BBSCL

Discussions are underway to amend the existing tobacco control laws in response to the growing use of e-cigarettes among Bhutanese youth. Health Secretary Pemba Wangchuk said that while traditional tobacco products and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are taxed at 100 per cent, nicotine-free e-cigarettes are only taxed for the device. This highlights regulatory gaps for non-nicotine e-cigarettes, particularly those with flavored variants....

In two years, the country will have a pool of experts specialised in enhancing audits. Auditors with the Royal Audit Authority are currently being trained through the Intosai Development Initiative (IDI). IDI has benefited more than 50 per cent of the country's audits so far. IDI, a body under the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), supports the capacity...

A new footpath in Maedgang village in Samtse was supposed to bring relief to residents, especially young children, during the monsoon. However, just as the project neared completion, a portion of the concrete footpath had to be dismantled after it was found to be constructed on private land without approval. The Norbugang Gewog administration initiated the construction of a 1.3-kilometre...

The inflation has increased since October last year. This is according to the latest Consumer Price Index or CPI. The inflation in February this year reached 3.38 per cent, up from 1.34 per cent in October last year. The inflation is mostly driven by food and non-food items. So, in response to the increasing food inflation, the agriculture and livestock...