BBSCL

In Punakha, efforts are underway to revive the district’s cooking oil self-sufficiency. The district administration is encouraging people to grow mustard to meet the domestic demand for cooking oil. Officials have supplied mustard seeds worth around one million ngultrum to all the gewogs in the district. The initiative aims to reduce the import of cooking oil, boost economic opportunities and...

After years of deteriorating conditions and neglect, the long-awaited resurfacing of Norgaygang Gewog Centre or GC road in Samtse is finally underway. This was possible after the government’s recent decision to transfer the maintenance of GC roads back to the Department of Surface Transport, relieving gewogs with long stretches, limited budgets and technical expertise from the burden of road upkeep....

The six-day annual Punakha Dromchoe and Tshechu attracted over 3,300 tourists this year, generating more than Nu 1.6 M in tourist fees for the district. This marks a threefold increase compared to last year, when around 1,100 tourists contributed over Nu 540,000 in revenue. Held annually in the courtyard of Punakha Dzong, the Punakha Tshechu and Dromchoe are vibrant cultural...

The government underspent by more than Nu 6bn in its capital expenditure during the 2023-24 fiscal year, falling nearly 19 per cent short of its revised capital budget. A capital budget is the government's fund for long-term investments like infrastructure, schools, hospitals, roads, and development projects. According to the Annual Financial Statements released by the Ministry of Finance, the revised...