The Build Bhutan Project (BBP) is on the course of building a pool of skilled workforce that would make the country less reliant on the foreign workers. During a virtual press conference earlier today, the project announced the revision of wages and attractive incentives from next month for those working under the project and people who will join the project to work in the construction sector.
The project revealed that individuals will be paid a minimum of Nu 25,000 a month as wages. This comes as part of the project to employ 7,000 unemployed, laid off and overseas returnees in the construction sector. It is also to offset acute labour shortages in the construction sector caused by the pandemic.
Currently, an unskilled construction worker is paid over Nu 13,000 and a Degree Engineer is paid Nu 22,000. With the aim to make the construction sector a preferred choice of employment, by the end of next month, there will be a massive increase in the current wage. The project also introduced incentives of construction allowances and scarcity allowances. While unskilled workers will get a minimum of Nu 25,200, a degree engineer will be paid Nu 32,000 a month from the end of next month.
“This will encourage and make the youth interested to work in the construction sector. It is necessary and important. The construction sector is hit adversely due to the pandemic and works are pending. Currently we have to depend on foreign workers in terms of construction. So this move will help our Bhutanese take up professions in the construction sector and make us independent in the sector. It is also to provide employment opportunities for thousands of unemployed youth,” said Ugyen Dorji, the Labour Minister during the virtual press conference.
Tshering Dendup
