It’s the collar of the job

It has been a trend much attuned to the ears and eyes, but of course not for the minds of young job-seeking youth for whom number of jobs fall short by hundreds in proportion to the number of job seekers.


The nation’s youth unemployment rate stands at 9.6% which means 4,500 youth between 15-24 years are unemployed. More than 100,000 job seekers are expected to enter the job market by the end of 11th FYP. The government will have to create 82,000 jobs to achieve full employment status of 97.5%.


Current statistics show that 2,387 registered jobseekers will compete for 665 vacancies (offered by labor ministry with 76 companies). In this, 1,227 are university graduates, 965 are class XII pass-outs and 195 are class X graduates.


Those are the hard facts.


There is also however, another fact, one with an undertone of resentment to the color blue. And that would be speaking on the lines of jobs that are tagged blue-collared which is a domain, mostly overlooked with intention by the young job-hunting groups.

A closely and largely visited example is the construction sector where over 51,600 expatriate workers make up for the bulk of attendance. Should the jobseekers look in this direction; replacements can be made number for number by those who enter this area of jobs.


Similar situations can be explored in the areas of agriculture, hydropower, tourism and hospitality, and ICT. This was announced in the recently launched Guaranteed Employment Program (GEP) of the labor ministry (MoLHR).


The initiative as of now from the ministry is on solid grounds and announced with much promises.


Under it 76 companies have floated vacancies and 407 jobs will be offered to class X graduates and 140 slots to university graduates. The remaining 118 jobs will be given to class XII graduates.


The Direct Employment Scheme (DES), one of the three government schemes will create 82,000 jobs in the current Plan to maintain full employment status of 97.5%. For about two years, and in collaboration with select employers, the labor ministry will oversee the implementation.


As per GEP guidelines, university graduates will receive a monthly allowance of Nu 7,500, Nu 5,250 for class XII graduates, and Nu 3,750 for class X graduates and the employers, will not pay less than Nu 3,750 in a month.

The issue is that of choosing a brand (job) of choice and in this case brands are far short of the great numbers that are seeking them. But perhaps trends are not always to be blamed, maybe the seekers should start looking over respective shoulders and start charting their pathway through realistic horizons. The government on its behalf here has made its pitch, on reasonably valid grounds.

“You say there’s no job, but the government says there is job. If you work in construction and agriculture sectors, we’ll even fall short of people.” – Lyonchhen’s words.


Published as Business Bhutan Editorial on June 28, 2014

Just a House of Review?

The latest in buzz from the recently-concluded parliament session is of course the Lyonchhen’s charitable act of refusing his revised salary. Team mates can definitely ‘follow the leader’ here.


The ‘noble’ gesture gets a spotlight especially because of circumstances under which debates and deliberations have been most engagingly conducted around the pay-hike (that was easily endorsed by the National Assembly (NA), profusely countered by the National Council (NC) but in any case, eventually and ultimately driven home to endorsement).


In all this, an element that has been over sighted and warrants a look-see is the upper house which seems to be gaining prominence more in terms of having become ‘the other house.’


As one of the units in the parliamentary organogram, debates and deliberations are most engagingly conducted during sessions in the Council following which, it puts up recommendations, amendments, challenges resolutions on common issues discussed in respective houses.


But it seems, that is all and everything for the NC.


Easily the very live example is the pay-hike discussions where the NC made recommendations to the NA on the pay hike.


The NC had asked NA to defer the raise until ‘the revenue generation and cost cutting measures identified by the government to finance the revision were implemented and realised.’ In other words, ‘to hold things until signs of a stable economy starts to take root.’


The NC is as a house of review has a mandated role to act on matters that concern nation and people’s interests. In the said case scenario above, it has honored that mandate, but only to be shown that its doing or not doing has no relevance.


Very fine elements in the parliamentary rule book gives the upper hand to one house while recommendations and points of rebuttal of the other takes a back seat, so much so that they do not even receive a discussion.


Prominent and chief in this regard is the ‘prerogative of the lower house over money Bills.’ This single factor most-often-than-not powers deliberations and voting to a pre-set advantage in the direction of the lower house or the NA.


Reflections from past and present experiences have time and again drawn questions as to whether the budget should remain a money Bill that need not consider the NC recommendations.


The NC’s say is equally vital in matters of ‘public interest’ such as taxes, national interests etc. and shouldn’t simply conclude with the upper house merely participating in ‘elaborate discussions.’

For an institution that is just started growing (democracy), maybe a look back in retrospection with the objective to perhaps ‘fine-tune’ few parts would most likely be an effort in the right direction.


Published as Business Bhutan Editorial on June 21, 2014

A Visit to Renew Old Ties

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhutan has literally been the talk of town for reasons perhaps starkly visible in the multiple works in progress in and around town to give a pleasant welcome to the Indian Premier, who decided to start his external visits from Bhutan.

From the moment the visit was public, it became media fodder that speculated and interspersed Bhutan being the first choice. Said speculations, revolved largely around India’s need to secure Bhutan as the one friendly and supportive neighbor amidst the ‘troublesome’ others.


Given the multiple aspects associated with it as a giant and powerful nation in the region, it is perhaps expected that every time change takes place in and around it, they are bound to make headlines under various tags of power-play, strategy, carefully-calibrated diplomacy etc.


Everything being what they are, there still remains the element of Indo-Bhutan friendship that is treated with reverence and given a noble accord between the countries Bhutan and India.

Bhutan and India signed the Treaty of Friendship on August 8, 1949, calling for peace between the two nations and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Through the treaty, both nations agreed to consult each other closely on foreign and defence affairs while also establishing free trade and extradition protocols.


Bhutan was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as an independent state soon after its liberation in 1972 which was a show of regional solidarity that strengthened the bond between the two nations.


In the words of the PM of Bhutan, the Indian PM Modi’s choice of Bhutan as a first pick is a show of importance accorded not only to the region but also for the friendship India has with Bhutan.Modi’s visit is significant also because India is Bhutan’s biggest trading region with pretty much of everything imported from the Indian side.
The visit however and more importantly ensures continued show of support to this small nation in the event of changing government and plans for India after its recent elections.


India's budgetary support to Bhutan at the close of year 2013 stood at US$ 600 Million. After the last general elections the PM of Bhutan secured an aid package from India worth INR 54 bn during his visit to New Delhi in August 2013. Of this amount, INR 45 bn has been earmarked for the 11th Five-Year Plan while INR 4 bn was for the pending projects of the previous plan period. The remaining INR 5 bn was set aside for the Economic Stimulus Plan of the present PDP government to stabilize the Bhutanese economy which has been on a downturn during the previous government’s term.


The importance of Indo-Bhutan has been stressed upon by the Kings of Bhutan repeatedly and it continues to retain the aspect even under the democratic leaders of Bhutan.


Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay reiterated the importance awarded to India and Bhutan’s friendship in recent media reports that followed Modi’s plans to visit Bhutan. He said the two countries have enjoyed an extremely cordial relationship and the friendship between the two countries is considered an exemplary model. With the Indian PM’s visit to Bhutan, said the Bhutanese PM, the two countries can further strengthen the ties of friendship.


PM Tshering Tobgay at the time also expressed his gratitude to His Majesty the King for inviting PM Narendra Modi. He said that the Indian people and the Indian government and PM Modi, hold His Majesty, the King in high esteem and his visit here is indicative of the high esteem they hold of the Royal family, particularly His Majesty the King.



Published as Editorial on June 14 in Business Bhutan