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Jun 20, 2014

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay yesterday refused to receive the revised salary

Surprising parliamentarians and the people, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay yesterday refused to receive the revised salary, and announced that he would donate the additional Nu 50,000 from his revised monthly salary to charity.
While presenting the State of the Nation report to Parliament, lyonchhoen said many people have criticised the salary for members of parliament and cabinet ministers.
“I’ll not defend the increase or argue whether it’s too high or not,” lyonchhoen said. “However, on the prime minister’s (PM) salary, I also agree that it’s too high.”
“Our country can’t afford it and my conscience will not be able to accept it,” lyonchhoen said.
Lyonchhoen stated that he would be accepting the salary equivalent to that received by the cabinet ministers, and the additional monthly amount of Nu 50,000 would be donated to charity organisations at the end of his five-year term.
“There’s no motive, I’m just driven by the understanding that the PM’s salary was too high,” lyonchhoen told Kuensel.
Lyonchhoen said that, on one hand, the government was trying austerity and, on the other, the PM can’t be accepting such a big salary.
“Several members, both in the opposition and the ruling party, said that I have to take it, but I said I couldn’t accept this and, if the PM must get more, than give him Nu 1 more, just as a token, which wasn’t accepted as well,” lyonchhoen said.
He added that the first Parliament, in its sixth session, approved the pay scale and the present government, the day it took office, should have legally started accepting the higher salary, because it was already passed by the parliament.
“But we didn’t, because we felt responsible to drive the austerity measures, and we didn’t want to take the high package,” lyonchhoen said.
He said that the salary reduction was discussed earlier and submitted to Parliament.  However, the proposal had been already endorsed and approved by the first parliament.
“That is law. We can’t just change it and that’s why, we didn’t accept it and we didn’t change it,” he said. “We submitted it back to Parliament and I requested to revise the PM’s salary downward, but none of this was accepted.”
Lyonchhoen had however not identified the charities that he will donate his approximately Nu 2.7M at the end of his term.
Economics affairs minister Norbu Wangchuk said that the PM’s decision has been made in good faith, and it set the tone for others to follow.
“It’s a noble gesture and will set a role model for leaders,” he said.
Minister for information and communications, DN Dhungyel, said the PM was recommended a higher salary, but it was the wisdom of the PM to not accept the recommended pay scale.
Personally, the minister said he did not support this decision, because the cabinet ministers and the PM had two very different types of responsibilities.
Finance minister Namgay Dorji said that the pay scale for PM and the ministers was a resolution of the National Assembly, which could not be over-written.
“However the PM’s intentions are clear and we respect his decision,” lyonpo Namgay Dorji said.
While some cabinet ministers applauded the move, Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party tweeted, “An intentional raise of 131 percent disagreeing to the pay commission report and now a donation gimmick…wake up Bhutan and realise.”
It also tweeted that the pay commission’s report on pay raise for PM and cabinet ministers was lower than the government’s pay revision report.
Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party president Sonam Tobgay said, “There are large variations between the pay commission’s report vis-à-vis the government’s pay revision report.”
Meanwhile, Druk Nyamrup tshogpa’s interim president, (Dr) Tandin Dorji, said he appreciated the PM’s gesture.

Source: Kuenselonline

Mar 13, 2014

Trashi Yangtse Tshechu

The annual Tshechu in Trashi Yangtse drew a huge crowd this year compared to the past years. This is because the Tsechu was held for the first time in the new Dzong, accommodating the increasing number of people.
In the past the annual Tshechu was held in Dongdey Dzong, which used to be the old Trashiyangtse Dzong. Since Dongdey Dzong is about five kilometres away from the proper town, not many people could attend the Tsechu.
After completing the construction of the second Utse for the new Dzong, the Tshogdue decided to organise the Tshechu in the new Dzong. The decision was taken for the convenience of the public, according to officials.
Our reporter, Cheyche, said that the courtyard of the new Dzong is also more spacious than the old Dzong accommodating more devotees.
“It is more interesting to watch here compared to the old Dzong. People were not willing to come to the old Dzong to watch tshcehu. But here everyone is interested to come since there is lots of sitting space to watch the Tshechu,” said one of the local reidents, Neten.
According to some of the regulars, the number of people coming to witness has increased by almost thrice. “I also went to witness in the old Dzong and there were not many people. People were not willing to go to the old Dzong since there is no proper place to sit and watch Tshechu,” said Passang Tshering, a local resident.
Some of the people said that only Dzongkhag staff and monks would watch the Tshechu when organised at the old Dzong.
The monks and the Dzongkhag mask dancers performed various mask dances during the three-day tshechu. The Dzongkhag dancers and students from various schools performed cultural dances to entertain the crowd.
The Tshechu concluded with the unfurling of Guru Tshengay Thongdrol yesterday. The Tshechu was initiated in 1999.
Source: BBS

Mar 2, 2014

The Bangladesh Ambassador to Bhutan presented his credentials to His Majesty the King

The Ambassador designate was escorted to the Trashichhodzong in a traditional chipdrel procession. He was then ushered into the golden throne room where he presented his credentials to His Majesty. Following the presentation of his credentials, His Majesty the King granted an audience to Mr. Choudhury.
Prior to his current appointment, Ambassador Jishnu Roy Choudhury was the Director General and Additional Secretary in the Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had previously served in different levels of field administration within Bangladesh and also in the Ministry of Finance.
Mr. Choudhury has M.Sc in Public Economic Management and Finance from Birmingham University in the UK.
Later in the afternoon, Mr. Choudhury also called on the Foreign Minister, Rinzin Dorje.

Source: BBS