April 18: The GNH Commission presented the draft 10th Five Year Plan (FYP) to the cabinet yesterday.

At the presentation were the Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, cabinet ministers, the Deputy Minister of National Environment Commission Dasho Nado Rinchhen and government secretaries.

Expressing his appreciation, the Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley described the draft plan as a comprehensive document and said it was very well formulated.

At the presentation, the GNH Secretary Karma Tshiteem said that the 10th plan is an extremely important plan because it coincides with historic events and also because it must be a plan that provides the solid economic foundation for the political changes that have taken place.

The GNH Secretary outlined the priorities of the 10th Plan as GNH-oriented. Challenges include poverty, narrow industrial base, growing unemployment, sluggish private sector and growing cost of social service delivery.