Monthly Archives: December, 0

There is an urgent need to educate and empower children and youth on sexual and reproductive health and rights against the increasing number of child sexual abuse in the country. According to Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women (RENEW), a Civil Society Organisation, more than 500 rape cases were registered from 2009 to 2020. Of which 70 per cent of them were children.

The National CSI Development Bank in Paro is temporarily withholding new loan sanctions. The bank recorded over 11 per cent of non-performing loans (NPL) in March this year. Since the bank’s NPL exceeds the NPL tolerance limit of 5 per cent, the Royal Monetary Authority asked the bank to stop lending money until further notice. Non-performing loans are loans with payments that are overdue by 91 days or more.

Most business owners in Wangdue Phodrang returned home disappointed after the meeting they went to attend on Monday ended in shambles. Officials from the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry were in Wangdue Phodrang to discuss the way forward with the business owners. But the meeting broke into pandemonium after some business owners once again demanded explanations of how the Chairperson and members of the Dzongkhag Business Development Committee were elected.  

Despite getting an artificial football turf in 2018, nothing much is happening for the development of football in Samtse. The district’s only artificial ground has remained closed most of the time due to COVID-19. But now, things are expected to change. The Bhutan Football Federation, starting this year will conduct the district league, the country’s lowest division football league in Samtse as well.

Call it sheer ignorance or poor civic sense or even a lack of monitoring from the relevant offices, in Gyalpoizhing and Lingmithang, despite a proper dumping yard, one can see wastes spilling over on the road leading to the disposal site at Tshokor. Residents claim that despite the yard being only half-filled, the garbage truck driver dumps the wastes on the road at the entrance of the disposal site which is located a few kilometres from Gyalpoizhing.

Human-wildlife conflict and labour shortage compelled farmers of Chhoekhorling Gewog to abandon their fields about a decade ago. About a hundred acres of land were left fallow since then. However, considering the potential of expanding small terraces of paddy fields, the district administration started land management a few years ago and today the farmers are making use of the arable land.

Food has a direct impact on a person’s performance and productivity. According to international research and studies, not only can healthy foods provide energy but also can make a person happier, more engaged and more creative. So, to inculcate and implement healthy eating practices in the workplace in the country, the health ministry organised a sensitisation workshop yesterday involving ministries, agencies and corporations among others.

The former Trongsa Dzongda, Lhab Dorji, will probably face an attempt to murder charge for stabbing an Anti-Corruption Commission official last month at the Supreme Court. The police forwarded the case to the Office of the Attorney General yesterday after completing the investigation.

An individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression have not always been an open subject in the country. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have stood firm against social discrimination and saw hope when the Parliament decriminalised homosexuality in 2020. Riding on this hope, there are now many individuals coming out in the open revealing their gender identity. It was not a smooth ride prior to this.

The week-long Zhabdrung Daknangmai Drupchen, held at Dorden Tashithang Buddhist University in North Thimphu ended yesterday. The sacred ritual was held to commemorate the 400 years of the Central Monastic Body, and to pay tribute and homage to its founder, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.