Bhutan 2020:

A Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness

Planning Commission

Royal Government of Bhutan

PART II

INTRODUCTION TO PART II

Chapter 3: GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES:

THE        NORMATIVE        ARCHITECTURE        FOR        CHANGE        AND DEVELOPMENT

1. Introduction
2. The Overarching Goal
   1. Guiding Principles
   2. Our Central Development Concept: The Maximization of Gross National Happiness
   3. Main Development Objectives
   4. The Way Ahead

Chapter 4: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

1. Population Growth
2. Basic Education
3. Health
4. Economic Growth and Development
   1. The Role of the Private Sector.
   2. Transport, Communications and Information

Chapetr 5:  CULTURE AND HERITAGE

1. Introduction
   1. Inventorization of Our Heritage and Culture
   2. The Conservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage
   3. The Promotion of Dzongkha
   4. Monastic Institutions and Other Religious Institutions
   5. The Need for a Cultural Act and Cultural Fund

Chapter 6: BALANCED AND EQUITABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Introduction
2. Urbanization Strategy
3. Equitable Access to Basic Infrastructure
4. Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Groups
5. Preventing the Growth of Inequalities

Chapter 7: GOVERNANCE

1. System of Governance
2. The Management of Development
3. Law and Jurisprudence
4. Decentralization and Participation
5. Human Resources Development
6. Resource Mobilization and Development Financing

Chapter        8:        ENVIRONMENTALLY        SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Changing Perceptions and Attitudes
2. Forest Regeneration and Biodiversity
3. Conservation and Development
4. The Greening of National Accounts
5. Institutionalization of Capacities for EIAs
   1. Watershed Management
   2. Environmental Legislation

Chapter 9: BHUTAN IN 2020

1. Introduction
2. Our Nation
3. Our People
4. Our Economy
5. Our Environment
   1. Our Institutions

INTRODUCTION TO PART II

Part II of this Vision Statement is concerned with the future and with setting out the main directions that will enable us to maintain our distinctive Bhutanese path of development well into the next century.

Chapter 3 establishes the normative architecture for future change and development. It identifies a hierarchy of goals, objectives and principles that should guide the Kingdom’s development over the next two decades. It also presents the central development concept that is essential for understanding our distinctive approach to development which, in some  important respects, sets it apart from the approaches adopted by many other developing countries.

The normative architecture results in the identification of  five main objectives covering human development, cultural development, balanced and equitable development, institutional development, and environmentally sustainable development. Each of these objectives form the subject of the following five chapters. This means that the directions and strategies set out in the following pages are driven by objectives, rather than sectoral policies characteristic of many planning documents.

To enlarge the policy value of the Vision Statement, priority areas are identified in respect of each of the objectives. To further facilitate its value, targets have, where appropriate, also been identified that enable us to chart progress towards the  attainment of the main strategic objectives. Given the  twenty- year time horizon of the Vision Statement, milestones are deliberately expressed in terms of Plan periods rather than specific years. While the milestones should be regarded as indicative only, with their attainment ultimately dependent upon resource availability, the use of milestones will help establish a longer-term and objectives-oriented policy framework for the preparation of subsequent Five Year Plans and other planning documents. Reference is also made to longer-term master plans - in existence, in preparation or proposed - that will also guide the nation’s development for periods that extend beyond the  five- year horizons used for most of our development planning. It should be stressed that many of these master plans should not be understood as rigid ‘blueprints’, but rather as longer-term strategies aimed at achieving desired ends.

Part II concludes with a chapter entitled ‘Bhutan in 2020’. It seeks to paint a picture of our Kingdom 20 years hence based upon the attainment of the objectives set and the implementation of the main strategies outlined in the following pages. The picture painted is not a theoretical abstraction. It is the logical outcome  of success in responding to challenges, in achieving objectives, and in implementing the strategies outlined in the following pages.

Chapter 3

GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES: THE NORMATIVE ARCHITECTURE FOR CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

In this Vision Statement it has been argued that the Kingdom has, in many important respects, undergone a major transformation in the past three decades. The progress we have recorded has been attributed, in large measure, to the nation’s many development assets - some very tangible and others less so - that have so far served us well. It has also been noted that, while we can take pride in our many achievements, we must recognize that the process of development is entering a new stage and is becoming substantively more complex. The Kingdom is poised on the threshold of new development challenges that appear more daunting than many of those that have confronted us in the past. However, our examination of macroeconomic prospects suggests that we have some room for manoeuvre in responding to these challenges and that the policies we have formulated to guide us into the next century establish a solid foundation on which to build.

1. THE OVERARCHING GOAL

In our system of priorities for the future there is one priority that stands above all others: it is the need to ensure the  future independence, sovereignty and security of our nation state. This is a precondition for the fulfillment of all the hopes and aspirations we may hold for the future of our nation and of our children.

We are is a part of an increasingly complex world  order  in which nations seek to pursue their interests not only through cooperation but also at the cost of others. It is a world of conflict, competition and rivalries that is without in-built mechanisms designed to safeguard and promote the interests of small states like our own. In such a world there are numerous forces that are able to erode sovereignty and security and we must be ever conscious of their existence.

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Our overarching goal must be to ensure the future independence, security and sovereignty of the Kingdom.

Many of the forces that shape developments in our part of the world will be well beyond our control. However much we may prefer it to be otherwise, Bhutan’s future will be inextricably linked to political and economic developments in the sub-region and to developments within, and evolving relationships between, the region’s emerging superpowers. Although developments in the external environment may impact  positively or negatively upon us, we must accept that, even though we will deliberately pursue policies that provide for collateral security and will seek to defend and promote our interests in sub-regional and regional fora, the influence that  we will be able to exert on external developments is bound to be limited.

The Kingdom’s relationships with India will remain of primary importance. The contribution made by India to the Kingdom’s development can be expected to lessen in the years ahead, with the Indo-Bhutan relationship maturing into one that gives increasing importance to trade and economic transactions within the framework of new bilateral and sub-regional agreements. The export of hydropower and other goods to India will mean that our economy will continue to be inextricably entwined with that of our neighbour and, by extension, to the global economy.

1. GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Our relative inability to influence changes in the external environment only serves to reinforce the importance of fostering developments within our nation that are able to enhance our sovereignty and security. In this critically important area, we must be guided by six main principles: identity; unity and harmony; stability; self-reliance; sustainability; and flexibility.

D Identity. Our independence, sovereignty and security will continue to be dependent upon the assertion of our distinctive Bhutanese identity. This has provided the key to our survival as a nation state in the past and it will continue to be so in the future. This requires us to continue to articulate an unambiguous cultural imperative in all that we do and to actively promote an awareness and appreciation of the continued relevance of our cultural heritage. It also requires us to continue to stress the importance of  Dzongkha as a national and unifying language. We must  also recognize the importance of efforts that seek to maintain the relevance of our system of beliefs and values in a world of change, increased aspirations and rising expectations.

Our efforts to promote sovereignty and security must be guided by six main principles…

… the maintenance of our distinctive Bhutanese identity…

… the maintenance of unity and harmony…

D Unity and Harmony. If we are to build the just and harmonious society consistent with our values, we must be tolerant and share our commitment to a distinctive Bhutanese path of development. Unity and harmony must be built on a foundation of mutual understanding and appreciation of differences, without which it will be impossible to reinforce our common sense of purpose and destiny. By the same token, we must be alert to forces that seek to destabilize and undermine our security and to sow the seeds of social discontent.

D Stability. Stability is a requirement for sovereignty and security, as evidenced by the many disasters and human tragedies that have overtaken developing countries  when this requirement could not be safeguarded. In Bhutan, this stability is guaranteed by the monarchy. It has not only played a decisive role in articulating the nation’s approach  to development and in steering it along the selected path; it has also sought to foster the unity and harmony without which development is made more difficult. The nation will continue to look to the monarchy for inspiration. As a small nation we must be thankful for a system that combines Buddhism and monarchy and for the stability guaranteed  by a line of succession. Political stability is a prerequisite for the progress and prosperity of any country, but it is even more important for a small nation like Bhutan.

D Self-Reliance. For some nations, the principle of self-  reliance is one they can choose to ignore. This is not the case for Bhutan. For us, self-reliance is an imperative necessity. Our dependence upon others for some of  the basic necessities of life, for skills and experience, and for development financing creates vulnerabilities and dependencies that are inconsistent with sovereignty,  security and national dignity. As a nation state, we are not yet able to stand firmly on our own two feet. Until such time as we are able to do so, we must continue to pursue policies that enlarge our self-reliance.

D Sustainability. Sustainability has many dimensions  -  social, financial, economic, cultural and environmental  - and they are all of critical importance in Bhutan since they all impact, directly and indirectly, on our sovereignty and security. Development will be socially unsustainable if it fails to promote harmony and justice. Development will be financially unsustainable if it results in investments we can ill-afford or in untenable increases in our debt service obligations to foreign institutions. Development will be economically unsustainable if it fails to contribute to greater self-reliance and to sustainable improvements in  standards

… ensuring stability…

… promoting self- reliance…

… ensuring that development is sustainable…

of living and the quality of life. Development will be culturally unsustainable if it contributes to an erosion of  our identity and independence. And development that is environmentally unsustainable will result in economic and social insecurity that could result in tensions that would frustrate efforts to build a just and harmonious society. The principle of sustainability must pervade all our thinking on the future development of the Kingdom.

D Flexibility. Development and change is by definition a dynamic process and, as the speed of change accelerates,  we will need to demonstrate flexibility if we are to respond fully and effectively to the many challenges that confront us in the years ahead. This flexibility must find expression in our capacity to take full advantage of possibilities and opportunities as they arise as well as in the readiness to question traditional ways when they are perceived as constituting an impediment to change. Flexibility not only implies the ability to distinguish between the positive and negative forces of change but also the capacity to adapt to change and to social innovation.

1. OUR CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT: THE MAXIMIZATION OF GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS

The guiding principles for the future development of our nation and for safeguarding our sovereignty and security as a nation state must be complemented by a single unifying concept of development that enables us to identify future directions that are preferred above all others. This unifying concept for the nation’s longer-term development is already in our possession. It is the distinctively Bhutanese concept of the Maximization of Gross National Happiness, propounded in the late 1980s by His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Although His Majesty’s formulation made it possible for us to incorporate the concept as the foundation for the nation’s approach to development, some of the underlying principles have guided our nation’s development over a much longer period of time.

The concept of Gross National Happiness was articulated  by His Majesty to indicate that development has many more dimensions than those associated with Gross Domestic  Product, and that development should be understood as a process that seeks to maximize happiness rather  than economic growth. The concept places the individual at the centre of all development efforts and it recognizes that the individual has material, spiritual and emotional needs. It asserts that spiritual development cannot and should not be

… and demonstrating flexibility and the capacity to adapt to change.

The concept of Gross National Happiness, conferred upon the nation by His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, is our central development concept.

defined exclusively in material terms of the increased consumption of goods and services.

In our view, gross domestic product is an inadequate indicator of development. Despite the importance accorded it, it is nothing more than a measure of the money that changes hands. It is insensitive to, for example, social problems and natural resource depletion. With this measure of ‘development’ it is possible for a nation’s GDP to increase rapidly while its natural assets are rapidly exhausted, undermining sustainability and even the very survival of the nation. Similarly, a country can become ‘richer’ as a consequence of  the money that has to be devoted to combatting crime, drug addiction, marital breakdown and other social afflictions.

The key to the concept of Gross National Happiness cannot be found in the conventional theories of development economists and in the application of such measures as utility functions, consumption preferences and propensities, and desire fulfillment. It resides in the belief that the key to happiness is  to be found, once basic material needs have been met, in the satisfaction of non-material needs and in emotional and spiritual growth. The concept of Gross National Happiness accordingly rejects the notion that there is a direct and unambiguous relationship between wealth and happiness. If such a relationship existed, it would follow that those in the richest countries should be the happiest in the world. We know that this is not the case. This marginal increase has also been accompanied by the growth of many social problems as well as such phenomena as stress-related diseases as well as suicides - surely the very antithesis of happiness.

We are also conscious of the growing disenchantment in other countries with conventional indicators of development. New indicators, such as the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare and the Index of Genuine Progress have been developed to redress perceived flaws in the way in which development has traditionally been measured. The application of these indicators in industrially advanced countries shows that much of what in the past has been regarded as economic progress, as measured by the nation’s GDP, can be attributed to the need to address past blunders and to arrest social decay. From the application of these indicators it is possible to conclude that much of what is often referred to as ‘growth’ can be shown to be uneconomic.

It should be stressed that the concept of Gross National Happiness does not reject economic growth as being unimportant. On the contrary, such growth is a precondition  for safeguarding our independence, enlarging our self-reliance, increasing standards of living  and enlarging the   opportunities

Gross National Happiness does not regard economic growth as being unimportant. On the contrary, it is an important means for achieving higher ends.  The challenge is one of finding the balance between material and non-material dimensions of development.

Gross National Happiness must be translated into objectives if it is to guide the Kingdom’s future development

and choices of our people. It does stress the importance of continuing to seek a balance between material and non- material components of development - between peljor gongphel and gakid - and of ensuring that non-material aspects are not overwhelmed by the negative forces of modernization.

Nor is the concept of Gross National Happiness a static one. We have not found it difficult to incorporate ideas and principles where they have enabled us to give still firmer substantive content to the concept. This has been especially so in the case of principles and targets relating to human development. International declarations relating, for example, to the rights of all to education and health have been wholly consistent with  our approach to development and we have incorporated their targets into our development planning.

1. MAIN DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

The concept of Gross National Happiness must be translated into objectives that are able to give direction to the Kingdom’s longer-term development. The multi-dimensional character of the concept lends itself to many priorities, and these will need  to be enumerated and elaborated in detail, as they have been in the past, in our planning documents, as well as adjusted to take account of changing realities. However, some of the priorities are clearly more important than others.

The most important can be subsumed under five thematic headings that provide us with powerful objectives for steering the process of change. These objectives we can summarize as human development, culture and heritage, balanced and equitable development, governance, and environmental conservation. These five main objectives not only give very tangible expression to the central tenets of Gross National Happiness, they also embody the guiding principles that have been identified as being of decisive importance in ensuring our future independence, sovereignty and security. As such, they acquire a special significance in elaborating preferred directions for the Kingdom’s future development.

Human Development.

D To maximize the happiness of all Bhutanese and to enable them to achieve their full and innate potential as human beings. This is to be achieved within the framework of traditional values and ethics and of concerted efforts to achieve sustainable improvements in standards of living, the quality of life, and levels of well-being and welfare. The framework  must  also  provide  for  expanded  choice    and

opportunity consistent with the greater self-reliance of both the nation and of individuals, families and communities.

Culture and Heritage

D To articulate an unambiguous cultural imperative in the nation’s future development that not only recognizes, promotes and inculcates an appreciation and awareness of the importance of the nation’s rich cultural heritage and its continued value as a rich fund of social philosophy but also  its role in meeting spiritual and emotional needs, in maintaining our distinctive identity, and in cushioning  us from some of the negative impacts of modernization. This requires that the value of our cultural heritage be  interpreted in dynamic and development-oriented ways so  as to ensure that it maintains its relevance as a source of values and inspiration for a society in transformation.

Balanced and Equitable Development

D To ensure that the benefits of development are shared equitably between different income groups and regions and in ways that promote social harmony, stability and unity and contribute to the development of a just and compassionate society. This requires special measures in support of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups as well as efforts to ensure that those who have been largely bypassed by the benefits of development are drawn more fully into the mainstream of the development process.

Governance

D To further develop our institutions, human resources and system of governance in ways that enable us to reduce our dependence on others, to manage an increasingly complex process of development, and enlarge opportunities for people at all levels to participate more fully and effectively in decisions that have a bearing on their lives and livelihoods and the future of their families, communities and the nation. Institutional development must embody a commitment to the principles of morality in government and of ethical behaviour in the conduct of public affairs. It must also promote transparency and accountability, and be supported by the force of law that, while embodying a commitment to universal values, gives tangible expression to the distinctive features of Bhutanese culture and society.

… culture and heritage…

… balanced and equitable development…

… governance…

Environmental Conservation

D To ensure that the choices made in response to the many challenges that confront the nation embody the principle of environmental sustainability and do not impair the biological productivity and diversity of the natural environment. This should be regarded as a development asset with a global significance to be protected and conserved in the interests of present  and future generations.

… and environmental conservation.

The normative architecture for the Kingdom’s future change and development is shown schematically in Figure 1.

Figure 1

The Normative Architecture for Change and Development

MAIN GOAL

Independence, Sovereignty and Security of the Nation State

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Identity Unity and Harmony Stability Self-reliance

Sustainability

CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

THE   MAXIMIZATION OF GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS

MAIN OBJECTIVES

THE WAY AHEAD

We must harbour no illusions about the magnitude of the task we are setting ourselves. We must recognize that there  are forces arrayed against Bhutan as it seeks to safeguard its sovereignty and identity and to implement an approach to development that falls outside the development orthodoxy. Many of these forces will be positive and we must welcome them. They will enable us to maintain the pace of our social  and economic transformation and to raise the standards of living and quality of life of our people. Many others will be antithetical to the values we seek to conserve and to build  upon.

Our starting point must be a conscious acceptance of the fact that in choosing to participate in a globalizing world system dedicated to moulding the world in its own image we have to take the good with the bad. We have opened the doors to these powerful forces of change and we are no longer able to close them, even if we wanted to, and to revert to a world in which we choose to isolate ourselves from events around us. Instead, we must be alert to the negative impacts and to the inevitable tensions that exist between indiscriminate forces of modernization and the conservation of our distinctive Bhutanese identity. The challenge is to find and strike the right balance and to exercise the wisdom and imagination that enables us to maximize gains while minimizing the negative  and disruptive impacts.

This will be an immensely difficult task, but we are not without tangible assets. Our beliefs and values, so deeply rooted in the perceptions and behaviour of our people, provide us with the prisms through which we will continue to interpret the world and to distinguish between positive and negative forces of change. If we are less than entirely successful, it will not be because of the lack of commitment to the values we hold dear and to the path we have set for the future development of the Kingdom.

Although we can look ahead from a position of strength, we should have no illusions about the path we have set for ourselves.

We must be ever alert to the tensions that are bound to arise between our distinctive Bhutanese identity and the negative impacts of indiscriminate modernization.

Population policies must…

Chapter 4

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

1. POPULATION GROWTH

Reducing the current rate of population growth has been identified as a priority that impacts on many other aspects of development. Population reduction targets for the next two decades have already been set and the task is now to ensure that they are achieved. Although the reduction targets are undeniably ambitious, many of the elements of the policies required to achieve the targets are already in place. However, future policies must be guided by five main requirements.

D First, because current policies aimed at promoting smaller families at present tend to be more effective in urban areas than in rural areas, they must be extended to the whole nation through appropriate channels, especially channels aimed at promoting reproductive health.

D Second, population policies should take special account of  the perceptions existing at the household level in large parts of rural Bhutan that are increasingly affected by labour shortages that population growth does not constitute a problem. Rapid depopulation of rural areas is not  necessarily linked in the minds of rural households with population pressures that can only be understood at the national level. Such attitudes can only be addressed by population education and awareness programmes that    are

Population plicies must ….

…be extended to cover the whole Kingdom…

…  include population education programmes…

… deliberately target Dzongkhags with the highest rate of population growth...

able to reach the farm level where the households targetted by programmes may be composed of mainly illiterate people

D Third, because population growth rates differ within the Kingdom, concerted efforts will be required in the relatively small number of dzongkhags with the highest growth rates, with the aim of first containing and then reversing them.

D Fourth, population education programmes must not be confined to women of child-bearing age but increasingly extended to target males, who share and sometimes dominate in decisions on reproductive health and on methods of contraception, as well as adolescents and young people with the aim of engendering responsible attitudes in sexual relations, building on the progress already recorded in this area.

D Fifth, in recognition of the many and often complex relationships existing between population growth and social and economic development, greater attention must be given to achieving positive synergies between policies and programmes in the fields of health, nutrition, employment, basic education and reproductive health, including family planning. To help achieve these positive synergies, we will give priority to the formulation of a comprehensive and long- term Population Policy during the Eighth Plan period, which will be used to refine policies for implementation in subsequent Plan periods. The implementation of the Population Policy will need to be supported by the strengthening of capacities to undertake policy-relevant research on population issues, the results of which can be expected to contribute to the further elaboration of policy and programme instruments as well as evaluation and monitoring mechanisms.

1. BASIC EDUCATION

Access to basic education has become the inalienable right of  all Bhutanese and it is the key to most of the nation’s ambitions. The rapid progress recorded in this area must be maintained with the aim of achieving universal enrolment at  the earliest opportunity. Universal enrollment in primary education and junior high schools (Class 8) is now within our reach. Although universal enrollment at high schools will take longer, it is a target that must be pursued with the greatest urgency.

Our future strategies for basic education must be further refined and developed with high priority being accorded to achieving progress in the following areas.

… target men and young people as well as women..

… and seek to achieve positive synergies with policies and programmes in other areas.

Priorities for future education policies should be defined to include…

… improving access to education…

…improving the quality and relevance of education…

D First, basic education is not yet available to everyone and it must be further extended to cover the remotest parts of the Kingdom and all our young people. If necessary, our teachers must be provided with appropriate incentives to work in remoter areas.

D Second, the expansion of the coverage of basic education must be accompanied by further determined efforts to achieve an improvement in the quality of basic education. The Bhutanization of the primary school curriculum is now very largely completed, but we still have some way to go before we have completed the Bhutanization of the curricula at junior high schools and high schools. Our efforts to achieve improvements in the quality of education must meet several requirements, notably:

• They must be guided by an holistic concept based upon the total development of the child and the need to ensure that the innate potentials of each and every child are fully realized. This concept must be  progressively  applied throughout the nation, and differentials that  exist in the quality of education in urban centres and rural areas must be progressively removed.

• They must inculcate an awareness of the nation’s unique cultural heritage, drawing upon sources of inspiration that date from the time of the Shabdrung as well as universal values that develop the capacity of our young people to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and to lead lives that are guided by moral and ethical choices.

• They must prepare young people for the world of work and inculcate an acceptance of the dignity of labour.  This implies increased importance to the applied and practical studies that are able to prepare young people  for technical and vocational work as well as ‘white collar’ employment, breaking the association that appears to exist in the minds of many young people that manual work and skilled trades are the reserve of the illiterate and a sign of ‘backwardness’.

• Related to the above, greater efforts are required to highlight the importance of agriculture as an occupation. This requires us to present agricultural work in a more sophisticated and development-oriented way, stressing the growing potentials that exist within the sector. This may encourage our children and young people to form  a

picture of agriculture that differs from the one they may at present see around them.

• The Bhutanization of school curricula should not be seen as a ‘one-shot’ operation. Curricula must be made the subject of continuous monitoring and review, with adaptation taking place swiftly in response to changing needs and development priorities.

• They must be accompanied by the expansion of technical and vocational training programmes at the dzongkhag level, with appropriate career counselling services, that provide opportunities for dropouts to join the world of work.

D Third,  the attainment of the above will be dependent upon  our capacity to train teachers who are not only highly professional in their approach to education but also motivated and dedicated to the profession they have chosen. Teachers have a vitally important role to play in inculcating in our children and young people an understanding and appreciation of our culture and heritage. They must also be able to guide and motivate young people in their career choices and, given that some young people will have aspirations that are greater than their abilities, possess the skills required for early streaming. This implies that the development of a more holistic approach to the development of the child will be impossible without a teacher-centred approach to basic education. This has enormous implications for teacher training and for the knowledge and skills that they require.

D Fourth, we must intensify our efforts in the area of educational innovation, taking advantage of new technologies that were previously unavailable to us. New information technologies are facilitating the introduction of distance learning programmes that are not only able to respond to the learning needs of dropouts but also of illiterates who are too old to have benefitted from the advantages of a modern system of education. Looking further ahead, we must prepare ourselves now for the opportunities provided by new information technologies for distance education, with the possibilities that Bhutanese can be enrolled in the programmes of foreign universities without ever having to leave their homes. We must take full advantage of new opportunities to introduce a system of continuous education that is responsive to the needs of communities, groups and individuals. This requires us to develop more dynamic models that provide for multiple  entry  and exit points to  a  variety of  courses  and  learning

… recognizing the vital role to be played by teachers and enabling them to meet the many demands on them…

… promoting innovation in ways that take full advantage of new technologies…

opportunities that go beyond the traditional boundaries set by existing institutions.

Priority Area: Health and Education MILESTONES

• Achieve universal primary school enrolment            2002 (End 8th Plan)
• Achieve full enrolment at Junior High School (Class 8)            2007 (End 9th Plan) Achieve full enrolment at High School (Classes 10)            2012(End  10th Plan)
• Achieve full Bhutanization of secondary school curricula            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Introduction ofdistance education programme            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Achieve full adult literacy            2017(End 11th Plan)
• Reduce IMR to current average for all developing countries            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Reduce MMR to current average for all developing countries            2017(End 11th Plan)
• Reduce U5MR to current average for all developing countries            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Achieve average doctor/population for developing nations            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Increase life expectancy to average for developed nations            2012(End 10th Plan)
• Introduction of operational telemedicine            2002(End 8th Plan)
• Introduction of operational system of private health care            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Establishment of National University            2007(End 9th Plan)
• Establishment of Deothang Engineering College            2002(End 8th Plan)

Main Policy Instruments

• Health Trust Fund            Launched
• Health Sector Master Plan            Launched
• Education Sector Master Plan            Proposed
• Youth Trust Fund            Launched

D Fifth, steps must now be taken  to  privatize  education. Education has so far been provided free of charge to all Bhutanese and this imposes a major burden on the government exchequer. There are growing numbers of Bhutanese who can now realistically be expected to meet some of the costs of education. Initiatives that lead to the establishment of private schools should be further encouraged . The development of private schools will free  resources that can be used to achieve improvements in both  the coverage and quality of the basic education that is provided by the state.

D Sixth, we must take steps at the earliest feasible opportunity to establish a National University that is not only able to meet national needs but also those  of individuals from neighbouring countries and even further afield. The university should link Bhutan to the    international    world    of    learning    and   its

…securing a reduction in the costs of education…

… and establishing a National University at the earliest feasible opportunity.

establishment should be guided by the need to establish recognized ‘centres of excellence’

2. HEALTH

As in the field of basic education, this is an area in  which we have recorded considerable progress and  where the pace of change must be maintained. In the space of a few decades we have developed a  decentralized system of health care composed of a national referral hospital, regional referral hospitals, district referral hospitals, Basic Health Units and Out- Reach Clinics, supported, at the grassroots level, by more than 1,000 trained Village Health Workers. Our priorities for the future must include the following:

D First, as in the case of basic education, we must  ensure that primary health care services are further extended to reach those living in the remotest parts of the nation. This requires us to give high priority to the establishment of Outreach Clinics in these areas and to the training of Village Health Workers who are able to provide basic care.

D Second, we must seek to achieve further  improvements in the quality of health care. These improvements must include not only primary health care but also our many Disease Control Programmes (covering immunization, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, diarrhoeal diseases, leprosy, eye disorders, HIV/AIDS and STDs) and specialized institutions (notably the Royal Institute of Health Sciences, the National Institute of Family Health, and the National Institute of Traditional Medicine). These improvements must find expression in the ambitious targets we will continue to set for the health sector, including targets for infant mortality, under-five mortality, maternal mortality and life expectancy at birth.

D Third, improvements in the quality of health care require us to develop new or strengthen existing programmes that respond to the needs of special groups, including the disabled, the elderly, and the emotionally disturbed and mentally ill.

D Fourth, we must continue to provide a place for traditional medicine in our system of health care. Traditional medicine embodies knowledge that has been accumulated over centuries and which    draws

… the development of new programmes that respond to the needs of special groups…

…actively promoting traditional medicine that draws upon the Kingdom’s rich biodiversity…

…achieving positive interactions with policies and programmes in other areas...

… securing a reduction in the costs of health care…

… the training of Bhutanese health …

upon the nation’s rich biodiversity and of plants with proven medicinal qualities. As these qualities become substantiated by scientific research, there is a growing need to integrate more effectively traditional medicine with the modern system of health care. The maintenance of traditional medicine not only adds dimensions to the nation’s system of health care, providing an alternative for those who seek one. It should also be regarded as a conscious decision to conserve a part of our rich and varied cultural heritage.

D Fifth, still greater attention must be given to issues that can only be effectively addressed in a multi- sectoral context. Such issues include population reduction, where measures must be linked to those in the field of education, nutrition, and employment creation for women as well as men. The guiding principle must be to maximize positive synergies between programmes in different areas and across sectors.

D Sixth, we must address  the  issue of  sustainability and the very high cost of providing free health care to a highly dispersed and scattered population. This requires us to:

• Introduce innovative methods of  financing primary and specialized health care, such as the Health Trust Fund that has been established.

• Introduce user fees for medical services for those who are able to meet some of the costs of health care, starting in urban areas, with the necessary safeguards designed to ensure that fees are  linked to people’s ability to pay and that the principle of free health care is not jeopardized.

• Progressively privatize health services so that the growing number of people who are able to pay for the full costs of health care no longer receive it free of charge, with the introduction of supporting private health insurance.

D  Seventh, we must continue to give very high priority   to the training of health personnel to reduce our dependence on expatriates and to ensure that the health of Bhutanese is in the hands of Bhutanese.

D Eighth, we must take full advantage of new technologies that enable us to introduce, at the earliest feasible opportunity, such concepts as telemedicine. Based at present upon the rapidly expanding system of telecommunications, this will be greatly facilitated in the future by the introduction of national television. Telemedicine is particularly appropriate for Bhutan’s decentralized system of health care, with telemedicine providing opportunities to link referral institutions for the  rapid diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease. Such developments would enable us to take fuller advantage of the skills of medical specialists and would contribute not only to the quality of health care but also to its cost-effectiveness. Looking even further ahead, we should not ignore the possibilities provided by telemedicine for self-diagnosis and treatment of illness that can follow as a consequence of the growth of modern telecommunications.

1. ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

If we are to maintain the momentum of development we must continue to give high priority to the growth of the nation’s economy. The nation’s economic structure is still narrow and shallow and determined efforts must continue to be made to diversify the economy so as to reduce vulnerabilities, promote self-reliance and to generate productive employment. The decisions we will make in the years ahead on economic policy and economic diversification will leave an indelible imprint on our nation and they will impact, positively and negatively, on the policies we set out for all other sectors.

Policies for economic growth must take account of a nation’s comparative advantages. These we have  defined to include:

D The production of hydropower. Only a  small  percentage of the nation’s potential for hydropower production, estimated at 20,000 MW, has so far been tapped and further potentials are almost unlimited. These potentials can be exploited through run-of- the-river technologies, with few negative impacts for the natural environment. Developments are guided by a Hydropower Masterplan that covers the period up to 2010. Under the provisions of the Plan, 400 MW of hydropower have already been installed    and

… taking full advantage of new technologies… establishing a new hospital that draws upon our natural endowments and is able to cater to an international target group. Policies for future economic growth should take fully into account the nation’s comparative advantages. These exist in…… the production of hydropower…

an additional 1,200 MW are at various stages of construction. It would not be difficult for us to install additional capacity and to generate 2500 MW by the year 2017. Given that India’s power shortage is currently estimated at around 60,000 MW, we can assume that there is a large and unsatisfied market for the power that we can produce cheaply and in an environmentally sustainable manner.

D Natural resource-based processing industries. The cheap hydropower we are able to produce gives us a distinct comparative advantage in the development of natural resource-based industries oriented towards the sub-regional market. Already, particle board, ferro-silcon and calcium carbide have captured large markets in India, we are also among the major suppliers of cement to Assam. Potentials for the further development of resource-based industries appear very substantial and experience suggests that major new industries can often be created within 24 months of cheap power becoming available.

D Horticulture development. Horticulture has been identified as an area in which Bhutan possesses clear regional and seasonal comparative advantages in the cultivation of both temperate and sub- temperate fruits and vegetables. It has been accorded priority as a means of raising the cash incomes of farmers, generating export revenues and for achieving an improvement in the nutritional status of the rural population.

D Off-farm employment and rural industrialization. The reduction in population pressures in rural areas, occasioned by rural urban migration, will facilitate land consolidation that will, in turn, facilitate agricultural mechanization and modernization. This will result in increased farm incomes that can be invested in rural areas to create off-farm employment and to promote rural industrialization. Both will offer employment alternatives to work in the RNR sector in rural areas as well as contribute to the economic diversification of rural economies.

D Niche markets. Although Bhutan is  unable  to compete with neighbouring countries in the production of basic consumer goods, the very size of the regional market, more than 1 billion people with a growing middle class, suggests that there may    be

… natural resource-based processing industries…

… horticulture…

… off-farm employment and rural industrialization…

… niche markets…

.

niche markets that can be successfully exploited by enterprising Bhutanese.

D Small and cottage industries. This has been identified as another priority area with programmes already in place aimed at enlarging access of small-scale producers to technology, credit and markets so as to enable them to produce profitably for the domestic market, with the priority dictated more by the need  to maintain our rich craft tradition and to create productive employment than to capture export markets.

D Tourism. The nation’s tourism potentials are recognized as being very considerable, and this potential must be explored in the future. There is higher advantage in this sector as there is only one Bhutan to be explored by others. The above suggests that Bhutan possesses potentials and comparative advantages in a sufficient number of areas to ensure the maintenance of economic growth and economic diversification, although questions remain about the capacity of the industries to generate the jobs that must be created in the next two decades. It also raises broader questions concerning the longer-term development of the nation’s economic structure and the quality of the transformation that is envisaged.

It would not be difficult for us to project an image to the world that we might refer to as sophistication and civilization. Sophistication would give expression to the type of economic activity we wish to promote, linked to our natural resource endowments, while civilization would refer specifically to the distinctiveness and uniqueness of our cultural heritage. Activities derived from the notion of sophistication and civilization could include:

D Environmentally ‘clean’ products, such as spring water, organically produced agricultural products, vegetable dyes, aromatic substances, essential oils, herbal pesticides, homeopathic and herbal medicines, and handicrafts that make use of natural products as well as traditional skills. Most of these products would be high value/low bulk products  that would be marketed in industrialized countries, stressing that they were produced in an environment that was among the least polluted to be found anywhere in the world.

… small and cottage industries

… and tourism.

We have yet to address the question of the ‘image’ we seek to project to the world.

This image should be one that takes fully into account our natural resource endowments and the distinctive features of Bhutanese society.

Such an ‘image’ could appropriately referred to as ‘sophistication and civilization’.

An industrial development strategy based on the notion of ‘sophistication and civilization’ should find place for…

… environmentally clean products…

D Products based upon our rich biodiversity. Although this biodiversity has yet to be mapped in detail  (phyla, genus, species and sub-species), it is known to be particularly varied and rich. Some 5,000  species of plants have so far been identified; there  are more than 300 varieties of grasses and fodder trees; more than 118 varieties of rice; and 48 varieties of rhododendron, most of which grow wild. This biodiversity provides us with an enormous potential for the export of clean and uncontaminated seeds and plants as well as gene plasma based upon scientific methods of bioprospecting. These potentials open the door to ‘high tech’ industries, such as bioengineering and gene technology.

Priority Area: The Economy and the Productive Sectors MILESTONES

• Installation of 2000MW of hydropower   2012(End 10th Plan)
• Installation of 2500MW of hydropower   2017(End 11th Plan)
• Increase share of manufacturing sector to 30% of GDP   2012 (End 10th Plan)
• Achieve a three-fold increase in real income of farmers   2012(End 10th Plan)
• Increase the value of horticultural exports by 200%   2007(End 8th Plan) Increase the value of  horticultural exports by 300%   2012(End 10th Plan)
• Increase the contribution of tourism to 25% of GDP   2017(End 11th Plan)

• Achieve 100% increase in revenues from tourism   2012(End 10th Plan)
• Achieve 150% increase in revenues from tourism   2017(End 11th Plan)
• Develop and establish a comprehensive IT strategy   2002(End 8th Plan)

Main Policy Instruments

• Hydropower Development Master Plan (1990-2010)   Existing
• Horticulture Master Plan   Existing
• Master Plan for Cottage, Small and Medium Industries   Existing
• Tourism Master Plan   Under preparation
• Industrial Development Master Plan   Under preparation
• Long-term Strategy for the Development of  the Private Sector Proposed

D High quality health centres and spas that take advantage of clean air and spectacular scenery and which are able to respond to the demands of wealthy patients drawn from the sub-region and beyond.

… high quality health centres….

… educational ‘centres of excellence’…

D Educational centres of excellence that provide opportunities for reflection, catering to the needs of academics, scholars and writers drawn from the world community who would choose to spend time at institutions in an environment that nurtures creativity.

D The enormous opportunities that exist in the IT and related field should be encouraged and  promoted. The first priority is to prepare the IT strategy which should be completed very soon. The private enterpreneurs, institutions, schools and other interested individuals should be supported in the promotion of this important technology.

D Cultural tourism, eco-tourism and adventure/sports tourism (rafting, canoeing, climbing) that are similarly based upon the nation’s natural beauty, biodiversity and unique and distinctive culture must be pursued.

Some of these activities we undertake today. For others it is necessary to think in terms of a decade or two. But they all entail choices that differ in important respects from those available to us today, suggesting that our options may be larger and richer than we sometimes imagine. Moreover, we need to acknowledge that some of the areas in which we have already identified a comparative advantage may not be entirely compatible with an image of sophistication and civilization. This would apply in particular to some types of natural resource-based processing industries and some types of horticultural production, especially those that rely on pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

The above suggests that there are choices that we are still required to consider trade-offs and avenues that we must still explore. The choices made carry many implications for policies in other important fields, such as education and human resources development, foreign investment regulations, and policies for promoting private investment in desired directions.

These choices will be explored during the process of preparing an Industrial Development Masterplan that will be used to guide the nation’s longer-term industrial development.

… and special forms of tourism.

When such activities are taken into account, our options for economic and industrial development appear larger than is sometimes imagined.

1. THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Whatever the choices and trade-offs that are finally made, we must ensure that the private sector becomes a more active partner in the nation’s future development. However, we must recognize that the response of the private sector to liberalization has so far been sluggish, that the private sector is still at an embryonic stage,  with activities dominated by several large enterprises, and that perceptions of work within it, especially among our young people, are not always positive. This means that we must work with the private sector to:

D Remove impediments and obstacles to its further development, with highest priority being given to the simplification of licensing arrangements and the introduction of unambiguous commercial law.

D  Introduce measures that increase the attractiveness   of the private sector especially to our young people as a place of work, including the regulation of working conditions and terms of employment. There are potentially thousands of jobs that can be created through the progressive Bhutanization’ of the private sector labour force.

D Create opportunities for small businesses to flourish and promote arrangements that link larger enterprises with smaller ones through sub- contracting and other arrangements with the aim of developing inter-industry linkages and deepening the nation’s industrial structure.

D Encourage the private sector to look beyond service- oriented activities that promise immediate returns to longer-term investments that take advantage of opportunities existing both inside and outside the country.

D Improve the access of private sector firms to capital, technology and know how, including the strengthening of the fledgling stock exchange by opening the door to, for example, foreign direct investment, and the formation of joint ventures with foreign enterprises.

Foreign investment will only be encouraged in the areas that it will contribute to the attainment of broader objectives, with highest priority being given to foreign investment that enables us to acquire the    technologies

The private sector must become a more active partner in the nation’s future development. New initiatives are required that…

…address impediments to private sector growth..

… increase the attraction for our young people of work in the private sector…

… expand opportunities for small businesses…

… encourage enterprises to look to the longer-term..

… and enlarge access to capital, technology and know-how.

We will continue to adopt a cautious approach to foreign direct investment, actively promoting it only in those areas that it is able to contribute to the attainment of development objectives.

required for our further economic and industrial development and which results in the sustainable creation of high quality employment and the proper transfer of the skills and knowledge required to fuel the nation’s further development.

Direct foreign investment will be encouraged in projects that will have 80 % export potential of its production  and also earns in hard currency.

5. TRANSPORT, COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION

The further development of our physical infrastructure is a prerequisite for the attainment of objectives in almost every other area. It impacts on the lives of individuals and local communities; it integrates different parts of our nation; it links the Kingdom with the  outside world; and it has a direct bearing on the maintenance of the sovereignty and security of our nation state. Because of its manifold impacts and the often long gestation periods, policies in respect of physical infrastructure must necessarily be long term in orientation and be derived from priorities established for the nation’s future economic and social transformation.

In the area of surface transport, our priorities for the next two decades must be defined to include the following:

D The further development of the network of national trunk roads. Although it has undergone major improvements in recent years, the network is still limited in terms of coverage and it is unable to meet the growing demands for larger and heavier vehicles. The dependence of the nation on a single east-west highway should be regarded as a matter of concern since the absence of an alternative greatly adds to  the vulnerability of the nation and impairs its security. While the further development of the national highway network must be guided by economic considerations, future planning should not be indifferent to the location of isolated but  important historic, cultural and religious sites and to the need to bring them closer to population groups who, like the elderly, may be denied access to them.

D  The further development of the network of district   and feeder roads. This is essential for bringing communities  out  of  their  isolation, expanding their

Policies for surface transport should stress….

… the further development of the national network of trunk roads…

… the further development of district and feeder roads…

access to essential services and markets, enlarging their opportunities and choices, and creating conditions required to promote rural industrialization. The demand for roads in rural  areas is understandably high. We will need to accept that it will be impossible to justify all new roads constructed at the dzongkhag and geog levels on economic criteria alone. Our future road building programme will need to take account of other considerations derived from the principles of social justice and equity.

D The expansion of the road network must be accompanied by the further development of a safe, reliable and comfortable system of public transport. Experience tells us that these automatically follow in the path of road-building programmes and the emphasis will need to be placed on regulatory measures covering safety, convenience and fares.

D  The development of ‘dryports’ at strategic locations   on the border with India so as to facilitate both imports and exports. ‘Dryports’ make it possible to introduce such innovations as containerized freight, with improvements in efficiency that will be reflected in reduced travel times, damage and losses, thereby increasing the competitiveness of our exports as well as reducing the cost of imports.

D Ensuring that all proposals for the development of  new physical infrastructure, especially roads, are subjected to detailed assessments of their likely environmental impacts. Given that some villages, located along muletracks, have become redundant when nearby roads have been constructed, the concept of assessment may in some cases need to be expanded to include an evaluation of the social impacts of new infrastructure projects.

Many of these priorities can only be properly pursued in close cooperation with our friendly neighbours. Given the friendly and constructive relations existing with our neighbours, we could also appropriately explore, as a longer-term option, the possibility of building a better communication links with them.

In the area of civil aviation, our main priority must be the development of domestic air services based upon a growing system of regional airports, with highest priority being given to a regional airport serving eastern Bhutan.

… the expansion and improvement of public transport…

… the development of ‘dryports’…

… the importance of environmental and social impact assessments…

… and cooperation with our neighbours.

This will not only greatly reduce travel times but also serve to promote such economic activities as tourism. Domestic aviation could incorporate helicopter services that will reduce demands for ground infrastructure, with such services also being available to meet other needs, such as medical evacuations from remote areas distant from the main road network.

We must continue to improve and strengthen our international airport to make it possible to operate larger aircraft in all-weather conditions. The airport must be equipped with freight facilities that will enable us to export high value/low bulk products to distant markets.

In the field of telecommunications, our future strategies must also meet multiple objectives. They must bring telecommunications as well as postal services closer to the rural population. They must facilitate communication and exchange within the nation through the development of such services as email, internet and intranet. They must also further improve our contacts with the outside world, making it possible for us, at an appropriate time and following the introduction of appropriate standards, to access the ‘information superhighway’ that will provide us with access to the same information and data as those residing in the technologically most advanced nations.

Priority Area: Transport and Communications MILESTONES

• Ensure that 75% of rural population live within half-day’s

walk from nearest road 2012(End 10th Plan)

• Upgrade current national trunk roads to take 30 ton trucks  2007(End 9th Plan)
• Construction of a  ‘dryport’ at Phuentsholing  2002(End 8th Plan)
• Construction of second  ‘dry port’ at Gaylegphu  2004(End 9th Plan)
• Construction of third  ‘dry port’ at Samdrup Jongkhar  2007(End 9th Plan)
• Completion of second transnational highway  2017(End 10th Plan)
• Introduce domestic air services  2002(End 8th Plan) Improved external airlinks established  with full ILS capacity  2017(End 11th Plan)
• Introduction of fully operational ‘intranet services’  2000( 8th Plan)
• Introduction of fully operational email systems  2000( 8th Plan)
• Introduction of fully operational access to Internet  2000(8th Plan)
• Ensure all major villages and settlements have their own post office  2002(End 8th Plan)
• Introduction of national television  2000(8th Plan)

Main Policy Instruments

• Telecommunications Master Plan  Existing
• Postal Services Master Plan  Existing
• Road Sector Master Plan  Under preparation
• Surface Transport Master Plan  Under preparation
• Civil Aviation Master Plan  Proposed

Chapter 5

CULTURE AND HERITAGE

1. INTRODUCTION

Throughout this Vision Statement the importance of maintaining our distinctive path of development has repeatedly been stressed, as has the importance of articulating a clear cultural imperative in our development strategies. This imperative, which has been linked to our identity, sovereignty and even survival as a nation state, must find clear expression in the priorities and directions we set for the future. More than 350  years ago, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal realized that Bhutan’s independence was dependent upon the formation of a distinct identity that would enable the nation to preserve its culture and religion in world that was hostile to its existence. Today, it is the culture and tradition bequeathed to us by our ancestors that can protect us from some of the negative and indiscriminate forces of modernization and enable us to retain our identity and dignity in a world in which ‘culture’ is increasingly defined as a global commodity.

Culture is composed of tangible and intangible aspects that are founded on a complex set of values, norms and traditions. It finds tangible expression in our architecture and historical artefacts and in our rich tradition of folklore, myths, legends, customs, crafts, rituals, symbols, traditional sports, astrology, poetry, drama, song and dance. No less important, as a system of values and norms, it is reflected in our way of thinking, in our attitudes to the world and to life, how  we perceive ourselves and others, and how we make moral and ethical choices and distinguish between what is wrong and right. It follows that our approach to culture and heritage must be based upon a holistic understanding and approach that transcends the boundaries traditionally used for development policies and planning.

Culture is a living manifestation of civilization. Because it exists in the minds of people, it cannot be defined in static terms. If it is to continue to survive and flourish,  to continue to serve as a source of inspiration, and to give spiritual, moral and psychological content and guidance    to    the    Kingdom’s    future    process     of

The maintenance of our distinctive Bhutanese identity is dependent upon the articulation of an unambiguous cultural imperative.

Culture is an illusive concept that has tangible and intangible aspects and dimensions.

Culture is a living manifestation of civilization. Because it lives in the minds of people it cannot be defined in static terms. If it is to retain its relevance and vitality, it must be understood in dynamic terms.

development, it must be understood in dynamic terms, and we must seek to ensure that it retains its value and relevance to a society in transformation. Without such efforts, our rich legacy could lose part of its value and, ultimately, become an unintended hindrance to change rather than a positive force and a source of inspiration, especially for our young people. This requires us to look forward as well as backwards in formulating future strategies.

The distinction made above provides the point of departure for the formulation of priorities. There is one set of priorities that relates to the past and to the full inventorization of our heritage and culture, and another set that looks more to the future and seeks to maintain the relevance and vitality of our rich heritage.

1. INVENTORIZATION OF OUR HERITAGE AND CULTURE

Despite the importance we have afforded to the preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage, the heritage has yet to be fully inventorized and documented. Our heritage covers not only historical sites, architecture and physical artefacts but also our rich tradition of folklore, traditional crafts, arts and sports. Much progress has already been made in this area but much more needs to be done. Part of our heritage resides in rich oral traditions that faces the danger of disappearing, which must be inventorized and recorded before they are lost forever. This process must draw upon modern information and documentation technologies that will enlarge access to our heritage in ways that promote scholarship as well as facilitate its dissemination and use in education and through the media.

Part of the nation’s rich cultural traditions are to be found in the diversity that exists within the Kingdom. Although we share a common worldview and sense of purpose, cultural differences within the nation are considerable, with each ethnic group making its own distinctive contribution to our living past. There are differences in folklore, myths, legends, dance,  poetry and crafts that together add richness to the nation’s cultural tapestry. If the process of inventorization is to be complete, it must penetrate into the most inaccessible valleys of our mountain Kingdom.

We have yet to complete the full inventorization and documentation of our culture and heritage.

In inventorizing our heritage, we must recognize that…

… part of the Kingdom’s rich cultural tradition resides in the diversity existing within the nation, with each group making its own distinctive contribution…

… we must listen to the layman and take stock of location-specific knowledge…

… and we must inventorize and understand what we have lost or are in danger of losing so that we can learn from experience.

The process of inventorization also requires us to listen to the layman and to take stock of the knowledge that may be specific to a single location and accessible only through oral traditions. Some of the insights obtained will not only add to our stock of knowledge and our understanding of our heritage, it could also serve very practical purposes. It could, for example, enable us to further improve the quality of agricultural and livestock extension services, ensuring that they are more firmly rooted in local experience and in traditional knowledge and skills.

We must not only record our assets but also those that we have lost. Such an understanding will enable us to learn from the past and to take remedial measures  aimed at safeguarding existing assets.

1. THE CONSERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE

Programmes in this critically important area are spearheaded by the Special Commission for Cultural Affairs established by Royal Decree in 1985, and reconstituted in 1995 as the Solzin Lhentshog. Despite the many initiatives that have been taken, many more should be considered. Priorities for the future include the following.

The Education of Cultural Custodians

We must accept that many of our young people will be the products of an educational system that has encouraged the formation of questioning minds.  They will have grown up in a society that may place a higher value on material goods and possessions and which is less insulated against some of the negative and disruptive impacts of modernization. If our culture and heritage is to continue to survive and flourish, our young people must understand and accept their role as custodians of a distinctive culture and the values and principles on which it is founded. Our heritage and culture must be seen to possess an intrinsic value and continue to provide them with a source of inspiration.

Basic education has a critical role to play in this process and continuing efforts, building on the progress  already

Our culture and heritage must remain a source of inspiration to our young people…they must learn to understand and accept that they are the future custodians of a rich and varied heritage.

recorded, are required to inculcate an awareness and appreciation of the continuing and contemporary relevance of our culture and heritage to development of the individual, their families, their communities and the nation. We must continue with the renewal of educational curricula in ways that blend our worldview with scientific study. There is nothing inherently contradictory in this. However, it does require us to develop new messages, grounded in the norms of our educational system, and means of communication and dissemination that make use of modern  technologies that are better understood by the young than the old.

Making Our Heritage Accessible

Many of the most important historical, religious and architectural sites in our nation are inaccessible and those who wish to visit them are often confronted with long and sometimes gruelling journeys. The inaccessibility of some sites often places them beyond the reach of the elderly and infirm. Greater efforts are required to document the location of important sites, their historical and religious significance, and the routes through which they can most easily be reached. We should have no hesitation in improving accessibility to some sites, even if this were to mean that the alignment of roads and tracks is based on cultural and religious criteria.

While improving the accessibility of our heritage, we must ensure that those who visit historical and religious sites demonstrate the respect that should be expected of them. We must also be prepared to place some of our most treasured and hallowed sites beyond the reach of the merely curious, enabling them to retain  their mystery and to serve as a source of inspiration.

Conservation and Protection of Our Heritage

Our national treasure of historical artefacts is found throughout the Kingdom, in dzongs,  goendeys, goembas, lhakhangs, at historical and religious  sites and in local chortens, with the National Museum in Paro and the National Library in Thimphu among the brightest jewels in the national crown. It should be a matter of great concern to us all that many of our treasures are housed and displayed in buildings – many masterpieces in themselves - that are either in disrepair or are unable to provide the conditions required for the preservation  of  their  collections,  many  composed    of

We must improve accessibility to our historical and religious sites and promote greater understanding of their significance and importance.

We must demand respect of those who visit our historical and religious sites.

We must ensure that our national treasures are better preserved and protected…

… and be severe in our punishment of those who damage, desecrate or seek to steal them.

Bhutanese traditional arts and crafts draw upon a long tradition deeply imbued with spiritual significance.

artefacts that are genuinely irreplaceable. We must find the resources required to safeguard this legacy.

We must also be severe in our punishment of those who wilfully damage or desecrate our monuments and treasures as well as of those who, motivated by greed, steal them for personal gain, in response to an international market place for antiquities that is entirely without a conscience and moral scruples. This requires us to be ever alert to the fact that there are those who ‘value’ our heritage for reasons that are entirely different from our own.

The Promotion of Traditional Arts and Crafts

A society that seeks to articulate a cultural imperative in its development strategy is one that is committed to the active promotion of traditional arts, crafts and skills. Such promotion should not only stress their intrinsic worth but also the spiritual values that they embody  and their continuing relevance to a society in change. Such efforts are able to draw upon a long and rich tradition. All higher forms of Bhutanese arts and crafts can be traced to the great 15th century terton Pema Lingpa, an accomplished painter, sculptor and architect. A notable landmark was made in 1651 when Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal initiated the establishment of a  centre for studying Bhutanese arts and crafts which is known as zorig chusum today.

Unlike many other countries, arts, ceremonies and festivals in our Kingdom are not remnants of a bygone age. Arts and crafts are practised and ceremonies and festivals are performed because they continue to have a religious and spiritual significance. As such, they are  the manifestations of a living culture. Bhutanese arts  are not primarily concerned with abstract concepts of ‘beauty’ that may appeal to a few, but with the interpretation of values and beliefs that are held by the vast majority and which embody the eternal stream of life or consciousness. It is a subjective process deeply imbued with a strong sense of morality, with many art forms epitomizing the eternal struggle between the  forces of good and evil.

To ensure that this tradition continues to live in the minds of our people, we must make use of every opportunity to actively promote our traditional arts and crafts, especially opportunities that are able to capture the imagination of our children and young people.

Traditional arts and crafts continue to possess their religious and spiritual significance and retain their relevance in the minds and lives of our people.

We must be prepared to adapt our institutions in ways that promote a ‘cultural consciousness’.

We must adapt our approach to development planning in ways that give better expression to our Buddhist worldview and its underlying beliefs and values.

Adapting our Institutions

If our culture and heritage is to continue to retain their relevance and to live in the minds and imagination of  our people, we must be prepared to adapt our institutions in ways that promote a ‘cultural consciousness’ that finds concrete expression in their working methods as well as their policies and programmes. This readiness to adapt  institutions  should extend to some of our most cherished institutions, such as the codes of etiquette derived from Driglam Chhoesum that, in many respects, is at the core of our distinctive identity and culture. In seeking to adapt such institutions we must stress that the value of codes of etiquette resides more in terms of their underlying values and the attitudes they engender than in the mechanical and compulsory observation of its rules and its physical manifestations.

The adaptation of our institutions must also include the adaptation of our approach to development planning. Higher priority must be accorded to the formulation of guidelines that make it possible to incorporate our system of values and beliefs into our approach to development planning. We must recognize that imported approaches are implicitly assumed to posses a universal validity that often makes them insensitive to the contexts in which they are applied. The consequences may not be neutral, since approaches that are insufficiently sensitive to systems of beliefs, values and customs may unwittingly contribute to their erosion.

It was recognition of the limitations of traditional thinking on development that led His Majesty King  Jigme Singye Wangchuck to propound the concept of Gross National Happiness. Challenges to some of our most talented people lie ahead in translating this all- encompassing and guiding concept into operational strategies and methodologies, a process that is already underway. The determination to travel untried paths must be accompanied by the determination to formulate strategies that are unfettered by the confines of conventional wisdom and mainstream thinking. Conventional wisdom has no place for a rich fund of philosophy that embodies The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. It is up to us to ensure that these find expression in our understanding of development policies and planning.

The Promotion of Traditional Architectural Styles

Our heritage and legacy has bestowed upon  the Kingdom some of the great masterpieces of architecture. In the design of dzongs, goembas and other types of buildings, our ancestors relied, not on architectural textbooks, but on mental concepts and inspiration derived from their Buddhist worldview. They regarded rock outcrops, cliffs and other natural features not as ‘obstacles’ but rather as challenges. They met these challenges without resort to plans and blueprints, in the process creating architectural masterpieces that today form a distinctive part of the cultural heritage not only  of Bhutan but also of the world at large. In recent years, we have been inclined to turn our backs on traditional forms of Bhutanese design. Many of our buildings lack architectural merit, embodying standards that are assumed to posses a universal applicability, with the consequence that an increasing number of our new buildings are becoming increasingly different from the traditional architecture.

We must seek to redress such negative developments, which are impoverishing both the physical and spiritual manifestations of our culture and identity. Efforts to redress the situation should include the formulation of a Construction Code that contains positive incentives to our architects and builders to maintain and adapt, as necessary, our traditional and distinctive forms of architecture, such as jangkhim (rammed-mud housing). We must also look to agencies with extensive building and construction programmes to actively promote, whenever feasible, Bhutanese architectural and artistic styles that make full use of local resources and which can be interpreted by local communities as a commitment to Bhutanese traditions and values and not as alien intrusions.

1. THE PROMOTION OF DZONGKHA

Language is more than a means of communication. It is a complex phenomenon that is inseparable from intellectual and psychological processes related to ways in which we organize and express our thoughts. Our language is the way in which we identify ourselves and distinguish ourselves from others. Strategies to conserve and promote our culture and heritage cannot thus be indifferent to language.

Some of our modern buildings are impoverishing our culture. We must derive inspiration from the past and actively promote indigenous styles of architecture and design that give expression to our identity and culture.

A Construction Code should be prepared that provides positive incentives to maintain and adapt traditional and distinctive forms of architecture.

Language is more than a means of communication. It is through language that we identify ourselves and distinguish ourselves from others.

Dzongkha has been a particularly powerful force for unifying the Kingdom, establishing a lingua franca among diverse ethnic groups. It is our national language and we must seek to ensure that the position it occupies is further reinforced. It has a value that goes beyond the promotion of our heritage and culture. It is an instrument for fostering national identity in ways that promote sovereignty and security.

His Late Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, in recognizing the importance of a national language, initiated the process of committing the language to script. Dzongkha is still developing and will continue to do so in the years ahead. This process is one that  should not be left to chance but should be guided in ways that conserve our heritage and promote our identity. The Dzongkha Development Commission  should actively promote the use of Dzongkha and ensure that it is responsive to the future as well as the past.

1. MONASTIC BODIES AND OTHER RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

Our understanding of and approach to development embodies our Buddhist heritage and philosophy. It is a heritage that has been built up over more than a millennium. Buddhism was first brought to Bhutan by Guru Rimpoche in the 8th century. It was promulgated  by several prominent religious leaders, notably Phajo Drukgom Shigpo, who introduced the Drukpa Kagyu school in the 13th century, and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who arrived in Bhutan in 1616 and unified  our country. Many dzongs, monastic schools and other institutions were established in these early years. Since then, our history has been inextricably interwoven with our religious history and monastic institutions have played a decisive role in the evolution of our nation. In the 17th and 18th centuries, monks and lams fought shoulder-to-shoulder with debs and pazaaps in  repelling repeated Tibetan and Mongolian incursions  and supported them in their prayers to guardian deities.

Throughout our history monastic institutions have upheld the tradition of scholarship and learning and contributed to the establishment of systems of humane governance. They have traditionally tended to the material as well as spiritual needs of our ancestors. Today, our people continue to turn to religious    leaders

Our history has been inextricably interwoven with our religious history and monastic institutions have played a decisive role in the evolution of our nation.

Throughout our history monastic and religious bodies have tended not only to our spiritual but also to our material well- being.

Through their prayers and other pious acts, monks and anims continue to make a distinctive and indispensable contribution to national happiness and well-being as well as to peace within the Kingdom.

for advice and guidance, not only on spiritual and religious matters but also for emotional and psychological counselling. In modern times, the Royal Government has, in full recognition of the importance of religious bodies and the role and place of Buddhism in the lives of our people, worked closely with monastic institutions in establishing, for example, new rabdeys, shedas, rigneys, drubdas and anim goembas.

Monastic institutions and religious bodies continue to make a distinctive contribution to our nation’s development. Religious ceremonies and rituals performed in the smallest hamlets and religious centres on special days and occasions contribute to the welfare, well-being and happiness of our people as well as to peace and security within the Kingdom.

Monastic institutions are also the custodians of our religious history, stored in dzongs, goembas and lhakhangs and other sites and buildings throughout the Kingdom. Recognizing the importance of this heritage, His late Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck issued a Royal kasho to establish a library in the Thimphu aimed at bringing together important documents, making them accessible, and promoting scholarship. In recognition of the losses incurred in the past by the nation, notably  the fire at Punakha Dzong in 1832, the earthquake of 1897, and the fire at Paro Dzong in 1907, His Majesty’s decree bore the foresight to provide for additional locations outside the dzong in the event of fire or other disaster.

Monks and anims must be free, to choose a life of meditation and devotion, and to dissociate themselves from a world that, in some respects, may be alien to them. We will continue to be blessed by their prayers and they will continue to make their own distinctive contribution to our well-being and happiness. Others should be encouraged to become a more active part of society. Monks and anims are held in high esteem and treated with the utmost respect. This makes them especially qualified to provide counselling and guidance in respect of emerging social problems that are threatening to unravel the strands of our society as well as to provide support for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. We must also look to our monastic and religious institutions to translate Buddhist principles and values into concrete guidance. There are, for example, relatively few books on Buddhism and the contemporary relevance

of our religious history that are suitable for use in our primary and secondary schools.

There is already encouraging evidence of such  initiatives. Since 1987, for example, monastic institutions have been involved in health and rural sanitation programmes. Numerous new initiatives are also under consideration. The Dratshang has, for example, declared its intention to support and educate the children of the poor, to induct them into their own community with the aim of increasing their self-esteem and their value to society.

The fabric that weaves together monastic institutions, secular organizations and civil society must be strengthened as a matter of deliberate policy. The fabric will become richer as a result, adding new patterns that serve to safeguard our culture and heritage and to promote the moral and ethical values upon which our society is founded.

1. THE NEED FOR A CULTURE AND HERITAGE ACT AND FUND

Our culture and heritage are too important to be left to chance. At present, we possess no legislation or comparable instruments that deals comprehensively with a subject that has so many dimensions and implications. This paucity could appropriately be addressed through the preparation of a Cultural Act.

The Cultural Act would serve a number of important purposes. It would, for example:

We have no comprehensive legislation that deals effectively with a central issue of development strategy. We should seek to redress this through the formulation of a Cultural Act.

D Elaborate objectives in respect of  cultural preservation, conservation and promotion;

D Specify priorities in respect of the objectives formulated;

D Specify the responsibilities and duties of different institutions and bodies at different levels in respect  of the priorities;

D Identify new mechanisms required to promote an understanding and appreciation of culture and heritage;

D Specify incentives consistent with the preservation, conservation and promotion of our culture and heritage;

D  Specify fines and punishment for crimes committed   in relation to culture and heritage

New initiatives in the area of legislation must be supported by new initiatives aimed at mobilizing the resources required for the preservation, conservation and promotion of our heritage and culture. These initiatives should include the establishment of a  Cultural Fund, properly instituted and administered.

The Culture and Heritage Act and the activities financed by the Heritage Fund must contribute to the formation  of a broad-based consensus on the continuing value of our heritage that can be shared by all Bhutanese. The formation of such a consensus will not emerge without conscious and more deliberate efforts designed to bring  it about. They are nevertheless efforts that, if brought to a successful conclusion, could leave an indelible imprint on the further development of the Kingdom, rooting even more firmly the distinctive Bhutanese path of development in the minds and imagination of our  people.

Chapter6    

BALANCED AND EQUITABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

We will retain our commitment to balanced  and equitable development, seeking to ensure that the benefits of economic and social progress to do not accrue to the few at the expense of the many. This commitment is seen as wholly consistent with the need to build a future society that is founded on  the principles of justice, harmony and unity.

In seeking to achieve balanced and equitable development, we must give particular priority to four main areas of concern:

D      Responding   to   the   challenges   posed   by   rapid urbanization;

D      Ensuring  equitable  access  to  basic    services  and infrastructure;

D      Responding   to   the   needs   of   vulnerable   and disadvantaged groups;

D     Preventing the growth of inequalities.

1. URBANIZATION STRATEGY

The face of our nation is rapidly changing. Increasing numbers of people are choosing to leave their rural homes and to migrate to urban centres. We are not yet well equipped to deal with this rapid movement of population, being still uncertain of the specific constellation of factors that are fuelling the process - which may vary in different parts of the nation - and of the longer-term consequences, both positive and negative, that the process will have in both urban and rural areas. We cannot await to acquire a full understanding, nor can we allow our urban centres to  be overwhelmed by the uncontrolled effects of rapid urbanization.

Of the initiatives required to deal with this situation, two are of crucial importance. The first is to ensure that we retain our commitment to improving standards of living and the quality of life in rural areas, thereby reducing

A society in which the benefits of development are shared is a society that gives expression to the principles of justice, harmony and unity.

We must be prepared to meet the challenge posed by rapid urbanization.

The challenge must be met by measures that respond imaginatively to both ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors.

the ‘push’ factors in migration. Farming and related activities must become more profitable and young  people must perceive farming, not as a subsistence activity they associate with ‘backwardness’, but as  a field of opportunity. The continuation of the focus on rural development and the further commercialization of agriculture are thus essential components in our urbanization strategy.

The second major initiative is the preparation of a growth centre strategy that identifies migration alternatives to Thimphu and Phuentsholing, both of which are currently growing at rates which may soon prove to be unsustainable. The growth centre strategy must meet a number of basic requirements.

D First, and most obviously, the locations selected for growth centres must provide the physical space to accommodate a growing population.

D Second, the locations selected must  have  an  economic base that establishes the conditions required for self-sustaining growth. This requires us to take special account of the resource endowments of potential locations and of the possibilities of translating these endowments into tangible development potentials that can be exploited in the near and medium term.

D Third, full and proper consideration must be given to the potential environmental impacts of alternative locations so as to ensure that growth centres do not result in unacceptable environmental damage, for example damage that could arise from the exploitation of resource potentials.

D Fourth, the growth centre strategy must be reinforced by programmes aimed at developing the physical infrastructure, especially roads, power, water and telecommunications, required to exploit resource endowments and achieve self-sustaining growth.

D Fifth, the growth centres selected must serve as focal points for the provision of social infrastructure and services that are associated with expanded choice and the quality of life.

D Sixth, the centres should serve as focal points for government  services  and  for  programmes  for   the

We must identify a small number of growth centres that…

… have space for expansion…

… possess an economic base that establishes conditions for self- sustaining growth…

… can be developed with minimum damage to the environment…

… are supported by infrastructure development…

… can serve as focal points for the provision of social services…

… and can serve as focal points for government services.

Particular priority must be given to identifying a growth centre that can serve Eastern Bhutan

decentralization of government administration from Thimphu to lower levels.

Given resource scarcities, it will neither be feasible nor desirable to seek to develop more than 3 or 4 regional growth centres. Highest priority should be accorded to the development of a growth centre in eastern Bhutan, where the distances to Thimphu and Phuentsholing are great and the density of population high, giving the region a high potential as a ‘sending’ area. Available resources will need to be concentrated in a  small number of locations in order to achieve economies of scale, rather than spread too thinly over a larger  number of centres where returns will be lower and more unpredictable. Preference will need to be given to the expansion of existing centres rather than the creation of new settlements, provided that the minimum requirements and basic conditions can be fulfilled.

The preparation of a growth centre strategy is now in and and will form part of a larger strategy for the balanced development of human settlements in Bhutan. It is clearly of the utmost importance that the strategy be finalized and implemented at the earliest opportunity if the many potential negative effects of rapid urbanization are to be minimized.

These strategies must address effectively problems relating to land markets, land registration, affordable housing and urban services that are already in existence and they must encompass measures to prevent the emergence of the slums and squatter settlements that are familiar in many other developing countries.  For both Thimphu and Phuentsholing it will be necessary to think imaginatively in terms of alternatives to  continuous urban growth, with its possible negative implications for the quality of both the built and natural environment. We should give consideration, for example, to such concepts as ‘rurabinization’ that targets townships in the vicinity of the towns as future focal points for a pattern of urban growth in which the benefits are more broadly-based and equitably shared. Above all, it is imperative that we learn from past mistakes and do not repeat them in other urbanizing areas.

Our future strategies for human settlement development must give greater priority to achieving improvements in the quality of urban design and planning. Some towns, notably Phuentsholing, have grown without the   benefit

We must finalize feasible urban development strategies for Thimphu and Phuentsholing…

… and apply innovative concepts that will ensure that the benefits of urban growth are more broadly based…

…and that we learn from past mistakes and apply the lessons learned.

We must give greater priority to securing measurable improvements in the quality of the built environment.

The promotion of equity and the expansion of economic activity require us to enlarge access to basic infrastructure and services.

of development plans and may soon reach a stage  where, from an urban planning and design perspective, they are beyond repair. In seeking to achieve improvements in the quality of the built environment,  we must draw inspiration not only from modern textbooks on urban planning but also from the wisdom and imagination of our traditional architects and craftsmen, promoting standards of urban design and architecture that are consistent with a distinctive Bhutanese identity.

1. EQUITABLE ACCESS TO BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Our policy of ensuring that the benefits of development are shared equitably will continue through the maintenance of programmes aimed at enlarging access to basic infrastructure and services. This is an area in which considerable progress has already been recorded and we shall seek to build on this progress in the years ahead.

Local communities irrespective of their location within the Kingdom stress the importance of roads and electricity. They serve to bring the communities out of their isolation, they enlarge access to markets and services, and they facilitate rural industrialization and, hence, the creation of productive employment outside of the RNR sector. Both are instrumental in  improving both the standards of living and the quality of life in rural areas and are thus able to contribute to a reduction in rates of rural-urban migration.

Priority will also continue to be given to the rapid expansion of access to potable water and safe  sanitation. Both will remain key components in our approach to achieving sustainable improvements in the health of the population and in addressing such problems as diarrhoea and skin infections which figure prominently in the nation’s morbidity profile and which have been linked to the unsatisfactory hygienic situation that still prevails in large parts of the nation.

Further progress in the field of health means that we must continue to give high priority to improving access to potable water 0and safe sanitation.

This Vision Statement envisages steady progress in all these areas. In two decades from now, we should seek to have achieved a situation comparable to the standards that today prevail in the industrialized countries.

1. VULNERABLE AND DISADVANTAGED GROUPS

Although the benefits of development have been widely shared, we must recognize that there are still groups within our nation that have been largely by-passed by the broad-based process of social and economic progress. These groups are often disadvantaged by their remote locations and are particularly vulnerable to the uncertainties that are associated with the harsh environments in which they live. The extreme isolation  of such groups greatly adds to the cost of providing even the most basic infrastructure and services and sometimes places them beyond the reach of agricultural and other extension services.

The emphasis we have chosen to place on equitable development means that we cannot ignore the predicament of particularly disadvantaged and vulnerable groups or be insensitive to their needs. New programmes are required that deliberately target    them

Some groups, especially those in remote and inaccesible regions, have been largely by- passed by the process of

and seek to bring them closer to the mainstream of the nation’s development process. New initiatives that could be considered include one in which small and very isolated groups are offered new plots of land in less isolated locations in exchange for those that they currently farm. Since such groups are most likely to farm kam-zhing, pang-zhing and tseri land on relatively steep slopes in watershed area, such an exchange would not only prove potentially very beneficial to the groups concerned, but would also be entirely consistent with  the objective of sustainable environmental development and the conservation of our natural resource base. Such an initiative would build on the positive experience already acquired with the ongoing programme of resettling populations from ecologically fragile areas.

1. PREVENTING THE GROWTH OF INEQUALITIES

Bhutan has traditionally been an egalitarian society in which differences between rich and poor were never pronounced. The rewards that accrued to Bhutanese people were seldom financial but rather ceremonial, with honours bestowed by His Majesty upon distinguished individuals for services to the state and to society. The forces of modernization have tended to change this balance. Although reliable data are not available, available evidence suggests that income disparities appear to be on the increase.

With the progressive liberalization of our economy and the deliberate efforts now being made to promote entrepreneurship and private sector initiative, we must recognize that conditions are being created which could give rise to the further growth of income disparities. Such growth should be considered inconsistent with our desire to build an equitable society and with the principles of unity and social harmony.

We must thus be conscious of possible unintended side- effects of some of the policies we have chosen to pursue. The decision to promote the growth of the private sector is not motivated by the desire to see the nation’s wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but rather to extend new opportunities to the many. We must accordingly look to the Royal Government in the years ahead to develop a progressive system of taxation that is able to contain the growth of income disparities without imposing punitive rates on our most talented and able entrepreneurs. The introduction of the personal income tax (PIT) in 2000 is also a means to contain this growing

New initiatives are required that specifically target vulnerable and disdvanatged groups

Very small and isolated groups should be offered land in exchange for the land they currently farm. This would not only benefit the groups concerned but also contribute to the attainment of environmental objectives.

The liberalization of the economy and the promotion of the private sector could give rise to growing income disparities.

We must develop a progressive system of income tax that contains the growth of income inequalities without penalizing our most able and talented

disparities in the income level of the people. Such measures will enable us to sustain as the egalitarian society that we have been so far. We must also seek to maintain, to the maximum extent possible, the system that, rooted in our traditions and customs, bestows ceremonial awards and honours upon those who render distinguished services to the further development of our nation in such fields as arts, culture, sports and development.

Chapter 8

GOVERNANCE

1. SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE

Our system of governance will continue to evolve along the path we have already set out. Our system of governance is in many respects unique in the world. It is a system that provides people with direct access to the nation’s monarch, and which incorporates fora in which the people’s elected representatives debate and take decisions on matters of national importance, with an agenda that is based upon the concerns and aspirations of local communities. Evidence of the capacity of our system of governance for further evolution is provided by the importance accorded to decentralization aimed at further empowering local communities and at enlarging opportunities for them to share in decision-making on the future of our nation.

1. THE MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT

It has been stressed in this Vision Statement that our nation stands on the threshold of new challenges more daunting than those that have confronted us in the past and that the process of development is becoming substantively more complex. This carries major implications for the way in which we should seek to plan and manage the Kingdom’s future development. These implications include the following:

D First, we can no longer assume that the Royal Government should be held solely responsible for the nation’s future development. These responsibilities should be shared and new partnerships should be formed with agents of change and development. These partnerships can and should take numerous forms in recognition of the growing complexity and the challenges faced. They should include the private sector as a means for generating self-sustaining growth; they should include the religious institutions as a means for maintaining our commitment to the spiritual and cultural dimensions of development; and  they  should  include  the  growing  number   of

Our system of governance must continue to evolve along Bhutanese lines, based upon time-honoured institutions and traditions.

Our system of governance has demonstrated its capacity to adapt to changing needs and situations.

The management of development must be progressively adapted in response to new needs and requirements. The process of change must take account of….

… the reinterpretation of the role of the Royal Government as an ‘enabler’ of development and the need to build and strengthen partnerships with other agents and institutions…

national NGOs that are committed to the principles  of justice, equity, social harmony and cultural and environmental conservation.

D Second, responsibilities for development must also be increasingly shared with dzongkhags and geog administrations, and we must seek to take full advantage of the mechanisms we have created, like DYTs and GYTs, that establish fora in which our people are able to assume greater responsibility for the development of their communities, to participate in decisions that have a direct bearing on their lives and livelihoods and the future of their families and communities, and to express and share their hopes and aspirations for the future of our nation.

D Third, these positive developments require  us  to  think increasingly in terms of the need to manage a development process, and it is the responsibility for management that should be entrusted to central authorities. Management entails the capacity to  guide development in preferred directions, to monitor and evaluate the process of change, and to identify the need for remedial and corrective measures when we deviate too far from the directions we have set for the nation. Effective management also requires that full and proper attention be given to ensuring that the principles and imperatives elaborated to  guide the process of development are respected and that safeguards derived from our commitment to the principles and imperatives are neither overwhelmed nor ignored.

D Fourth, we must be prepared  to  develop  new planning and management instruments that are responsive to the challenges ahead and the demands of a development process that is becoming substantively more complex. We should demonstrate the readiness to relinquish present planning instruments, especially if it can be shown that other instruments are more responsive to future planning and management needs and requirements of the country.

D Fifth, this understanding of management is one that places a premium on the professionalism of our civil service. We must seek to ensure that this professionalism increases over time and that the civil service is able to retain many of our most talented and   dedicated   individuals.   Although   we     must

… the devolution of new powers and responsibilities to the Dzongkhag and Geog levels…

… the need to strengthen capacities for the management of a development process that is becoming substantively more complex…

…the need to develop and apply new planning instruments…

.. the need to maintain a civil service that meets the highest standards of professionalism and is able to retain our most able and talented people…

maintain our commitment to a compact civil service, we must be prepared to undertake periodic restructuring so as to make it possible to induct new professionals that may be more competent than  those they will replace. This will also help to ensure that well-trained and highly qualified professionals will not be lost to the nation.

D Sixth, we will be unable to exercise the management function without more concerted efforts to develop the information systems and data bases required to monitor the nation’s development, to test and evaluate alternatives, and to support informed decision-making. Management must be supported by the capacity to undertake policy-relevant research on urgent development issues. This capacity is still lacking in a number of critical areas and we must seek to address this issue as a matter of priority. It would be a grave mistake if we are not able to make use of the available technologies like internet and information technology to our advantage. Priority shall be placed in developing this sector for the benefit of the business community, government offices and the general public.

D Seventh, the management of development must also take fully into account the distinctive Bhutanese  path of development we have chosen to set out for ourselves. This requires us to reflect on the many implications for development and to develop and apply methodologies and procedures that sensitize development planning to the values we have chosen to place at the centre of the process of further social and economic transformation.

1. LAW AND JURISPRUDENCE

The further development of our institutions must be accompanied and supported by the further development of national law and our judicial system. Both have a long history. Bhutan’s first set of codified laws was promulgated by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1651. Founded on the teachings of Buddhism, it exhorted the practice of the ten acts and devotion to the 16 pious and virtuous acts of social piety.

The absence of a colonial history prevented the introduction of alien systems of law and justice, allowing our own traditional system to develop over centuries   in

…the need for up-to- date information required for forward analysis and informed decision-making….

… and gives concrete expression to to the values and beliefs at the core of our development strategy.

We must accord priority to the further development of national law and our judicial system.

response to the evolving culture and ways of life of our people. The principles of Buddhism and ‘natural justice’ enshrined in the laws did not alter with the passage of time, although, in more recent times, several principles and procedures of western jurisprudence, especially  with regard to criminal justice, have been absorbed and have served to enrich our traditional laws.

Our traditional laws were codified in 1958 in the Thrim Zhung Chenmo (Supreme laws), which covers almost all categories of criminal offences and penalties. With the monarch at the apex of the legal system, the Thrim Zhung Chenmo separated the judiciary from the executive and legislative branches of government, with the process of separation reaching its culmination in 1968 with the establishment of the High Court. Later, a separate judicial cadre was established to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and specific provisions were made in the law to prevent the executive from interfering with the judiciary.

The main priority now is to ensure that the independence of the judiciary is maintained and that the systems of law and jurisprudence continue to evolve in response to the needs of a society in development. The further evolution must be guided by four main principles:

D All Bhutanese have equal and unimpeded access to the law and legal process;

D  The legal system is able to dispense justice swiftly   and efficiently;

D The judiciary is able to perform its tasks and execute its responsibilities with the highest degree of professionalism;

D Law must be accepted by all Bhutanese as being fair, responsive and relevant.

D In order to deliver justice, the mechanism  to implement the law must be strengthened.

Our system of law has traditionally been retroactive, responding to changes within society and to emerging needs. Given the nation’s rapid pace of development, we must seek to ensure that law is, wherever possible and appropriate, proactive in terms of its capacity to anticipate change and the legal instruments required  to

deal with it. This implies that the further evolution of  our traditional system of law must be supported by measures to enlarge our capacity to undertake action- oriented research on law and jurisprudence, with the aim of identifying ways in which systems that remain anchored in Buddhist principles, beliefs and values can maintain their relevance as a positive force for change in the next millennium.

1. DECENTRALIZATION AND PARTICIPATION

We have established a system of decentralized decision- making on development that, in some respects, is unique to the world. Under this system, issues identified at the local level can become the subject of debate in the Tshogdu, the nation’s highest elected decision-making body, and needs articulated at the local level are linked to development planing at the national level. The task before us now is to further develop the system in ways that build real autonomy at especially the dzongkhag and geog levels, with due to consideration to the requirements of administrative efficiency, transparency and accountability. Priorities must be defined to include the following:

D First, the autonomy of the dzongkhags must be enlarged and their capacities strengthened to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate development policies and programmes, especially at the DYT and GYT level. Higher priority should be accorded to the transfer of appropriately qualified government officials from the central to the lower levels so as to facilitate the process.

D Second, line ministries at the central level must be progressively reorganized to enable them to support capacity development at the dzongkhag and geog levels. As capacities at lower levels are strengthened, the role of line ministries must be redefined to stress the importance of regulation, coordination, and research rather than of plan and programme implementation.

D  Third, autonomy building and capacity development  at the dzongkhag and geog levels must be accompanied by the transfer of financial responsibilities. This will best be achieved by the award of block grants to dzongkhags that will have the authority to decide on how such grants should  be used. Decision-making on the use of block  grants

The system of decentralization must be further developed, with highest priority being accorded to…

…further  strengthening the autonomy and capacity of the Dzongkhags…

… the reorientation of line ministries to enable them to better support the process of decentralization…

…the progressive transfer of financial responsibilities to the dzongkhag and geog levels…

would need to be approved by DYTs and GYTs and supported by strict adherence to procedures that ensure full transparency and accountability. The possibility should also be examined of providing dzongkhags with the powers required to enable them to mobilize their own financial resources, although measures would be required to ensure that dzongkhags with low levels of economic activity are not disadvantaged by such arrangements. High priority must also be accorded to the devolution of financial responsibility from the dzongkhag to the geog level,  building on the initiatives already taken  in this area.

D Fourth, administrative and financial powers  should  be transferred to dzongkhags to enable them to recruit support cadres, while the decisions on the recruitment of professional cadres continuing to be taken at the central level, thus devolving some authorities to them.

D Fifth, the office of the Gup must be strengthened to enable it to take on new roles and responsibilities, with  priority  being  given  to  the  development     of

… providing dzongkhags with responsibilities for the recruitment of some staff…..

capacities   for   management,   administration   and accounting in accordance with specified criteria.

D Sixth, since local communities are in  the  best  position to articulate their needs, new mechanisms should be established that serve to enlarge the decision-making powers of GYTs on  local development issues.

D Seventh, existing  mechanisms  should  be strengthened and new ones created that eventually enable local communities to take charge of the development process at the local level. The mechanisms should encourage the view that local communities ‘own’ the development process, thereby reducing their reliance on the Royal Government as the main agent of development.

D Eightth, the DYT and GYT Chatrims and the Decentralization Guidelines should be reviewed to identify areas in which modification or expansion are required. If necessary, we must be prepared to formulate and adopt new guidelines that are able to provide a more positive stimulus to decentralization, participation and empowerment.

4.   HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

The future pace of institutional development will continue to be linked to the pace of human resources development (HRD). HRD is an area that has traditionally been accorded high priority and, since 1961, around 7,000 Bhutanese have been trained in overseas institutions. During the past five years, the nation’s supply of trained manpower has grown at an annual rate of 400 nationals trained in foreign institutions and 500 completing courses at national training institutions. Despite this progress, the Kingdom’s development continues to be hampered by critical skills shortages in a large number of areas, and this finds expression in a continuing reliance on expatriates, especially in the private sector.

Strategies will continue to be guided by the Human Resources Development Master Plan prepared for the period 1997-2002, which is presently being revised to cover a 20-year period up to 2020. This  Vision Statement points to several important additional priorities for the next two decades.

… strengthening the office of the Gup…

…enlarging the decision-making powers of GYTs…

… the development of mechanisms that enable local communities to ‘own’ the development process…

… the formation of users’ and producers’ associations…

…and review , when necessary, the Chatrims and Guidelines.

Our strategy for the critically important field of human resources development will continue to be guided by our Human Resources Master plan.

The provisions of the Master plan must be reviewed to take account of…

D First, the HRD Master Plan provides  for  ‘training slots’ for individuals for future induction into the public and private sectors. There may be those who should be considered for overseas training who may be difficult to place within these sectors. This could apply, for example, to representatives of monastic institutions as well as the wider community.

D Second, our HRD Master Plans have so far  been largely concerned with supply-side problems and the placement of Bhutanese in especially overseas training institutions with the aim of overcoming supply constraints. This emphasis needs to be complemented by manpower planning that takes more fully into account demand problems arising from the growth of the labour force and the need to create productive employment for ever-larger numbers of young people. New initiatives are urgently required to address perceived imbalances in supply and demand side considerations.

D Third, HRD and manpower planning must be based upon a longer-term vision for the nation’s development that has so far been lacking. Explicit choices still have to be made, for example, on the precise path of industrialization that we intend to follow. Should this path stress the importance of ‘high-tech’ industries linked to the sustainable exploitation of our natural resource base, this choice must, given the long lead times required for training, be reflected at the earliest stage in our HRD and manpower planning policies.

…the  overseas training needs of monastic and religious institutions…

… demand side problems arising from the need to create productive employment….

D Fourth, an important part of our perspective for HRD has inevitably and necessarily been oriented towards overseas training institutions. However, it is essential that we think increasingly in terms of developing our own ‘centres of excellence’ and of the infrastructure and supporting arrangements, including twinning  and cooperative relations with overseas universities and research centres, required to make them a  reality. As a minimum, we must start preparing now for the establishment of a National University that is able to meet not only our own needs but also those existing in the region and even further afield. The notion of a ‘centre of excellence’ would require our National University to acquire an international reputation for opportunities offered for Buddhist studies and studies linked in theoretical and practical ways to our rich biodiversity.

1. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT FINANCING

Although we are fully committed to financing the further development of our Kingdom entirely from our own resources, we must recognize that this will not be possible until the next century. From a time in which virtually all our recurrent and capital expenditures were financed through foreign aid, we have progressed to a situation in which we are able to finance our growing recurrent expenditures from our resources, and we must continue to look to our development partners for assistance in the financing of development expenditures.

We expect this situation to change dramatically when  new large hydropower schemes come on stream in 2006 and thereafter. However, this should not prevent us from exploring every avenue of domestic resource mobilization so as to enable us to reduce our reliance on external assistance. Although the nation’s tax base is recognized as being very narrow and inelastic, we have already recorded considerable progress in this area.

In an effort to increase this growth rate, we have already embarked on a major programme of tax reform. The traditional salary tax levied on civil service employees has been replaced by a broader-based system of income tax that will draw others into the tax net. We are also examining the desirability and feasibility of introducing a sales tax on goods and services and property tax. The possibility   is   also   being   examined   of   revising   the

…and the need to develop our own ‘centres of excellence’, especially a National University

… the longer-term needs of the economy arising from our choice of industrialization strategy…

We must systematically explore new sources of revenues and be prepared to levy user fees for services on the growing numbers of people with the capacity to pay.

structure of royalties on forestry products and of levying user fees for social services, notably health and education, on those who are able to pay. It is also time  for us to consider privatizing some health and education services in recognition of the fact there are growing numbers of Bhutanese who are today able to bear the full costs of these services. The policies being actively pursued to promote the private sector can also be expected to extend and deepen the nation’s tax base.

While the measures presently under review can be expected to contribute to the growth of the revenues required to sustain the pace of the nation’s development, they are unlikely to have a significant impact on the need for external assistance in the short and medium term.  We will accordingly continue to seek the assistance of the nation’s development partners and will accord priority to the development of relationships based upon mutual respect, trust, openness, transparency and predictability. At the same time we will enhance our effort in mobilizing the domestic resource wherever possible. This shall be vigorously pursued through our financial institutions as they are mandated to stimulate the economic growth of the country.

Chapter 8

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. CHANGING PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES

Our approach to the environment has traditionally been anchored in our Buddhist beliefs and values. We not only respected nature, we also conferred upon it a living mysticism. Places were identified with deities, divinities and spirits, and a large part of the landscape was mapped in such terms in our minds.

We must recognize that some of the measures that we have taken to protect and preserve the environment and biodiversity may also have contributed to the erosion. The establishment of nature reserves and protected  areas has introduced lines of demarcation between humans and nature that formerly never existed. The introduction of rules and regulations that must be respected have stripped some locations of their mysticism and prevented the communion with nature that was once common. Our belief that we should manage our biodiversity and environment in accordance with international standards may have unwittingly contributed to a hardening of traditional attitudes, perceptions and values.

The further erosion of our traditional perception and understanding of our place in natural systems carries potentially disturbing consequences for  the environment. It may be a shorter step than we might care to imagine from seeing ourselves as part of a living world to seeing it as a source of wealth and as a  resource base to be exploited for immediate gain - a step that would undermine the whole ethos and ethics of conservation. We must be ever-conscious of  this  danger. It can only be addressed by deliberate efforts to keep alive traditional attitudes and values. This establishes a clear link between environmental conservation and the conservation of our cultural heritage.

Our approach to the environment reflects our Buddhist worldview.

1. FOREST REGENERATION AND BIODIVERSITY

We can take justifiable pride in the efforts we have made to protect our forests, and forest regeneration must remain a priority for the future. Our future approach should, however, display a higher degree of sensitivity to the maintenance of biodiversity. There are reasons for believing that our commitment to the planting of pine may have contributed to a reduction of biodiversity. Pine forests have, for example, progressively taken over the alpine meadowlands that were once more common, and this process of forestation has resulted in a loss of plants, birds and insects that formed part of the meadowland ecosystem.

There are cases where we must accept a reduction in biodiversity in the interests of environmental conservation. Our decision to eliminate tseri cultivation, for example, taken on the soundest environmental grounds, has meant that we have effectively lost several species of millet and sorghum that only grew in conditions associated with shifting cultivation. However, we should be less sanguine about the losses in biodiversity that have been occasioned by forest regeneration and we must seek to reduce these losses in the future through ecologically more sensitive approaches to forestry management.

Our approach to forest regeneration must display greater sensitivity to the maintenance of biodiversity.

Our strict and uncompromising approach to environmental conservation may have hindered us from seeing our nation’s rich biodiversity as a development asset that we can draw upon in responsible and sustainable ways to further the process of social and economic development. The rich biodiversity may have a unique role to play at the global level in maintaining the genetic material required to guarantee food supplies for a growing world population as well as in the  development of new pharmaceutical products. It has been suggested elsewhere in this Vision Statement that our rich biodiversity may confer upon us a distinct comparative advantage in the development of new and clean industries based upon bioprospecting and genetic engineering - industries that could help to place Bhutan in the vanguard of scientific advance for the benefit of humankind.

While we refer to our rich biodversity, we are as yet unsure how varied the nation’s biodiversity actually is. If we are to turn biodiversity from a constraint into an opportunity, we must, as a first step, accord priority to completing a full inventory of the nation’s biodiversity resource base.

1. THE GREENING OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS

National accounts are used as the basis for calculating Gross Domestic Product, the total value of the goods  and services produced by a nation. The system used in Bhutan for the calculation of GDP is based upon the methodology and practices recommended by the United Nations (the 1993 SNA). While the methodology represents a considerable improvement over earlier methodologies, it still takes no account of the value contributed to the economy by the environment and by ecological services. An estimate of this value can be arrived at through the compilation of environmental satellite accounts, for which methodologies have been developed and tested.

We should accord priority to the adaptation of our system of national accounts to include environmental satellite accounts. The ‘greening’ of our system of national accounts would certainly result in higher GDP estimates than those arrived at through conventional routes. However, this would not be its main value. More importantly, it would help to provide us with  quantitative indicators of the importance of the environment to our economy and of the sustainability of our development path. In this sense, the greening of our system of national accounts would contribute to the quantification of Gross National Happiness.

1. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF CAPACITIES FOR EIAs

High priority must be accorded to institutionalizing capacities for conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). These must be applied to a wide range of projects, especially physical infrastructure projects, in order to evaluate their likely impacts on the environment. EIAs are a particularly important means for helping to ensure that:

D Development projects are environmentally and economically sound in the longer-term;

D Adverse environmental, economic,  cultural,  and social impacts of development projects are  minimized;

D Environmental impacts  on  ecologically  fragile systems receive prior evaluation;

D The effects of development pressures on the natural resource base as well as on communities and culture are made the subject of systematic assessment;

D     Project benefits can be optimized.

An EIA Unit has already been established in the  National Environment Commission and developed an EIA system used as an integral part of the development planning and environmental management process. It is preparing guidelines for conducting EIAs. As the system becomes institutionalized it is essential that it be extended to the Dzongkhag and Geog levels given the expanded role they will be called upon to play in development planning within the framework of the nation’s decentralization initiative. Further, the Commission must ensure that monitoring of the EIAs are carried emphasized with a proper code of implementation.

1. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

The effective management of watersheds must be considered a key component of our efforts to place the nation’s development on a sustainable path. There are five main watersheds and the policies set for each will impact on all other activities, including hydropower development,  farming,  livestock,    settlement,  and the

We must fully institutionalize capacities for undertaking EIAs.

Capacities for undertaking EIAs must also be developed at the dzongkhag and geog levels to enable them to exercise new planning and management responsibilities.

Watershed management is a key component of sustainable development.

Highest priority should be accorded to the preparation of a management plan for the Wang Chu watershed.

exploitation of timber and logging. Watershed management is a key tool for maintaining biodiversity, soil fertility, the biological productivity of natural systems, and for combatting erosion and other forms of environmental degradation.

Of the five main watershed areas, highest  priority should be accorded to the preparation of a management plan for Wang Chu, which should be completed within the current Plan period. Management plans for Puna Tsang Chu, Mangde Chu, Kuri Chu and Dangme Chu will need to be prepared shortly thereafter.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

Bhutan has enacted various laws pertaining to the environment, the conservation of natural resources, and the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitats. Among  the most prominent are the Forest Act of Bhutan of  1969 and the Forest and Nature Conservation Act of 1995. Though they encompass many of the basic elements and processes of environmental legislation, there are grounds for believing that they do not go far enough in a number of areas and need, therefore, to be complemented by new legislation. This could appropriately take the form of a National Environmental Protection Act that consolidates and builds  upon existing legislation and which provides for new enforcement measures. Such an Act could also be further extended to cover environmental problems that are directly related to public health as the consequences of a rapidly growing urban population.

Initiatives are also required to review related legislation, for example the Inheritance Act, the Land Act, and the Livestock Act, to identify the areas where they need to  be strengthened if they are to contribute more directly to environmentally sustainable development.

New legislation must be founded on accepted environmental standards. Many of the standards at present used in Bhutan have been adapted from  regional and international standards. Given this situation, more concerted efforts are required to develop standards that reflect the ethical, cultural and legal setting of the nation. We must acknowledge that some modern legislation has only served to weaken the informal arrangements, built up over centuries, that have been used by local communities to manage shared resources. These informal arrangements often embody a

Although our environmental legislation is extensive, there are grounds for believing that in some areas it does not go far enough.

There is a need for a national Environmental Protection Act that consolidates and builds on existing legislation

New environmental legislation must display sensitivity to ethical, religious and cultural values and traditional systems of resource management.

profound understanding of local ecosystems, and represent a very tangible expression of our cultural heritage. The challenge is thus to achieve a balance between the need for modern forms of legislation that can advance the cause of environmental conservation and the need to respect and maintain informal arrangements that have demonstrated the contribution they are able to make to sustainable development in a sometimes harsh and unforgiving environment.

Chapter 9

BHUTAN IN 2020

1. INTRODUCTION

What would Bhutan look like twenty years from now if  we were able to achieve the objectives and priorities set out in this document? We can be certain that, in many respects, it would be as different from the country we know today as the one of today is compared with a only a generation ago. In other respects, it would still be recognizable as a country that embarked on a unique  and distinctive path of development.

In this final chapter we will seek to sketch a picture of  our Kingdom in the future. The picture painted is not a theoretical abstraction, but rather the logical consequence of the policies presented in this Vision Statement. In presenting Bhutan in 2020 we will use the thematic headings used at the beginning of the Vision Statement to identify challenges.

1. OUR NATION

Bhutan would be a respected member of the  international community and an active participant of the regional organizations in which it was a member, recognized for the role it had played in promoting peace, security and stability in the region. Our borders would be secure, not because of the size of our army, but as the consequence of collateral security made possible by the constructive relationships maintained with all of our neighbours, built on the principles of mutual respect and sovereign independence.

We would still be the last Buddhist Kingdom remaining  in the Himalayas. We would have provided evidence to the world that it is possible to embrace the many benefits of modernization without being overwhelmed by its many negative and disruptive forces. We would have demonstrated that modernization need not be defined exclusively in terms of westernization and that, despite the global forces that seek to shape the world in its own image, it is possible to maintain a distinct identity that is not only recognized but also respected and valued by others.

If we were to achieve the vision set out, our Kingdom twenty years hence would, in some important respects, be as different as the one of today is compared with only a generation ago.

Our Kingdom would be a secure state at peace with itself.

We would have provided evidence to the world that it is possible to embrace the benefits of modernization without being overwhelmed by its negative forces…

that it is possible to be the same while being distinctively different.

In a real sense, Bhutan would be a beacon to the world relaying the message that, with wise and inspired leadership, wisdom and imagination, it is possible to be the same while being distinctly different.

1. OUR PEOPLE

We will be self-confident and proud citizens of a self- reliant nation. We will have built a compassionate, tolerant and egalitarian society that continues to give concrete expression to the beliefs and values we have embraced for more than a thousand years. Our people will live in harmony and unity, sharing a common sense of purpose and destiny, and united by a common language. While all will respect our distinctive Mahayana Buddhist identity, those with other beliefs will enjoy the freedom to practice them, and we will regard this unity with diversity as a source of pride and of cultural achievement. All Bhutanese, irrespective of their ethnic background and religion, will be proud to call themselves Bhutanese.

We will have moved much closer to an ideal family size, with the prospect of an economically and socially sustainable rate of population growth well within our reach. Significantly expanded levels of educational attainment and economic security would have contributed greatly to reduced levels of fertility, and men and women will make conscious decisions about the desired size of their families.

Our concepts of health and education will have been redefined to take full advantage of advances in technology that are only now becoming visible and that will enable us to bridge the distances that separate local communities in ways that are impossible today. Access to basic education and health care will no longer be issues. Education will have evolved in ways that stress the development of the innate potentials of all children, inculcating an awareness and appreciation of our own cultural values and heritage, and fostering an appreciation of the importance of moral and ethical choices in their lives. Education will have better prepared our young people for the world of work based on an appreciation of the dignity of labour, while engendering within them a natural curiosity for learning and the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. New  technologies will not only have contributed to improving the quality of education, they will also have transformed the   processes   of   education   and   learning,   bringing

We will be a self- confident and more self-reliant nation… with a compassionate, tolerant and egalitarian society in which our people live in harmony and unity..

…sharing a common sense of purpose and destiny.

Population growth rates will be stabilizing….

…concepts of health care and education will have been redefined…

… and education will have evolved in ways that foster the development of the innate potentials of children…who will appreciate the importance of moral and ethical choices in their lives.

Bhutan will be equipped with the full ranges of institutions required for the formation of knowledge and skills.

learning opportunities to individual communities and even homes and enabling us to increase the social relevance of education to individuals, communities and the nation as a whole.

Twenty years from now, we will be equipped with the full range of institutions required for the formation of the knowledge and skills required to sustain the nation’s further development. At the apex of our institutions of learning will be a well-equipped university that will not only meet the intellectual and learning needs of Bhutanese but will also attract students from other countries, both within the region and beyond. By 2020, the University of Bhutan and Deothang Engineering College, will be actively cooperating with other universities and form an established part of the world- wide network of learning. It will have acquired an international reputation for the quality of its research on the environment and for the quality of its scholarship in Buddhist and related studies. Two decades from now, many Bhutanese will also be enrolled in the advanced study programmes of overseas institutions without it being necessary for them to leave their homes.

Health will also have benefitted enormously from technological developments. In 2020, the levels of our decentralized four-tiered system of health care will still  be visible, with the main nodal points within the system having being further reinforced and with the health of Bhutanese firmly in the hands of Bhutanese health professionals. Our system of health care will rival the system existing in industrialized countries today and others will look to us for advice on how knowledge of indigenous medicine can be integrated into the mainstream system of health care. More responsibilities for both preventive and curative health care will have been transferred from the national to lower levels. The health care system will also feature new linkages that traverse the levels, with BHUs maintaining electronic contact with regional hospitals and, when necessary,  with national institutions. Developments in electronic communications will provide important opportunities for self-diagnosis using information accessed from central and regional hospitals.

Our culture will have evolved in response to a society in development, but it will continue to live in the minds of our young people, who will retain a respect for valued traditions and a commitment to the ideals, beliefs and

Our system of health care will rival those existing in industrialized countries today…and industrialized countries will look to us for advice on indigenous medicine.

Our heritage and culture will continue to live in the minds of our people…but it will have acquired new forms and meanings that infuse it with contemporary relevance.

Our economic structure will be broader and deeper…

…Bhutan will not only be an important producer of hydropower but also in the vanguard of scientific and technological advance…

…with new and clean industries based on our rich biodiversity

values that have given substantive and spiritual content to our path of development. Our rich cultural heritage  will be clearly visible in the lives of Bhutanese and it will have acquired new forms and meanings that infuse it with contemporary relevance.

1. OUR ECONOMY

Two decades from now, the economic geography of Bhutan will have been transformed and our economic structure will be much broader and deeper. Hydropower development will have been actively promoted and will generate the resources we require to maintain investments in the social services and the development of the physical infrastructure we require to continue  to raise standards of living and the quality of life as well as to expand the level and pace of economic activity. Although we will use the cheap power produced to develop new resource-based processing industries in areas located close to their main export markets, we will have selected the theme of ‘sophistication and  civilization’ as the guiding principle for our industrial transformation. This theme will, two decades hence, find expression in the existence of clean industries based on a development-oriented interpretation of our resource endowments and comparative advantages and the existence of ‘high technology’ enterprises, engaged in the production of high value/low volume products that place the nation in the vanguard of technological advance and innovation. Bhutanese high value products, some of which will be based upon the sustainable exploitation of the nation’s rich biodiversity, will have a world market and will be recognized as the products of one of the least polluted and least contaminated countries to be found anywhere on earth.

People will travel considerable distances to visit Bhutan for a variety of reasons. Some will choose to ‘get away from it all’ and to escape to an environment that has few equals in the world for its natural beauty and as a source of adventure and nature-based sports. Some will come to spend time at our internationally-recognized ‘centres of excellence’, be they in the health or education fields. Still others will choose to visit Bhutan to observe and pay tribute to the attributes of a living Buddhist culture that, two decades from now, will be recognized, even  more than today, as an oasis of spirituality and civilization in a world that is dominated by materialism and cheap sensation.

People will choose to visit Bhutan for a variety of reasons..

…some to spend time at our internationally recognized ‘centres of excellence’

We will have avoided the negative effects of indiscriminate urbanization…..

…and new growth centres will have been established that provide alternatives to existing centres of attraction.

Rural areas will have undergone a major transformation…and the incomes of farmers will be incomparably higher than those of today.

Changes in economic geography will have been matched by changes in human geography. Around one-half of our people will continue to live in what we today regard as rural areas, although two decades hence the distinction between ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ will be much less marked and ‘rural’ will be without its pejorative associations. We will have largely prevented the unplanned growth of our few main towns. A number of regional growth centres will have appeared that have already established their place as genuine alternatives to Thimphu and Phuentsholing as centres of opportunity for those who choose to migrate to urban areas. These growth centres will play important roles in the system of production, and their development will have been supported by the decisions we have taken on the development of physical infrastructure and the decentralization of government administration. They will constitute focal points within a well-conceived and balanced system of settlements that is able to provide a positive stimulus to growth and change

Rural households will have taken advantage of new opportunities emerging in farming, choosing to produce high value products that have regional and international markets in innovative ways that combine modern technologies with local knowledge. The incomes of farmers will be incomparably higher than the incomes of subsistence farmers today, and much of the surpluses generated will be invested in rural areas that create off- farm employment and promote rural industrialization, taking advantage of the growing provision of physical infrastructure.

By the year 2020 all Bhutanese, with the possible exception of those who choose to live in the most remote and isolated locations, will have access to the basic infrastructure associated with the quality of life and with the expansion of choice and opportunity. The nation’s road network will have been complemented by additional trunk roads capable of moving freight and people with greater speed and safety, while an expanded system of feeder roads will have transformed the lives of many who have traditionally lived in isolation. The nation will have access to dry ports that will greatly expedite our high value exports to distant markets. Two decades hence, will be served by a well equipped Paro international airport that will serve to expand our links with the outside world and which will support economic growth and development. The airport will be a focal point in a  growing   domestic   system   of   civil   aviation   that will

Virtually all Bhutanese will have access to basic infrastructure and services.

Developments in transport will have changed the lives of many people as well as greatly facilitated economic growth

Our  natural environment and natural resource endowments will still be largely intact… 

…but our approach to environmental conservation will have evolved in ways that make it more dynamic and development- oriented…

contribute to the further integration of the national economy as well as to social integration.

1. OUR ENVIRONMENT

In 2020, 60 percent of our nation will still be forested  and we will be unique among the community of nations for the proportion of our territory that we have freely chosen to set aside and designate as national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas.

Our approach to environmental conservation will not be  a static one. It will be given a dynamic and development- oriented interpretation in which natural resources are  not only seen as something to be preserved but also as a development asset that can, with care and wisdom, contribute to the process of sustainable social and economic development. This interpretation will have been given to our rich biodiversity that, two decades hence,  will have provided the basis for new economic activities that will not only provide an important source of export revenues and high quality employment but also place our nation in the vanguard of technological advances for the benefit of humankind. Our spectacular, unspoilt scenery and rich biodiversity will also have conferred upon our nation a special status for high value and eco-tourism that, with prudence and care, can be combined with the principle of conservation.

This interpretation will have been accompanied by the  full institutionalization of capacities to undertake systematic and detailed assessments of the environmental and social impacts of development projects. Such assessments will have become a routine and indispensable part of decision-making on development, not only at the national but at the Dzongkhag and Geog levels also.

Two decades from now, yak herders will still form part of our population. We will take pride in such occupations, representing as they do a tangible example of the unique relationships that have evolved between people and nature in our Himalayan Kingdom as well as of the wisdom accumulated over centuries concerning the sustainability of human activities in a fragile and often inhospitable environment.

1. OUR INSTITUTIONS

Our institutions will have further evolved along distinctively Bhutanese lines. They will provide for stability and participation that, in a future world of conflict and political turmoil, will be the envy of many others. The monarchy will continue to be the jewel that shines most brightly in our institutional crown and it will retain its place as the most respected and hallowed of all Bhutanese institutions.

Although the Kingdom will continue to look to the nation’s monarch for inspiration and wisdom, Bhutan  will have the strong institutions required by a modern and forward-looking nation state, with a well-developed capacity to manage and monitor the nation’s  development and to guide it further along our distinctive Bhutanese path of people centred sustainable development. While the Royal Government will have increasingly defined its role in terms of ‘enabler’ rather than ‘provider’ of development, there can be no other place for national institutions other than at the forefront of efforts to build consensus on the purposes and directions of development, to maintain unity, identity and security, to articulate preferred values and a cultural imperative, and to safeguard the interests of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and of future generations.

However, as the process of development becomes more complex and multi-dimensional, it can no longer be entrusted solely to the Royal Government, but needs to be understood increasingly in terms of partnerships and shared responsibilities. The maintenance of the economic growth required to support the nation’s further transformation will be entrusted to the private  sector that, two decades hence, will have long assumed its role as the main engine of growth and will itself have entered into partnerships with foreign enterprises so as to  acquire access to the technologies and know-how we require to travel the preferred path of industrialization and to foster processes of technological innovation. Two decades from now, the private sector will be much more broadly based, with new enterprises having emerged to take advantage of an environment that encourages and rewards entrepreneurship and innovation. The image of the private sector will have changed dramatically, with our young people well-prepared to work within it, associating the private sector with opportunity and advancement.

Our institutions will have evolved along Bhutanese lines that provide for stability and participation…with an hereditary monarchy remaining the jewel in our institutional crown.

We will have the strong institutions required by a modern and forward- looking nation state.

Development will have resulted in the establishment of new partnerships.

The private sector will be much more broadly ed. It will have established its place as the main engine of growth…and will serve as the magnet for the employment of our young people.

Greater responsibility for the satisfaction of spiritual and non-material needs will be entrusted to monastic institutions. These will have been encouraged to redefine their role in ways that reinforce their interactions with society and the nation’s development process. While  some lamas, monks, gomchens, pandits and anims will necessarily choose a life of isolation, devotion and meditation, others will have become respected and active participants in the nation’s development process, exercising important responsibilities in such fields as health and education, playing roles of importance in our ‘centres of excellence’, and nurturing the very roots from which spring the meaning, relevance and value to our lives as human beings.

These processes of change will have been supported by the further development of our legal institutions and system of jurisprudence. The legal system will have responded fully to the challenge of fusing universal values with traditional, respected and cherished concepts of Buddhist natural law, while the system of jurisprudence will provide for expeditious, fair and equal treatment of all Bhutanese on the basis of a body of law that is respected by all. Advances will also have been made in the development of commercial and trade law, which will have provided positive support to the development of the private sector and contributed to the attainment of our industrialization objectives.

Two decades from now, the process of decentralization will have been completed. dzongkhag and geog administrations will have taken over fully and effectively many of the development planning and management roles that are now entrusted to central institutions. They will exercise prime responsibility for the financing of development in ways that give expression not only to national goals but also to local aspirations and priorities. The powers of DYTs and GYTs will have been significantly expanded and there will be greatly enlarged opportunities for people and households, both directly and through their elected representatives, to influence the decisions that have a bearing on their lives, livelihoods and the future of the nation. This process will have empowered local communities to discharge new roles and responsibilities and will have given new dimensions to traditional concepts of representation and democracy.

All these changes will have been accompanied by the implementation of measures that will have deepened and broadened the system of financial institutions, with    the 

Monastic institutions and religious bodies will be active participants in the development process…nurturing the values that give meaning and direction to our lives.

 Law and jurisprudence will have evolved along Bhutanese lines to meet the needs and requirements of a society in change.

 The process of decentralization will have been completed. At the local level, people will ‘own’ the development process, with institutions having evolved in ways that give new dimensions to traditional concepts of representation and democracy. 

The financing of development will be largely in our own hands.