Under Bhutan’s 13th Plan, the GoI has authorized 61 PTA projects, with the first tranche, worth Nu 49,578.75 million, already granted. This development was communicated to the National Assembly by Finance Minister Lekey Dorji. Bhutan has received Nu 1,796.46 million of the total sum between July and November. Lyonpo said that a Nu 5 billion program grant has been pledged by the GoI. The first installments for July, August, and September have already been received, and Nu 250 million will be paid out every three months under this arrangement. When Rinchen Wangdi asked for an update on the overall amount of PTA funds collected thus far and the number of projects authorized, the finance minister responded. Additionally, MP Rinchen Wangdi asked about India’s overall SDP grant.
Lyonpo expressed hope that the money will materialize shortly despite acknowledging occasional delays in SDP payouts. Gewogs are allocated Nu 7 billion, while thromdes and dzongkhags are allocated Nu 1.5 billion apiece. After consulting with local MPs and officials, the government has so far authorized 279 SDP initiatives. The 13th Plan’s overall budget expenditure is Nu 512B, of which Nu 245B is allocated for capital projects and Nu 267B is for ongoing operations. According to the Constitution’s Article 14(6), which is worth an estimated Nu 331 billion, there would be an excess of Nu 64 billion. For the Economic Stimulus Plan, India has pledged Nu 100 billion and Nu 15 billion.
