1 TRANSLATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND ... - APFA News

the government offices take the national workforce wage rate and do not
entertain any other privately fixed wage rate.
The Haa Chimi expressed appreciation of the efforts by the NEB to regulate the
interaction between employers and employees and for addressing the problems
that are faced by employees in the private sector. Henceforth, with the growth in
the population, and increased training and skill development, more Bhutanese
will be able to participate and be gainfully employed in relevant and appropriate
fields and levels. Contractual work, if managed well, would lead to success. The
representative expressed appreciation for the efforts to reduce the expatriate
workforce as pointed out earlier by the Minister for Trade and Industry and
noted that the workforce recruited by Project Dantak does not reflect any
change in the recruitment of workers, and is in fact, increasing considerably in
favour of expatriate workers. It would be important to introduce a mechanism to
stop this trend.
In conclusion to the discussion, the Speaker pointed out that a long deliberation
has ensued on the issue of the large expatriate workforce. It was an agenda item
that has been proposed by the representatives out of great concern. He said that
the National Assembly noted the strategies, plans and steps taken by the NEB,
NTTA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry as part of the government’s
initiative to reduce the size of the large expatriate workforce and create
employment opportunities for the Bhutanese people. With the efforts being
taken by the government to promote private sector development, the scourge of
unemployment can be prevented in the future.
The Speaker clarified that the wage rate for the national workforce only applies
to those working for the Government and does not cover the wage rate for the
contract workers. On the issue of reducing the size of the workforce employed
by Dantak, which is also a contractor for road construction, the Speaker pointed
out that in the earlier discussion on road construction, the Assembly had already
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