Between March 17, 2006 to December 26, 2007, Ministry of Labour and Human Resources received 29 appeals from employees and employers of private and corporate companies of which 16 cases have been resolved. While most appeals came from aggrieved employees, there were some cases of employers complaining about abscondment of contractors and labourers.

Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) has endorsed three sets of rules: Rules Governing Printing Presses, Books and Newspapers, Rules Governing Examination and Certification of Films, and Rules on the Registration of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card by mobile service providers.

The rules, which came into effect from July 31, 2008, lay down licensing procedures, eligibility criteria for printers, publishers, filmmakers, and mobile phone service providers, and registration of books and newspapers with BICMA. They also specify various fees like licensing fee, registration fee, publication fee, and filming permit and examination fees.

With increasing construction and development activates taking place around the country, contractors say that they are facing shortage of sand, which is delaying construction work.

Many of the contractors have resorted to using sand made from crushed stones bought from Singye Company in Bjemina, for their personal construction.

The Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs circulated a notice on August 15 to various ministries and departments cautioning sector heads and other important government officials about kidnap threats.

The notice reminded the government officials of the activities of the Bhutan Communist Party’s (BCP) attempts to place bombs in various parts of the country and threaten the peace of the Kingdom. BCP was formed in 2003 from a banned party in Nepal. The group was also involved in the bomb blasts in Samtse and Chukha dzongkhags in June.

Builders and contractors say disorganised Foreign Workers Recruitment Agents’ (FWRA) is becoming a serious impediment to their work. Contractors say the cumbersome process of recruiting labourers affect their work deadlines and increase expenses.

“The only thing that the agents do is to provide us with forms,” said Sangay Wangchuk, a builder. He said FWRAs failed to bridge the gap between the employer and employees.

Gelephu town is increasingly become insecure and dangerous with gangs of students roaming the streets under the influence of drugs and attacking passers-by. Recently, a gang of six high school boys beat up a boy for walking with a gang member’s girlfriend.

They came on holiday but found common cause in what they do to alleviate problems related to the child and shared experiences with their Bhutanese counterparts. A team from the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN), met with individuals and organizations on August 27.

During the session, the team talked about increasing public awareness of all forms of violence against children, developing activities to prevent such violence and promoting the rights of children. “We as a country are doing quite well in terms of the welfare of our children. However, in a country where we pursue GNH, even one instance of a child being neglected, one woman battered or a person discriminated is bad enough to prick our consciousness,” said the education minister, Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel. The team’s talk not only applied to the stakeholders but to all individuals.