, even our best intentions will bear no results. Instead, all we will have are missed opportunities and a debilitating waste of time and resources.”
“If, in the next 10 to 15 years, we achieve all our national objectives, the credit will go to our public servants. However, if we fail, it will mean that the public servants have failed.”
His Majesty said Bhutan’s most important long-term national goals include enhancing the country’s security and sovereignty, promoting its unique traditions and cultural heritage, conserving environment, promoting peaceful and harmonious coexistence with other nations, and enhancing the reputation and national identity of the glorious nation of Palden Drukpa.
His Majesty said as a small country and a country like no other, Bhutan is in a position to be more efficient and effective than others. “What others can do in a decade, we can and should accomplish in a few years. What others manage in years, we can and should achieve in months.”
His Majesty added “it must always be our constant endeavor to perform better, carry out tasks with greater efficiency, effectiveness and grace, and become exceptional in the world”.
“As I have said many times before- if we are firm in our resolve, we will succeed and overcome the constraints posed by limited resources,” His Majesty said.
“Looking ahead, we have a new five-year Plan, and a great number of responsibilities of national importance before us. We must work together in order to build an extraordinary, strong, secure, and peaceful future for Bhutan.”
