Jul 10, 2014
SAARC: The eighth meeting of the South Asia free trade area (SAFTA) ministerial council will be held in the capital on July 24. This will be the first time Bhutan will host the SAFTA ministerial council (SMC).
The SMC will discuss and consider the report of the ninth meeting of the SAFTA committee of experts.
Economic affairs minister Norbu Wangchuk, who will chair the SMC, said the meeting would also consider discussing matters related to the administration and [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
Private newspapers/magazines are folding one after the other
Media: While the rest of the country continues to discuss the salary raise, a small section of the society, the employees of private newspapers have been working with almost no salaries for about two years now.
After being unpaid for about five months, a reporter with one of the private newspapers received half his salary last month. “My company owes me more than Nu 100,000,” he said.
The [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
RICBL: The Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan Limited (RICBL) and a house owner in Gelephu, whose building was partially damaged by fire on April 21, have still not been able to come to a consensus on the insurance claims.
RICBL refuses to pay the insurance claim made by the owner, in which the top floor of the building was damaged by fire.
“Besides the deduction of 31.9 percent as underinsurance, we accepted the loss of [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
The education ministry’s idea of lending cheaper education loans, made possible through the economic stimulus plan (ESP), is a welcome idea.
Each year, for the next five years, about 40 high school graduates wishing to pursue higher education can avail loan at a throwaway rate from the government. Nu 30M will be allocated for education loan scheme.
The catch is that the student has to have a minimum of 60 percent in academics, should come from a [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
Scare tiger: The idea of a stuffed toy tiger to scare wild animals seems to be working as more Mongar farmers are using it to guard their crops
Jul 10, 2014
Fodder for thought: One of the fodder crops, cocksfoot, grown in Tang valleyFodder is a safer bet for farmers in Bumthang than food crops
Agriculture: Potato might fetch better prices but it is to fodder cultivation that an increasing area of arable land is used for in Tang and Chumey in Bumthang.
In Tang and Chumey, around 131 acres of land is used to grow fodder like cocksfoot, Italian rye grass, tall fescue and oats for its seeds and hay this year.
“Fodder cultivation is now one of [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
Students take oath during the opening ceremony
410 students from 107 schools are taking part in the contest being held in the capital
Athletics: Kinley Zangmo probably is quite used to running. The 16-year-old Gasa student ran to school, after the cattle and at school sports meet.
On her first visit to the capital city, she will run again. This time to outrun her competitors and bag a trophy for her school.
Kinley Zangmo is among the 410 students from 107 schools who [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
Asian tourists at Thimphu tshechu (file photo)… there are those who feel the brand value of the product may have been compromised
Tourism: Going by the number of Thai tourists, who visited Bhutan since the Bhutan-Thailand friendship offer began more than a month ago, the offer turned out to be a hit.
About 2,038 Thai visitors visited Bhutan since the offer began, but there is more to it than numbers, which about five percent of the total tour operators promoted.
There are [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
Labour survey shows those in the sector put in more than 80 hours a week
Employment: Mining and quarrying sector has the most hardworking employees, according to the findings of labour ministry’s labour force survey (LFS) 2013.
The survey report shows that 812 out of the 1,374 employees in the mining and quarrying sector worked more than 80 hours a week. This means that an individual in this group worked more than 13 hours a [... Read More]
Jul 10, 2014
Crime: Phuentsholing police arrested a 49-year-old man from Bazor in Drametse, Mongar, for allegedly involving in motor vehicle theft and dealing with antiques.
He was also alleged for possession of fake Bhutanese currencies.
The man, a former laymonk, was arrested on the evening of July 6 from Phuentsholing town with fake Bhutanese currencies. Police found Nu 8,000 in Nu 500 fake notes.
Police, after searching his house in Manglabari, India, then recovered fake Bhutanese currency amounting [... Read More]
