What's decentralised

Consider this: each minister would enjoy entitlements and benefits totaling about Nu 9,942,000 during the 10th Five Year Plan period. This is at current pay scales. (See my conservative estimates towards the end).

Now consider this: 40 gewogs would each get capital funds amounting to less than Nu 9,942,000 each during the 10th Five Year Plan period. This is according to what has been budgeted in the draft 10th Five Year Plan. Three of them (Soe, Samrang and Khatoe) would not even get Nu 3 million each for the entire 10th Plan period – in other words, each of these gewogs would get less than one-third of what a minister would earn.

Then consider this: each minister would enjoy entitlements and benefits totaling about Nu 13,842,000 during the 10th Five Year Plan period if the Pay Commission’s proposal is accepted.

And consider this: 70 gewogs would get less than Nu 13,842,000 during the entire 10th Five Year Plan period. That means that 70 of the 205 gewogs would get less money each for capital works during the 10th Plan than what a minister would earn during the same period.

True: Education, health and rural electrification are not included in the gewog budgets. And true, the dzongkahgs and central ministries would have additional programs that would benefit gewogs.

Also true: people in the gewogs would be mainly concerned about money that they would have real control over. That is the funds that have been budgeted for their respective gewogs. And there may be 70 gewogs, each having access to less money than what one minister may earn.


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(A) Current entitlements and benefits of ministers (including PM, Chief Justice, Speaker, Chairman of NC and Opposition Leader):

1. Salary: Nu 78,000
2. Housing: Nu 23,400 (30% of salary)
3. Telephone: Nu 5000
4. Electricity and water: say Nu 3000 (actual)
5. Discretionary grant: Nu 8,300 (Nu 100,000 a year)
6. Prado: say Nu 33,000 (new Prado costs Nu 2,000,000. Assuming ministers keep it after five years, monthly benefit is 2,000,000/5/12 = Nu 33,000)
7. Fuel: say Nu 10,000
8. Driver: Nu 5,000

Total benefit = Nu 165,700 per month or Nu 1,988,400 per year or Nu 9,942,000 for five years


(B) Entitlements and benefits proposed by Pay Commission for ministers (including Chief Justice, Speaker, Chairman of NC and Opposition Leader; PM would get more):

1. Salary: Nu 130,000
2. Housing: Nu 26,000 (20% of salary)
3. Telephone: Nu 5000
4. Electricity and water: say Nu 3000 (actual)
5. Discretionary grant: Nu 16,700 (Nu 200,000 a year)
6. Prado: say Nu 33,000 (new Prado costs Nu 2,000,000. Assuming ministers keep it after five years, monthly benefit is 2,000,000/5/12 = Nu 33,000)
7. Fuel: say Nu 10,000
8. Driver: Nu 7,000

Total benefit = Nu 230,700 per month or Nu 2,768,400 per year or Nu 13,842,000 for five years
Posted by Tshering Tobgay