December 9: The structure and composition of the companies under the Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI) will be changed.

The announcement was made at a press conference yesterday. The DHI says the change is required to transform the companies into highly efficient and productive companies that are responsive to customer need.

Talking to the media, the Chairperson of DHI former Trade and Industry Minister Om Pradhan said the DHI board has approved the establishment of Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC), which will initially have three major projects under its purview. These are Chukha, Kurichu and the Basochu Hydro Power Corporations.

He said DGPC will play a major role in accelerating the development of Bhutan’s Hydropower resources.

He said DHI has looked into the functioning of Bhutan Telecom. He pointed out that there were some serious problems when it came to services like internet and mobile that needs to be addressed.

DHI has also looked into the functioning of Druk Air. It decided that the chairperson of Druk Air should always be the head of the government tourism organization.

The DHI chairperson said banking is one of the vital sectors of a vibrant economy. He said for the people to function in a globalized economy it is necessary to improve the banking services. He said DHI has looked at the way Bank of Bhutan has been functioning. He said there is a large room for improvement of the Bank services.

He said the DHI will be undertaking a detailed study. This he said will give a clear idea of what needs to be done to bring the banks to the level where it can meet the requirements of present day business and industry and the general public.

Om Pradhan said as far as possible Managing Directors for the companies under the DHI will be recruited through open competition.