Yearbook 2019
Bhutan. In April, Parliament approved five new border
crossings at which tourists can enter and leave the country.
According to
CountryAAH, these will be placed in Samdrup Jongkhar, Gaylegphu, Samtse,
Nanglam and Panbang. However, Interior Minister Dasho Sherub
Gyeltshen warned that it could be delayed before the project
was completed, which caused frustration on the part of
several MPs.
In May, it was announced that the government has halted
plans to build a large hydroelectric power plant in the
Chamkharchhu river. The decision caused great concern among
the locals in the Zhemgang district. Many have invested
their savings or borrowed money to build houses and start
business to benefit from the economic upswing the project
was expected to lead to. According to the government, the
project was shelved due to the large environmental impact
that the dam construction would have. Another decisive
factor was said to be the risk that future profits would not
outweigh the large construction costs. The government will
instead prioritize the hydroelectric power plant project in
the river Sankosh.
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