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....

The Local Leaders of Paro, during the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu, urged the Farm Machinery Corporation Limited (FMCL) to prepare machines ahead of this year’s paddy harvesting season. This request follows the district’s challenges in previous years, where a shortage of combine harvesters and frequent mechanical breakdowns disrupted the harvest. Combine harvester, a farm machine, is highly sought after by farmers...

Local leaders in Chhukha, especially of larger gewogs, are worried about the decline in their block grant budget for the 13th Five-Year Plan. During the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu, they raised concerns over the Resource Allocation Formula used in distributing the grant. They said that it will widen the economic development gap between larger and smaller gewogs. The local leaders are...

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...