Monthly Archives: December, 0

Supporting the government's endeavour to bring about transformational changes in the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and TVET Reform Project Office signed a Statement of Intent last Friday.

Nganglam under Pema Gatshel now has a mini dry port to facilitate smooth imports and exports of essentials during the pandemic. The Eastern COVID-19 Coordination Office and Nganglam Dungkhag Administration constructed the port as an interim measure. It will also serve as the first layer containment area for imported goods for most of the eastern districts.  

The National Assembly ratified the Convention on Framework Agreement between the Royal Government of Bhutan and European Investment Bank (EIB) Governing Activities in Bhutan. 

The East-West highway widening works are expected to complete only by next one to two years. This was shared by the Minister for Works and Human Settlement during the question hour session of the National Assembly today. Missing several deadlines, the completion of the East-West highway widening project had always been a recurring question raised during every parliament session since the start of the project in 2014.

The project to connect Jachhu(Muga) in Gakiling Gewog of Sarpang with the national power grid will resume this month. The electrification works, which began in October last year, came to an abrupt halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a concessional loan of USD 18.5 M and a grant of USD 10 M as additional financing today for the Phuentshogling Township Development Project. As per the press release from the ADB, this additional financing will continue funding the ongoing activities until their successful completion, targeted in 2025.

Thimphu police arrested two more business owners for operating after 9 PM yesterday. Police forwarded the cases to the court today and they will be charged for Breaching Public Order and Tranquility as per section 448 of the Penal Code of Bhutan.

The COVID-19 situation has affected Gelegphu's mandarin export. It delayed the business by almost a month. Normally, by this time of the season, the export would have picked pace with 10 to 15 truckloads of mandarin already dispatched to Bangladesh.

For some 170 nuns of Kuenga Rabten nunnery in Trongsa, to continue living at the present location is becoming riskier by the day. Unusual cracks have developed on the walls of their homes, the main temple, and around the campus since last year. And these cracks, they say, are widening gradually.

The much-awaited blacktopping of the Korphu Gewog Centre road in Trongsa will begin from next month. And by January next year, people can look forward to using a surfaced road, which they feel, is one of the main drivers of improving the socio-economic conditions of rural people.