Government forms GNH commission

Thimphu, January 19: The government has formally announced the formation of a commission on Gross National Happiness on Friday, which will combine the functions of the National Planning Commission and the Committee of Secretaries to streamline the principles of GNH in national plans and policies.

“This will bring about greater efficiency and better coordination as the government functions as one body treading the same path towards a common goal,” said Prime Minister Kinzang Dorji while announcing the formation of commission.

The new commission will be chaired by prime minister with the cabinet secretary as vice-chairperson. All government secretaries and chief of the national environment commission secretariat will be the members of the commission. Present planning commission secretariat will be transformed into the GNH commission secretariat.

The Center for Bhutan Studies (CBS) will develop practical and target-oriented indicators for GNH while the country will have its own Bhutan Development Index (BDI), being developed by the CBS to measure the progress in development.

A press statement by the PMO said, all ministries will have GNH committee chaired by secretary, the directors as members and the chief planning officer as member-secretary to the committee. Similar committees will also be formed at the dzongkhag and gewog level as well. Bhutan News Service