“Bhutan , the Himalayan Buddhist Kingdom ... - Pro Bhutan eV

philanthropischer Verein zur aktiven Entwicklungshilfe
im Himalaja Königreich Bhutan
to 1,8 %, the lowest level in the last 20 years.
The contribution to GDP of the agricultural sector, comprising agriculture proper,
livestock production, forestry and logging, is estimated to have fallen back to about
34 percent in 2002, after almost 36 percent in 2000. This sector provides occupation
to about 75 percent of the total labour force.
The manufacturing, mining, and electricity sector contributed to GDP 19,3 % in
2002, the electricity sector alone about 9,7 %, a drop from 12% in 2001.
The construction sector is estimated to account for 17 % of GDP in 2002 from 15 %
in 2001. The performance of this sector reflects to a large extent the activities related
to the large power projects of Tala, Kurichhu and Basochu.
Tourism is the most important sector for the revenue in hard currency. It earned a net
8,4 Mio US $ ( from 8 Mio $ 2001) as it saw an increase in the number of tourist
arrivals to 6.100 in 2002 (from 5500 in 2001) but did not recover the all time high of
7600 tourists in 2000.
Annual inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), continued to fall,
reaching 1,8 %, after 2.7 in June 2002 and 3.2 percent in December 2001.
For the 9. Five-Year Plan period, which began in July 2002, the economy is projected
to grow at an annual rate of 8.2 percent, exceeding the growth of the last plan period.
This optimistic projection is based on the potential direct and indirect contribution of
the power projects (Kurichhu, Basochu, and Tala) during the plan period by spurring
on other sectors, namely manufacturing, construction, transport, and trade.
In its foreign trade relations, Bhutan depends predominantly on India. 88 % of the
imports come from India, 5% of the Bhutanese imports derive from Japan, only 1%
each from GB, USA and Germany.
97% of Bhutans’s exports go to India of which a good 60% are covered by electricity.
Of growing importance for Bhutanese mostly agricultural exports are Bangladesh and
Thailand.
The Bhutanese currency, Ngultrum, is linked 1:1 to the Indian Rupee. Therefore,
Bhutan has very little scope for an independent foreign currency politics. The
government pursues a very prudent fiscal policy by limiting successfully the annual
deficit to a maximum of 3,5%. Despite increasing expenditures for education, health
and a growing bureaucratic apparatus, the government’s portion of the BSP could be
maintained constant.
5) Education and Health
Education has been one of the highest priorities of the Bhutanese Kings and
governments since the 1960s. Until then, education was limited to the monasteries.
At great speed public schools were established, now covering widely the whole