A majority of the Members of Parliament (MP) in National Council (NC) yesterday supported removing Nu 45 million allocation for the establishment of the international school in the budget report 2025-26.
A majority of the Members of Parliament (MP) in National Council (NC) yesterday supported removing Nu 45 million allocation for the establishment of the international school in the budget report 2025-26.
This was one of four recommendations the NC’s Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) submitted to the House for discussion, aimed at improving the effectiveness of the annual budget.
Presenting the Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2025-2026 and the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2024-2025, the Chairperson of the Economic Affairs Committee (EAC), Tshewang Rinchen, said that international schools typically operate on a fee-paying, admission-based, and profit-generating model.
“They are primarily suited for private sector investment and operation,” he added.
Tshewang Rinchen explained that such an initiative aligns more closely with the domain of the private sector rather than government-led investment.
The committee observed that allocating public resources for a profit-oriented institution, given the government’s priorities on promoting private sector development, is not justifiable.
Trashigang MP Sonam Tobgyel also said that the establishment of such institutions should be encouraged through private sector participation and foreign direct investments.
The committee also recommended the approval of the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill for FY 2024-2025, which includes an upward revision of Nu 1.5 billion from the original allocation (Nu 97.63 billion), incorporating both internal and external grants.
Recommendations also included excluding Nu 94 million allocated under the Priority Development Fund (PDF) from the 2025-26 budget. The EAC cited concerns that this allocation could undermine the principles of separation of powers, decentralisation, and free and fair elections, as enshrined in the Constitution.
The committee stated that the PDF proposed by the National Assembly, with an allocation of Nu 2 million per annum per constituency, might undermine parliamentary oversight.
It added that the role of MPs is clearly spelled out in Article 10.2 of the Constitution, which states, “Parliament shall ensure that the government safeguards the interests of the nation and fulfill the aspirations of the people through public review of policies and issues, Bills and other legislation, and scrutiny of State functions.”
Furthermore, Article 20.5 states that planning and coordinating government policies and ensuring their implementation is a function of the Executive, headed by the Lhengye Zhungtshog and supported by the civil service.
Moreover, the committee stated that there is also a risk of undermining the policy of decentralisation. Article 22.1 of the Constitution states, “Power and authority shall be decentralized and devolved to elected local governments to facilitate the direct participation of the people in the development and management of their own social, economic and environmental wellbeing.”
The committee further explained that based on the 13th Plan, the government has already allocated resources to various sectors and local governments. Therefore, the proposed PDF of Nu 2 million per MP, which totals Nu 376 million for the 13th Plan, would only result in a reduction of resources from the 13th Plan for local governments or from other approved planned activities.
Lastly, the committee proposed a revision for FY 2025-2026, reducing it from Nu 138.55 billion to Nu 138.41 billion by removing the allocations for both the international school and the PDF.
The House supported all the recommendations put forward by the committee, though a few additional submissions were raised during the deliberation. These submissions included addressing the shortage of manpower in local governments, budget underutilisation, and ensuring efficient and sustainable budget utilisation for the Million Fruit Tree initiative.
