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....

Almost everyone in Bhutan has access to improved water sources, but only 63 per cent have 24-hour access to drinking water. This was highlighted in a 2020 article by the former Resident Representative of UNDP Bhutan. Five years on, some still face water shortages in a water-rich country. Yarpheling village in Sarpang is home to around 140 households. Jerrycans and...

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...

Bhutan’s electric vehicle taxi initiative has spiralled into confusion, with millions in subsidies unaccounted for and dozens of EV taxis still undelivered. Now, the Prime Minister has stepped in, ordering the Cabinet Secretariat to launch an urgent investigation into the matter. The ambitious “Sustainable Low Emission Urban Transport Systems” project targeted to replace 300 fuelled taxis with electric vehicles by...