Prime Minister of Bhutan His Excellency Tshering Tobgay was elected as the Prime Minister for the second term on January 28, 2024. In this interview, WION talks to His Excellency Tshering Tobgay about India - Bhutan relations and the future vision for sustainability in Bhutan.&nbsp;

1. What are some key goals you are focusing on for Bhutan after being elected as Prime Minister for the second term?&nbsp;

Our development cycle is a five year cycle. And we've just started our 13th five year plan. As a matter of fact, it started on the first of July. Our main responsibility will be to implement the 13th five year plan successfully. The 13th Five Year Plan is one of our most, in fact, it is the most ambitious plan. And we expect to get a lot done in terms of social economic development for our country. There is a lot in terms of infrastructure development, health care, education, agriculture, rural improvement of rural livelihoods, and so on and so forth.

And our biggest responsibility is to implement this successfully. It is ambitious in terms of scope, it is ambitious in terms of financing as well. And our principal, external partner in financing some of the capital works. Our biggest assistance provider is India's government, for which we are deeply grateful. Our immediate challenge is stimulating our economy because as the economy is very small to begin with, and it has taken a hit, it has not been able to recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic. So our immediate interest and our immediate duty is to resuscitate to stimulate our economy. And for that we have an economic stimulus program. 
 
The economic stimulus program is 1500 crores, and the government of India also supports all of that. And again, we are deeply grateful to the Government of India because it is the economic stimulus program that's going to resuscitate and stimulate our economy, allowing our economy to grow and to strengthen as we envision it in the 13 five year plan. In addition, we have a lot we need to focus on. We expect to expand tourism to not just pre-pandemic levels, but beyond pre-pandemic levels, we are already carrying increased tourist arrivals, but we expect to enhance those numbers. 
 
We will be focusing on developing the agricultural sector right now with a skilled subsistence. So we expect to make it a lot more commercial and viable, commercially viable for our farmers. And most importantly, our biggest priority will be the development of the Gelephu mindfulness city. This is a special administrative region, which is being developed by His Majesty the King, along our border with India. This is a 2600 square kilometer pristine area, which is really a blank canvas to develop a new city based on mindfulness and harmony and sustainability. So we expect to balance growth and progress in the city with mindfulness, spirituality, and natural sustainability.

2. Bhutan has been applauded for being a carbon-negative country. How do you plan to ensure Bhutan stays a carbon-negative country?&nbsp;

Well, the first question is, why should we stay a carbon-negative country? And the answer is very, very clear. Because we as a world, we as a species, face an existential threat&nbsp;unless we tackle climate change. Now, Bhutan is a very small country. And we've done more than our share to curtail emissions. We sequester three times more than we emit in terms of greenhouse gasses we are a carbon-negative country. So even though we are small, we are poor, we are undeveloped we have done a great deal due to the enlightened leadership of our kings to protect our environment and remain carbon negative. So when I say why we should remain negative it is a question to the world. We should remain carbon negative we should become even more net negative. But larger countries, bigger countries, more powerful countries, and richer countries must do their part and must do their part urgently. As far as Bhutan is concerned, sustainability and being carbon mindful of&nbsp;emissions is a deeply seated value system, which is enshrined in our development philosophy of gross national happiness, it is always in our DNA. So we will&nbsp;ensure that we continue to remain carbon neutral and carbon negative.

Our Constitution mandates that at least 60% of our country is under&nbsp;forests cover. Today, we have 72% of our country under forest cover, but by constitution, we are required to ensure that 60% of our country is under forest cover. And if we fulfill our constitutional provisions, we will remain carbon-negative. But if we remain true to our values, to our soul through to our DNA, true to the principles of gross national happiness, we will definitely be carbon negative.

3. How can India - Bhutan relations be expected to transform over the upcoming 5 years?&nbsp;

Well, our relations with our most important neighbour, most friendly neighbour, our partner really, India is very strong, it's very intimate. It is all encompassing, yet it will grow from strength to strength in the next five years.&nbsp;The government to government relations are good, they will get even better. Business to business relations are good and we expect it to expand. People-to-people relations are also very good. We expect further engagement between our people to&nbsp;further strengthen&nbsp;our people to people relations. So in all spheres of our relations, you can expect our already strong relations to get even stronger. And I know it can get only stronger because the people of India are well disposed to Bhutan. I know that relations are going to get even stronger. Because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very friendly and I know that Bhutan has a special place in his heart.

4. &nbsp;What are three sectors for India-Bhutan collaboration?

If I had to choose three, I would say the first would be development cooperation. We are the recipients of India's generosity in implementing the 13th five-year plan. And for that we have to work very closely together. So that's one area of very important and strong cooperation. Another area that has historically been important and continues to be very important is our cooperation in the field of hydropower development. And now it's not just hydropower, it's energy. So in the next five years, we know that we will be working even more closely with not just the government of India, but also the private sector&nbsp;to develop the&nbsp;hydropower sector and the renewable energy sector. So that the other energy for operation would be the other sector for cooperation. The third, which I am very excited about, is the Gelephu Mindfulness City, the Special Administrative Region, which has been developed as a unique, wonderful kind of city along on our border with India so I can see a lot of cooperation happening there in the next five years.&nbsp;

5. How was your experience visiting Delhi for Indian Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony?

I was honoured to be there. At the specific, India invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, I was honoured because I visited Delhi. I took part in his swearing-in celebrations&nbsp;as a representative of His Majesty the King and all the people of Bhutan. The event, as you know, was historic. Because this is the third consecutive time that a leader has been sworn in. The same leader is being sworn in as prime minister of India. So for me, I felt honoured to be there at such a significant and historic moment. While I was there, I could feel a sense of optimism and hope. I could see the positive energy. I could feel all of it was so palpable. And that just made me feel that much more honoured and humbled to be there.

6. What is your tourism-centric policy focus for Bhutan? Do you intend to create policies to boost tourism in Bhutan?

We want tourists. But unlike the rest of the world, we don't want too many tourists. We want guests, we want to welcome international guests. But our carrying capacity is limited. We know that our environment, which we treasure, is not indestructible. Our culture that we are extremely proud of which is unique is also very fragile. Economic infrastructure, whether it is the roads, the hotels, the financial infrastructure, they are all very limited. And therefore while we want to welcome guests, we cannot entertain too many at the same time. So we want to miss and we've been a target of time, if you will, of 300,000 tourists per year, we expect that half of those would be Indian tourists, and the rest would be from other parts of the world. So that is the number that is the target we have said that is the quota that we have defined based on our own carrying capacity. We don't want to ruin what the tourists come to visit to see and experience in the first place. Our first and foremost responsibility to address is to protect what they want to visit to protect what they want to come here for and the only way to protect 
That low volume tourism is a maximum of 300,000 tourists a year and the value is by set by ensuring a charge of a sustainable development fee. That Sustainable Development fee goes towards ensuring the sustainability of our nature protection and that serves wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas and also contributes to providing free health care and free education for the Bhutanese people.&nbsp;

7. What are some policy failures in Bhutan you intend to address during your term as Prime Minister?

Barely a generation ago, 50 years ago, Bhutan was basically isolated, self-imposed isolation and it was like a medieval country. And if you look at where we've gone today, you'd imagine that our policies have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Our parents certainly think so we've really exceeded our biggest expectations and aspirations. That said, we do have a big problem and that is gross national happiness. It is gross national happiness that has brought us this far. Gross National Happiness basically balances economic growth, which is important with sustainability, social progress, culture, environment and good governance. 
 
And because of gross national happiness, today, every child goes to school, enjoys a good education, enjoys free health care, can speak English and can relate to the rest of the world. However, our economy has not kept pace. It is scalable, it is equitable, but it is still very small. And it cannot cater to the aspirations of our youth and therefore many of our youth are going abroad to look for jobs that they want to provide the income that they aspire for. And in that sense, we have to admit that while Gross National Happiness has succeeded beyond our wildest expectations, our economy, while it is still sustainable and equitable, has not been able to keep pace with the demands of socially progressive youth in a socially progressive country. Therefore, my emphasis is on stimulating our economy and then strengthening it and diversifying. The economy and expanding it all to provide not just jobs, but opportunities for youth to fulfill their aspirations and their ambitions.

(The author is the Youth Ambassador of India and Bhutan, selected by Center of Escalation of Peace-Royal Institute of Governance Bhutan)

Prime Minister of Bhutan His Excellency Tshering Tobgay was elected as the Prime Minister for the second term on January 28, 2024. In this interview, WION talks to His Excellency Tshering Tobgay about India - Bhutan relations and the future vision for sustainability in Bhutan.

Prime Minister of Bhutan His Excellency Tshering Tobgay was elected as the Prime Minister for the second term on January 28, 2024. In this interview, WION talks to His Excellency Tshering Tobgay about India - Bhutan relations and the future vision for sustainability in Bhutan. 1. What are some key goals you are focusing on for Bhutan after being elected as Prime Minister for the second term? Our development cycle is a five year cycle. And we've just started our 13th five year plan. As a matter of fact, it started on the first of July. Our main responsibility will be to implement the 13th five year plan successfully. The 13th Five Year Plan is one of our most, in fact, it is the most ambitious plan. And we expect to get a lot done in terms of social economic development for our country. There is a lot in terms of infrastructure development, health care, education, agriculture, rural improvement of rural livelihoods, and so on and so forth. And our biggest responsibility is to implement this successfully. It is ambitious in terms of scope, it is ambitious in terms of financing as well. And our principal, external partner in financing some of the capital works. Our biggest assistance provider is India's government, for which we are deeply grateful. Our immediate challenge is stimulating our economy because as the economy is very small to begin with, and it has taken a hit, it has not been able to recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic. So our immediate interest and our immediate duty is to resuscitate to stimulate our economy. And for that we have an economic stimulus program. The economic stimulus program is 1500 crores, and the government of India also supports all of that. And again, we are deeply grateful to the Government of India because it is the economic stimulus program that's going to resuscitate and stimulate our economy, allowing our economy to grow and to strengthen as we envision it in the 13 five year plan. In addition, we have a lot we need to focus on. We expect to expand tourism to not just pre-pandemic levels, but beyond pre-pandemic levels, we are already carrying increased tourist arrivals, but we expect to enhance those numbers. We will be focusing on developing the agricultural sector right now with a skilled subsistence. So we expect to make it a lot more commercial and viable, commercially viable for our farmers. And most importantly, our biggest priority will be the development of the Gelephu mindfulness city. This is a special administrative region, which is being developed by His Majesty the King, along our border with India. This is a 2600 square kilometer pristine area, which is really a blank canvas to develop a new city based on mindfulness and harmony and sustainability. So we expect to balance growth and progress in the city with mindfulness, spirituality, and natural sustainability. 2. Bhutan has been applauded for being a carbon-negative country. How do you plan to ensure Bhutan stays a carbon-negative country? Well, the first question is, why should we stay a carbon-negative country? And the answer is very, very clear. Because we as a world, we as a species, face an existential threat unless we tackle climate change. Now, Bhutan is a very small country. And we've done more than our share to curtail emissions. We sequester three times more than we emit in terms of greenhouse gasses we are a carbon-negative country. So even though we are small, we are poor, we are undeveloped we have done a great deal due to the enlightened leadership of our kings to protect our environment and remain carbon negative. So when I say why we should remain negative it is a question to the world. We should remain carbon negative we should become even more net negative. But larger countries, bigger countries, more powerful countries, and richer countries must do their part and must do their part urgently. As far as Bhutan is concerned, sustainability and being carbon mindful of emissions is a deeply seated value system, which is enshrined in our development philosophy of gross national happiness, it is always in our DNA. So we will ensure that we continue to remain carbon neutral and carbon negative. Our Constitution mandates that at least 60% of our country is under forests cover. Today, we have 72% of our country under forest cover, but by constitution, we are required to ensure that 60% of our country is under forest cover. And if we fulfill our constitutional provisions, we will remain carbon-negative. But if we remain true to our values, to our soul through to our DNA, true to the principles of gross national happiness, we will definitely be carbon negative. 3. How can India - Bhutan relations be expected to transform over the upcoming 5 years? Well, our relations with our most important neighbour, most friendly neighbour, our partner really, India is very strong, it's very intimate. It is all encompassing, yet it will grow from strength to strength in the next five years. The government to government relations are good, they will get even better. Business to business relations are good and we expect it to expand. People-to-people relations are also very good. We expect further engagement between our people to further strengthen our people to people relations. So in all spheres of our relations, you can expect our already strong relations to get even stronger. And I know it can get only stronger because the people of India are well disposed to Bhutan. I know that relations are going to get even stronger. Because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very friendly and I know that Bhutan has a special place in his heart. 4. What are three sectors for India-Bhutan collaboration? If I had to choose three, I would say the first would be development cooperation. We are the recipients of India's generosity in implementing the 13th five-year plan. And for that we have to work very closely together. So that's one area of very important and strong cooperation. Another area that has historically been important and continues to be very important is our cooperation in the field of hydropower development. And now it's not just hydropower, it's energy. So in the next five years, we know that we will be working even more closely with not just the government of India, but also the private sector to develop the hydropower sector and the renewable energy sector. So that the other energy for operation would be the other sector for cooperation. The third, which I am very excited about, is the Gelephu Mindfulness City, the Special Administrative Region, which has been developed as a unique, wonderful kind of city along on our border with India so I can see a lot of cooperation happening there in the next five years. 5. How was your experience visiting Delhi for Indian Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony? I was honoured to be there. At the specific, India invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, I was honoured because I visited Delhi. I took part in his swearing-in celebrations as a representative of His Majesty the King and all the people of Bhutan. The event, as you know, was historic. Because this is the third consecutive time that a leader has been sworn in. The same leader is being sworn in as prime minister of India. So for me, I felt honoured to be there at such a significant and historic moment. While I was there, I could feel a sense of optimism and hope. I could see the positive energy. I could feel all of it was so palpable. And that just made me feel that much more honoured and humbled to be there. 6. What is your tourism-centric policy focus for Bhutan? Do you intend to create policies to boost tourism in Bhutan? We want tourists. But unlike the rest of the world, we don't want too many tourists. We want guests, we want to welcome international guests. But our carrying capacity is limited. We know that our environment, which we treasure, is not indestructible. Our culture that we are extremely proud of which is unique is also very fragile. Economic infrastructure, whether it is the roads, the hotels, the financial infrastructure, they are all very limited. And therefore while we want to welcome guests, we cannot entertain too many at the same time. So we want to miss and we've been a target of time, if you will, of 300,000 tourists per year, we expect that half of those would be Indian tourists, and the rest would be from other parts of the world. So that is the number that is the target we have said that is the quota that we have defined based on our own carrying capacity. We don't want to ruin what the tourists come to visit to see and experience in the first place. Our first and foremost responsibility to address is to protect what they want to visit to protect what they want to come here for and the only way to protect That low volume tourism is a maximum of 300,000 tourists a year and the value is by set by ensuring a charge of a sustainable development fee. That Sustainable Development fee goes towards ensuring the sustainability of our nature protection and that serves wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas and also contributes to providing free health care and free education for the Bhutanese people. 7. What are some policy failures in Bhutan you intend to address during your term as Prime Minister? Barely a generation ago, 50 years ago, Bhutan was basically isolated, self-imposed isolation and it was like a medieval country. And if you look at where we've gone today, you'd imagine that our policies have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Our parents certainly think so we've really exceeded our biggest expectations and aspirations. That said, we do have a big problem and that is gross national happiness. It is gross national happiness that has brought us this far. Gross National Happiness basically balances economic growth, which is important with sustainability, social progress, culture, environment and good governance. And because of gross national happiness, today, every child goes to school, enjoys a good education, enjoys free health care, can speak English and can relate to the rest of the world. However, our economy has not kept pace. It is scalable, it is equitable, but it is still very small. And it cannot cater to the aspirations of our youth and therefore many of our youth are going abroad to look for jobs that they want to provide the income that they aspire for. And in that sense, we have to admit that while Gross National Happiness has succeeded beyond our wildest expectations, our economy, while it is still sustainable and equitable, has not been able to keep pace with the demands of socially progressive youth in a socially progressive country. Therefore, my emphasis is on stimulating our economy and then strengthening it and diversifying. The economy and expanding it all to provide not just jobs, but opportunities for youth to fulfill their aspirations and their ambitions. (The author is the Youth Ambassador of India and Bhutan, selected by Center of Escalation of Peace-Royal Institute of Governance Bhutan)

Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay Interview: It is gross national happiness that has brought us this far

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Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay Interview: It is gross national happiness that has brought us this far