Monthly Archives: December, 0

Leaving the designated market at Bjichulum, vendors of Toedpaisa Gewog in Punakha are back to selling vegetables along the Thimphu-Punakha national highway. Considering the risks associated with doing business on the roadsides, the gewog administration built temporary sheds at Bjichulum in April last year.

With more farmers into growing winter vegetables, even with the COVID situation, plenty of vegetables will hit the market during the winter this time. Following the district's support for land development works and assistance for farming equipment, farmers in Rilangthang under Sergithang Gewog in Tsirang are into large scale vegetable productions. 

Farmers of Yoomdhang village under Ngangla Gewog in Zhemgang are relieved to see their farm road restored. The farm road restoration comes at a time when the winter vegetable cultivation is in full swing and the mandarin season is approaching. Locals say the accessibility to a farm road will help them transport local produce to Panbang.

Bhutan has been dealing with stray dog problems for decades. It is an issue even today. According to a survey, Paro has the highest dog density in the country. More than 8,000 dogs are in the district. And over 50% are stray dogs.  But efforts to mitigate the problem continue. Mass dog sterilization and vaccination program through community adoption is in full swing under the dog population management flagship program.

With most of the flights grounded by the COVID-19 situation since March after the travel restriction was imposed, the two airlines in the country have been counting losses in millions. And today, some employees are measuring the losses in job losses and pay cuts.

Justice delayed is justice denied. This popular perception of court delay reinforced by assumptions that it is for rich and powerful people is widely held amongst people. Therefore, delay in trial's prosecution and a court's system in Bhutan has received a lot of attention, both from poor and rich, young and old. On the other hand, talking to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the office as a constitutional body has a few plans to bring changes in these systematic issues to fast track service delivery and prosecution of cases.

The traders in Jaigaon, India are happy as they could exchange more than Nu 800 M through the Royal Monetary Authority in Phuentshogling. The move is expected to resolve the current rupee crisis in the neighbouring border town.

For those interested to take up banking profession will have to undergo a mandatory Certificate in Banking Program soon. The Financial Institutions Training Institute (FITI) launched the Certificate in Banking Program in Thimphu today. Certificate in Banking is a long term modularised flagship program offered for those employees working in financial sectors and for those who aspire to take the banking profession.

The paddy harvest season has already set in. And in Zhemgang, after several years of bad harvest, some farmers are finally reaping a bountiful yield. They say that they received a generous rainfall during the transplantation period. At the same time, they did not lose the crop to wild animal attacks.

With the majority of Bhutanese population depending on agriculture for livelihood and farming sector highlighted as the country’s main driver of self-sufficiency, efforts are ongoing to make the best of country’s limited arable land. In Pema Gatshel, the Chongshing Gewog Administration is helping its farmers turn their sloped lands into cultivable fields. This is the first time in the district that a gewog administration is allocating a separate budget for land management.