Bhutan : The Bumthang Owl Trek

This year as the kingdom celebrates 100 years of monarchy people involved in the tourism sector have been cracking their heads in developing new strategies because of the hype surrounding Bhutan. On Wednesday, the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) announced to about 300 registered tour operators that a new trekking route known as the Bumthang Owl Trek will be ready by October this year.

The downpour in Bumthang last month may have dismayed tour operators but the new trek route is putting smiles on their lips as it has become an additional tourist package they can offer to clients. The hooting of owls through the night is quite common along this route, hence the name. It is said to be “different” to the existing routes.

“This trek could be a substitute for the Bumthang Cultural Trek that has deteriorated to a great degree owing to farm road constructions,” said Sonam Dorji , General Secretary of ABTO.

He said that an alternative had to be created as Bumthang was one of the country’s tourist hot spots. Accordingly, the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) and the ABTO had conducted a survey and come up with the new route.

The trail will be a three-day hiking route which starts from Menchugang and ends at Jakar Dzong, The trek is also said to follow the traditional route (the Royal Heritage Trail) used by the Second King, between his summer and winter residences in Bumthang and Trongsa.

Sonam Dorji said regarding the route the TCB and ABTO jointly started discussion end of last year with the dzongkhag and the people there and it has only been initiated beginning of this year.

The TCB and ABTO jointly invested Nu 150,000 in cash continued from p1while local communities had agreed to chip in with the labour and additional costs.

According to the ABTO, the trail has an abundance of flora and fauna, and the panoramic views of the valleys beneath the hill tops and the Himalayas spread over a broad horizon would be an experience that tourists could cherish for a lifetime. It, moreover, symbolizes an authentic Bhutanese tradition.

Tour operators said they were happy with the new route. “It is good that we can increase our itineraries but it would be good if these types of treks could be identified and developed in other dzongkhags as well,” said Tashi Tshering, a tour operator.

By tashi Wangmo

http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/2008/bhutan-news/08/the-bumthang-owl-trek.html

Bhutan : Back to school to learn leadership

A group of 40 middle-aged Bhutanese bureaucrats were back in school with a teacher from the south – not south India but South Africa – and their classroom was not far from Ugyen Wangchuck Academy in Paro. The male-dominated attendance made it seem like any class they had comprised decades ago in school.

Leaving aside their patangs and scarves, they attended the class with utmost silence as a kindergarten kids would before a strict teacher. There was nervousness in every face. A number of exercises were given to them. Each activity tested their personality, attitude, temperament, and leadership qualities.

Just as the class started, the lights went off. There was a murmur all around as if a bunch of children were missing lunch.

The executive seminar in Paro yesterday, which was attended by government secretaries, director generals and directors from various departments, aimed at making the participants understand the need for developing personal leadership and self management.

Dirk Maris, a consultant from Vision Quest Africa, who was the main resource speaker, began by quoting Nelson Mandela: “You cannot change society if you have not changed yourself.” Leadership has to do with doing the right thing, he said, while management has to do with doing things right.

He asked a number of questions to the participants. How do you respond to change? How do you make decisions? How you are at planning? What does it takes for you to become angry? How are you at getting things started? How well do you finish what you have started? The bureaucrats penned answers to these questions. Most agreed that it was common practice in Bhutan to not complete something one had started.

The bureaucrats were told about four kinds of temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholy and phlegmatic, and that all people had a mixture of these. Using different colours, they were asked to choose their personality. A number of exercises were given where the participants worked in groups.

Dirk Maris asked the Bhutanese bureaucrats said that people with choleric temperament were task driven but asked if too much of it made such people bossy. “Yes, sir,” came the unanimous chorus answer.

The seminar is expected to enable the executives be competent as influential leaders and managers of families, organisations and society as a whole.

It is important for top leaders to change with time by fine-tuning their knowledge and adapting with changing times, said the Minister for Works and Human Settlement, upon opening the seminar. The government should always be supported by a strong civil service that made policy initiatives.

The quality of service rendered by the civil servants depends on their integrity and commitment, the minister said, adding that the civil service had become more complex in the new democratic setup so the civil servants shouldn’t be carried away by petty politicians.

Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba advised the civil servants to put the importance of the nation above that of their departments or sectors.

Everyone is a manager of himself or herself and, to become a successful leader, relationships are important, Dirk Maris said. Just as no two thumbs were alike, no two personalities were alike. The implication of recognizing this offers new opportunities for self-understanding and growth, for improved communication and positive relationships, and for team work that utilizes the gift of each member in conscious synergy.

The executive seminar explored how one’s own outlook on life determined the kind of leader and manager one was. It studied the importance of values, principles and ideals on becoming more effective, and on using lifelong learning, growth and renewal at different levels of intelligence: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual.

So, the next time you visit a government office don’t be surprised if you find the bureaucrats more responsive and friendly. Then again, don’t be surprised if things go back to the way they were when the fervour of the seminar wanes away.

Text by Rabi C. Dahal
Photo: Lhendup

http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/2008/bhutan-news/08/back-to-school-to-learn-leadership.html

Bhutan : A decade of deeds, say SAARC leaders

7 August, 2008 - SAARC leaders called upon themselves to shed the “talk shop” tag from SAARC summits and vowed to make the next ten years a “decade of actions and implementations”.

The SAARC summits are criticised as a regional forum where more is said than done and a political exercise to boost egos.

In the declaration made during the 15th SAARC summit, leaders recognised the need for SAARC to further focus on developing and implementing regional and sub regional projects in agreed areas of priority.

Bhutanese prime minister, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley, told Kuensel that all member states have agreed that two decades have gone by without much significant, substantive, meaningful and practical achievements.

“We have now agreed that we are in the first half of the third decade of SAARC and that the third must be the decade of implementation, decade of business and decade of productivity in terms of regional cooperation,” he said.

“This spirit of cooperation, understanding and, certainly, the growing realisation that we must work together, that SAARC must succeed, has prevailed throughout,” he said.

Four agreements were signed during the Summit. They were the Charter on SAARC development fund, Agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, Agreement on establishment of South Asian regional standards organization and Protocol on the accession of Afghanistan to SAFTA.

Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley said that a far greater degree of enthusiasm was seen on the part of the larger countries.

“India is deeply committed to this process, Pakistan is clearly interested in seeing SAARC succeed, Bangladesh has so much to gain from this and Sri Lanka’s interest in the success of SAARC is evident in the way they have hosted this event. Afghanistan, who is interested and just joined, has great expectations in terms of what SAARC could offer. And we are committed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the summit focussed on, among others, terrorism, food crises and the energy crisis and their implication on impoverished countries in the region.

“Terrorism is on the top of the agenda mainly because there was no country in our sub region which does not suffer from the problem of terrorism. Bhutan is the most peaceful country but even in Bhutan we had fourteen bomb explosions in recent times,” said the prime minister.

It was agreed that there was need to activate and implement the agreements within the framework of the SAARC agreement on the control and elimination of terrorism. The new agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters was expected to bolster the one that already existed.

It was also declared that the next SAARC summit would be held in the Maldives.

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : Late blight affects potato production in Yusipang

August 7: The outbreak of late blight, a potato plant disease, is affecting potato production in the farms of Yusipang in Thimphu.

The disease occurs during monsoon season. The blight appears first as light to dark green spot. It usually appears first on the lower leaves and then affects the potato plant leaves in an upward direction.

During cool, moist weather, the spots spread on the leaves rapidly into dark or brown color and ultimately killing the plants. The spots also spread down petioles and stems of the plant.

Kezang Tshering, the research officer in the horticulture sector at Yusipang said farmers are being advised to use chemical spray containing fungicide to prevent the outbreak of late blight. But he said farmers do not use the chemical spray on time.

Kezang Tshering said if chemical spray are reached out to the farmers on time and if farmers use the spray as recommended by the agriculture workers then the production will pick up.

www.bbs.com.bt

Bhutan : Planned airport postpones take-off

7 August, 2008 - The plan for an international airport at Gelephu is not yet finalised with uncertainties over factors like Indian participation, project feasibility and massive funding requirements.

“Though the Airport is on our list of negotiations with India, they will first have to agree to the project and, second, a techno economical viability study is needed,” said the works and human settlement minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba.

The minister said that, only if viability studies showed any promise, would the government go ahead with the project. “After all, the investment required is huge and so it has to be a very well considered decision,” he said.

The airport will also require Indian government cooperation because landings and takeoffs will be over Indian airspace because of its proximity to the border. Moreover, the airport will also be competing with the nearby airports of Bagdora in Siliguri and Guwahati in Assam.

The designated Indian government agency for the project, airports authority of India (AAI), since its first visit in May 2006, has still not responded to the department of civil aviation’s enquiries. “AAI was supposed to come back in 2006 September and also prepare a blueprint for the entire project but, despite numerous reminders, we have got no response till date,” said Sithar Dorji, head of policy and planning, ministry of information and communications (MoIC).

Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Nu 100 billion announcement was conspicuously silent on the airport while clearly listing out other projects like the railway connection.

The GNH commission, which put this project in the 10th plan in the first place, has had to do some redrafts of the figures scaling down both budget and land requirements.

“We’re currently looking at only a basic amount with which to make a basic airport (in Gelephu) with a runway where an aircraft can land,” said Sithar Dorji.

This basic airport will mean a runway strip with turn pads and boundary wall at a cost of Nu 2.20 billion. This excludes the land acquisition costs, which amounts to Nu 2.80 billion if paid in cash, or the government may opt for swapping land for land.

Sources say that the cabinet was concerned about the huge original land requirement of 1500 acres, which has now been scaled down to 900 acres.

An MoIC note to the cabinet says that “there is a lot of criticism from the public since a moratorium has been imposed on all development issues; on the other hand, the government has initiated neither land demarcation nor acquisition process”.

“The general public needs to know clearly the future status of their land,” the MoIC note stressed. It also mentions that the method of payment for the land needs to be finalised.

Many people have, in the meantime, bought land in Gelephu, at inflated rates, anticipating an international airport to be in the vicinity.

“The government has never said that an airport will definitely be coming up at Gelephu,” said Lyonpo Zimba. “Even besides the airport project, Gelephu already has economic potential because it is an entry point for many hydro projects and because it’s near the border.”

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : Thimphu – Financial hub of SAARC fund

6 August, 2008 - A SAARC development fund (SDF), which would serve as the umbrella financial institution for all SAARC projects and programmes, will be based in Thimphu.

Leaders of the SAARC nations endorsed the decision during the 15th SAARC Summit held in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo on August 2 and 3. It had been proposed by His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo in 1991.

Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley told the Bhutanese media in Colombo that there were several SAARC member countries interested in hosting the fund in their capitals. “We were able to convince leaders on the appropriateness and the merit of Bhutan as the venue,” he said.

SDF will finance the social, economic, and infrastructure development sectors in the region through various arrangements, the principal source being membership contributions.

Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley said that India’s contribution will be about 300 million dollars, Bhutan’s could be 15 to 20 million dollars and other countries would make contributions according to their capability. “There will be floating of equities and it’s possible that banks like ADB and World Bank may participate. We’re talking about a major financial institution here,” he said.

According to the agreement, funds may be mobilised and generated from both within and outside the SAARC region. Technical and financial assistant from UN agencies, multilateral and regional funds, and other non-regional partners, as approved by the governing council, may also be availed.

According to the agreement, SDF would become operational after all the member countries ratify the agreement in their respective parliaments. The institution will then have to be established a year after ratification.

“We’d like to start working on the framework immediately, come to an agreement on how it should function,” he said.

“The institution arrangements that have to be put in place, and how the funding will be organized. We’ll do it by employing experts within the country as well as consulting those of member states”.

“Aside from contributing to the SAARC process, the bank itself, being located in Bhutan, will create many employment opportunities, as well as help in establishing Bhutan as a major financial centre,” said the prime minister.

“The SAARC leaders were unanimous in coming to an agreement on His Majesty’s proposal and accepting Bhutan as the venue for the SDF,” he added. “They were paying tribute to His Majesty and also welcoming Bhutan as a democracy.”

He said that the leaders wished to pay tribute to the extraordinary leader, that the fourth Druk Gyalpo had been, for the way in which he had ushered in democracy to Bhutan and for the extraordinary manner in which he had abdicated his throne at the age of 51.

“These were examples all the leaders admired and so SDF was in a way a gift to young democratic Bhutan,” he said.

Meanwhile, the charter for SDF was finalised with a signing by the foreign ministers of member states at the concluding session of the 15th Summit.

Bhutan’s foreign minister Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering said that Bhutan, as the host country, would make sure SDF becomes a premier banking institution and makes a positive development in tackling poverty among SAARC countries.

“This was something His Majesty foresaw many years ago and it’s now for us to ensure that it’s realised,” he told Kuensel.

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : Nation observes Dub Tse Zhi

August 6: As the nation observed Dub Tse Zhi yesterday, thousands of people across the kingdom visited Dzongs, Lhakhangs and Goendeys to offer prayers and butter lamps.

In the capital Thimphu, the Central Monk Body led by His Holiness the Je Khenpo and the five Lopens performed Namgay Tongchoed ceremony at the Tashichhodzong to mark the auspicious day.

His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, their Majesties the Queens and their Royal Highnesses the Princess and the Princesses attended the ceremony.

Thousands of devotees also visited the Tashichhodzong to offer prayers and butter lamps.

Several sacred relics were also displayed for public veneration. These include the tooth relic of Sangay Yoesung, the skull of Lhachham Pema Sey and the Tergi Bumpa. Devotees received blessings from these sacred relics.

Drub Tshe Zhe is one of the most auspicious days in the Bhutanese calendar. On this day the Lord Buddha gave his first sermon on the four noble truths to his disciples at the Deer Park, Sarnath in India.

Government offices, schools, and institutes across the kingdom remained closed.

Special prayers were conducted in Lhakhangs, Goendeys, Dzongs, and Neys across the country and thousands of devotees offered butter lamps and prayers.

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Bhutan : Hotel management course

4 August, 2008 - The need for professionalism in the service industry has never been felt like today, with the increasing number of tourist flowing in the country every year.

With this in mind, a tourism department-approved hotel management programme, that started last month, is being conducted for 30 hoteliers from across the country in the royal institute of management (RIM).

The Nu 95 million programme will provide hoteliers with all the basic skills of hotel management and other professional training to do with the hospitality industry.

The course is like other normal hotel education and diploma programme acceptable around the world. Hoteliers, after completing the course, will be awarded a diploma in hotel management from the Swiss University HWZ in Zurich and a parallel certificate from RIM.

During the programme, expertise from different hotels were also invited to share their knowledge and make presentations.

After completion of the two-month course, the trainees will be sent back to their respective hotels and apply to whatever degree possible their acquired knowledge.

The programme coordinator said, “It’s a unique approach where all the trainings are given for free and the teaching is equal to any other international standard.”

The whole programme is sponsored by the Jacob and Elysium foundation, based in Swizerland.

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : More commercial banks for Bhutan

4 August, 2008 - Bhutan could see more commercial banks by the first quarter of 2009 with the royal monetary authority (RMA), the country’s central bank, having received nine applications to start banking.

These include four joint ventures with partners from India, Nepal and Kazakhstan and stand-alone proposals. The first applicants were the Tashi group and Singye group way back in July 2006. The others are from the Samden group, the Bhutan development financial corporation limited (BDFCL), and a joint venture promoted by Hotel Riverview.

The process to allow new commercial banks, which had been shelved for more than eight months, according to a government directive, picked up pace this week with a special committee formed to study the proposals.

The independent six-member technical advisory committee, comprising representatives from RMA, the royal securities exchange, the company registrar, the private sector and a financial specialist, had its first meeting on July 28.

A central bank official said that the committee would thoroughly review the proposals to see if they were in line with the financial regulations and are willing to meet existing requirements.

A committee member said that it would take at least six months, after all the proposal papers have been received, to complete the review process. The findings would then be submitted to the RMA board, which will decide whether to issue a license or not. FDI ventures will have to go through a scrutiny by an independent FDI committee.

Although nine have submitted applications not all have submitted complete papers, a central bank official said.

The possibility of new banks in Bhutan comes at a time when mergers and acquisitions are happening the world over in the banking sector to bring down costs and become sustainable.

How many commercial banks would be allowed is not clear yet but there is no rule as of yet that says only a certain number should be allowed.

Existing bankers, however, feel that there may be room for only one more. “Anything more than that is going to be a crowd,” said the managing director of the Bhutan National Bank (BNB), Kipchu Tshering. “As it is, most Bhutanese don’t have money to put in as deposits. Apart from being limited by the population size, a major constraint is the poor saving culture.” He said that, of the total deposits with the two banks, only 30 percent belonged to the public. The rest were mainly government corporate sector deposits, which the Druk Holding and Investments (DHI) plans to invest in major projects.

It is also a known fact that the branches offices of the Bank of Bhutan (BoB) in the 20 dzongkhags provide banking services but do not make any money.

“We’re ready for the competition as long as they abide by the regulations that we are following now,” said Kipchu Tshering. “Newcomers should know that it’s not easy to run a commercial bank, get good people and put in place a real set up.”

But people in the private sector feel that service delivery will improve with competition. “At present, there’s no real competition between BNB and the BoB. The interest rates are the same, the procedures are the same and they function more or less the same way,” said a businessman. “The only thing is that BNB has a good IT system in place, which has made services a little faster. In India, banks send people to your home to get loan papers signed. Now that’s service.”

One of the biggest problems for big borrowers, according to some businessmen, is that the equity capital of banks was too small. This hindered the amount a bank can lend to a group or an individual. Only recently RMA raised equity capital of the banks to Nu 300 million.

Businesses are also hoping that entry of new banks would lead to a more realistic valuation of property, which would allow them to take more credit on their collateral.

Although RMA liberalised interest rates several years ago, observers feel that in the end the competition would boil down to delivery of services.

The economic affairs minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, said the government considered improving the services sector as essential along with IT and tourism. “We see good scope to enhance financial services and we would be happy to give any viable business a chance.”

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan export vegetables to Bangladesh

August 2: Bhutanese vegetables are in huge demand in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The first consignment of fresh vegetables was flown by Druk Air on a trial basis.

The trial marketing of fresh vegetables to Bangladesh has been a huge success according to agriculture officials.

The fresh vegetables were flown in by Druk Air to Bangladesh to be sold in supermarkets in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

Two consignments of about one ton were flown by Druk Air last month.

The Agriculture Marketing Services of the Agriculture Ministry says the trail export of fresh vegetables has received encouraging response from importers in Bangladesh.

The vegetables exported include asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, beans and green chilies.

Trail marketing of vegetables to Bangladesh was done in 2005 by road but this is the first time that the vegetables were flown by air.

The chief marketing officer said this has been made possible with the cost concession provided by Druk Air. The national airline is charging 30 cents per kilogram.

Around this time of the year, there is acute scarcity of fresh vegetables in Dhaka and the demand for any fresh vegetable is high.

The agriculture marketing services said a Memorandum of Understanding with the importers will have to be signed so that production planning for future export can be done and also Bhutanese will know about the quality required.

The vegetables are packaged at the National Post Harvest centre in Paro and exported by Zomllay Exports and Imports.

www.bbs.com.bt

Bhutan : New Paro campsite for Dantak

31 July, 2008 - The Dantak Camp in Paro-Bondey will be shifted to a new location after years of looking for a new site. The present location of the camp will come under Bondey town planning for further expansion. The new location of Dantak is a discreet and pleasant location close to the present site but further off the main road behind Pegyel hotel. The camp, although doing a credible job of road building and maintenance, was an eyesore due to its shabby temporary structures, giving it the look of an overnight imported town.

The structures contrasted with the traditional houses and were an aesthetic problem, especially with it greeting most foreign visitors to Bhutan.

The present location also caused inconvenience to dantak staff with the camp being sliced by the Paro-Thimpu highway running through it with busy traffic.

However, the current location was the third one after earlier choices since 2003 of lands near the Shaba gup’s office and in Nemjo above Shaba school. The first was found to be too close to the river and the second too far from the main road. Officials had hoped that Nemjo would be the new Dantak location because its roads could develop an ideal place but the current final prime location was chosen in the end.

Already office and residence structures have come up in the new location with a blacktopped road leading to the new campsite. Dantak was supposed to vacate the current site by March 2008 but there have been some delays.

Sources say that Dantak had asked for 3 acres of campsite but the current site is smaller due to its well-placed location but limited size.

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : Session ends, era starts

30 July, 2008 - With the blessings of the guardian deities, the enlightened guidance of the Druk Gyalpo, and the good fortune of the people, Bhutan continues to thrive through the ages, according to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Tshogpon Jigmi Tshultrim. The first session of parliament in the Democratic Constitutional Monarchy system of government, from May 8 to July 29, took some important steps through Bhutanese history.

After the draft was debated, between May 9 and 29, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan was signed on July 18, an auspicious day identified by the astrologers. In the weeks that followed the parliament passed six bills: the National Council Act, National Assembly Act, Election Act, Election Fund Act, Parliamentary Entitlements Act, and the National Referendum Act.

In addition, the parliament passed the 2008-09 national budget, the agreements for the SAARC Food Bank and the South Asia University. The government was instructed to review the rules on the sale of meat and the ban on the sale of tobacco and plastics to ensure that they were being enforced.

At the closing session of the parliament, attended by His Majesty the King, Tshogpon Jigmi Tshultrim said that, having been given the sacred responsibility of an historic transition, failure was not an option for the parliamentarians. He said that the parliament pledged to achieve the goals mandated by the vision of Gross National Happiness.

In the concluding moment of the session yesterday, the members of parliament gathered around the Golden Throne in a prayer for the continued stability and sovereignty of the kingdom, the health and long life of His Majesty the King, and the happiness of the Bhutanese people.

His Majesty the King hosted a lunch, with games and entertainment, for the parliamentarians to celebrate the conclusion of the historic session and the beginning of a new political era.

http://www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : Passion fruit from Trongsa hits Thimphu market

July 28: The Agriculture Marketing Unit is helping farmers from remote villages of Jangbe, Phom Zur and Wamling under Langthel geog in Trongsa market passion fruit. The Agriculture Marketing Unit provided free transportation all the way from their village to the weekend vegetable market in Thimphu.

Jangbe, Phom Zur and Wamling villages are remote villages under Langthel geog in Trongsa. Villagers from these villages have to walk at least a day to get to the nearest road point. And of late, farmers from these villages have marketed around five hundred kilograms of passion fruit to Thimphu with assistance from the Agriculture Marketing Unit. The fruit were transported free of charge.

According to the District Agriculture Officer Ngawang Chogyal, the fruit grows well in the villages but farmers could not take it to the market in the past. He said the main purpose of helping the farmers to market the fruit is to increase the income of the farmers.

Ngawang Chogyal said through this programme they will also look at possibilities of marketing the fruits at the weekend vegetable market in Thimphu.

According to the Gewog Agriculture Extension officer Lugdra Wangdi, around 2,000 saplings of passion fruit were supplied to the farmers in 2005 and 2006. He said although the produce was high, the farmers faced difficulties in marketing.

Lugdra Wangdi said if there is good market for the fruit, they will supply more saplings to the farmers.

Meanwhile the farmers said that the initiative to provide free transportation from the Agriculture Ministry has helped them. They said in the past, they would have to carry all the way on horseback and the income would be hardly enough for the transportation charges.

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Bhutan : Govt’s own 100-day review

26 July, 2008 - On completing 100 days in office, the DPT government held a press conference at the prime minister’s office on July 24 where the ministers shared the most important achievements, policies and plans in the various sectors.

Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley said that, in the100 days, the achievements were not in terms of material productivity but in the policies to create the environment and facilitate the development process. “We’ve done a lot in that stage and we will continue,” he said.

Of the 100 days, the government spent only 44 days in office, according to the PM, who added that the number got reduced because of the half-day National Assembly sessions and public holidays.

The ten ministers informed the media on the five to six most important achievements in their ministries and the challenges facing them. They also briefed the media on future policies and development plans for different sectors.

Spending about 56 days at the NA session, the government also enacted seven bills, including the Constitution.

A grievance cell at the Lyonchhen’s office received 243 complaints, of which 99 got assistance while the rest are being considered by the concerned authorities and agencies, according to the prime minister. “On matters of kidu, they have been forwarded to the office of Dasho Zimpoen.”

Among various other issues discussed, the government assured that the goal of self reliance would be largely fulfilled by the year 2020, so that Bhutan is not always and perpetually aid-donor-dependent. “One major strategy is to realize the 10,000 MW target by 2020, beyond that we will continue to develop other power plants,” he said.

He also said that the government is committed to promote Bhutan through creating the right laws, policies and plans. “Bhutan will develop into a high quality service centre,” he said.

The prime minister said that the government is not going to measure in terms of how strong a party they have become but in terms how democracy has flourished in the country.

www.kuenselonline.com

Bhutan : And the matches go on

Some 900 archers from around the country will be aiming for the bull’s eye in this season’s most awaited and popular archery tournament in the country, the Yangphel Open, which began on July 19 in Thimphu and Paro.

The opening match was played between Team Centenary, Dorjee Phalam and Chuuk Samtsi Rang in Thimphu.

The Paro opener featured Vajra, Bernag and Tse Way Charo. The July 20 match in Paro involving the team Hungyel, was one for the record books. Hungyel made a team record score of 43 kareys. The team’s ace marksman, Gem Tshering, made a powerful personal statement by making a record of his own, 14 kareys in 15 rounds. This stands as the highest individual tally so far.

More remarkably, Gem Tshering’s 14 kareys included five dobjis, three of them coming in consecutive rounds. He thus achieved the first Baa-kor dobji of the tournament. Also, four of his kareys were spot on the bull’s eye.

The afternoon match on July 22 in Paro was another treat for archery enthusiasts as team Hungoen Nga equalled Hungyel’s team record of 43 kareys. However, Gem Tshering still retains the highest number of kareys and Wangdi of Hungoen Nga follows in close second place with 13 kareys and five dobjis, one karey hitting the bull’s eye.

On July 23, yet another team played well in Paro. The NTT Construction team hit 40 kareys. Archery fans in Thimphu had to wait until yesterday to see a team play well. Finally, it was a relief for them to see Tob Dhen Dhey score 40 kareys in the morning match played in Thimphu.

This year 150 teams from around the country have registered for the tournament, which is yet another record. Last year there were 112 teams participating. “To think that the tournament started in 1997 with just 23 teams,” said Tshewang Rinchen, the secretary general of Yangphel Archery.

Due to the increasing number of teams registering for the competition the registration fee for each team was raised from Nu 6,000 to Nu 8,000 this year. That’s a whopping Nu 1.2 million in total.

With construction work going on in Changlimithang, this year’s edition of the tournament is being played at the RBP ground in Thimphu and the town range in Paro Each day, four matches are played, two in Thimphu and two in Paro. As of today, 24 matches have been completed involving 72 teams. Every team shoots for 15 rounds in the league stage.

“The management of Yangphel has always seen this tournament as a gift for the people,” said Tshewang Rinchen, adding that the tournament was organised in order to promote the national game. The prizes for the different categories of winning are very attractive, the most alluring being a Hyundai Santro car which the best archer will drive away.
As of today, the leading teams are Hungyel and Hungoen Nga and the rest of the teams are average, according to Tshewang Rinchen.

Yesterday, Norbu Silee, Soo-Naam and Tob Dhen Dhey played in the morning match in Thimphu and Thunder Bowl, Ga Wai- Charo and Tiger Stone played the morning match in Paro. The afternoon match was played between EuDruk Ngoenmo, AA-Roo and Jurwa in Thimphu and Sangay Arts & Crafts, Yoez Graphics and Amankora in Paro.

Today, Drukpa Kinley, Merig Puendru and THPA face off each other in Thimphu in the morning while Trowa, BTCL and Laya Tours & Treks slug it out in Paro. The afternoon match will be played by Dhomsap, Wangkha Bulls and Tshering Chenga in Thimphu and Galing A, Dragon Roots and KTY friends in Paro.

http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/2008/sports/07/and-the-matches-go-on.html