The two National Council (NC) candidates of Thimphu noted that the economy of the country was in a dire state and pledged to enact laws and formulate policies to help revive it.  

Nima Gyeltsen from Chang gewog pledged to use his experience as an MP to enact and review the existing laws.

He said that some laws and policies have become rigid and impede people from availing themselves of opportunities that would help in reviving the economy.

Similarly, he said that some existing laws and policies are not in keeping with the changes and fail to serve the people.

He said that he would also review laws related to the preservation of culture and tradition without undermining the provisions of the Constitution.

He added that he would prioritise national security and focus on long-term national policies.

If elected, Nima Gyeltshen pledged to help in skilling the public and civil servants for better performance and efficiency.

He further said that he would turn Thimphu into an exemplary dzongkhag in terms of equitable socio-economic development.

The 38-year-old has a bachelor’s degree in Social and Legal Science from Pune University.

He served as the National Council member of Thimphu from 2013-2018. He worked in tourism for about three years.

The other candidate, Leki Tshering from Ge-nyen gewog pledged to focus more on reviewing private sector development policies.

He said that the private sector has the potential to do better if there are appropriate policies to support it.

“Private sector would be able to create more employment opportunities if the policy supports it,” he said.

He added that private sector development policies should encourage youths to take up business and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Leki Tshering said that tourism industry plays an important role in Bhutan’s economy.

He added that the new Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) needs to be reviewed as it is expensive and discouraged visitors. “Tourists staying for a longer time deserve some consideration from our side.”

The new SDF, he said, has not only discouraged visitors but also affected tourism related business such as tour guides, hotels, and vehicles, among others.

To improve the manufacturing industry, Leki Tshering said that it is important to upgrade technology and knowledge.

The 43-year-old also pledged to consult people while enacting laws and policies so that the people are benefitted.

Leki Tshering has a BA in Education from Paro College of Education and taught for about 10 years. He worked in the private sector for about five years.