The worth of our NC candidates
Dec 9, 2007 -Thimphu: It's now official and public what our National Council candidates own in cash, land, buildings and vehicles.
Kinga Dorji representing Orong goeg in Samdrup Jongkhar is worth Nu 50 million making him the 'richest' NC candidate.
His assets are entirely from his immovable property, chiefly buildings registered in his wife's name.
According to the Election Commission directives all candidates vying for the upper and lower houses have to declare their assets with the ECB while filing their nomination forms.
Second to Kinga Dorji is Pema Tenzin from Chali in Mongar with assets worth Nu 27.01 million and Jambay Dorji from Lungyi, Paro, who has assets worth Nu 25.98 million.
But despite having enviable assets worth millions, Pema Tenzin and Jambay Dorji have liabilities of outstanding loans worth Nu 6.5 million and Nu 1.94 million respectively.
There were also 11 candidates with nothing to declare, mostly fresh graduates. Many of them did not even have a savings account.
So far, Mongal Singh Gurung of Tsedagang in Dagana is the only fresh graduate to have declared immovable property worth Nu 2.8 million, registered in the name of his father and grandmother.
Immovable property
Nineteen among the 44 NC candidates who will seek the people's mandate on December 31 do not have immovable property, namely buildings or land, neither in their name nor in the name of their relatives.
Among the 25 who declared their immovable property, six candidates have land and buildings worth more than Nu 10 million.
After Kinga Dorji of Orong, Samdrup Jongkhar, and Pema Tenzin of Chali, Mongar, is Thinley Dorji of Chapcha in Chhukha who has declared his wife's building worth Nu 22 million.
Moving on in the list are Jambay Dorji of Lungyi, Paro, with Nu 17.54 million, Sangay Phurba of Kabjisa, Punakha, with Nu 10.35 million declared in joint ownership and Ngawang Gyamtsho from Samkhar in Trashigang with Nu 10.03 million.
Shares and stocks
Only 11 candidates have declared their shares and stocks.
Naichu of Saling, Mongar, tops the list with shares worth Nu 467,600. Namgye Penjore of Goenshari, Punakha, stands second with shares worth Nu 282,000. Following him is Bishnulal Gurung of Tendu, Samtse, who has shares amounting to Nu 258,580 bought in his and his wife's name.
Vehicles
Among vehicles declared as assets, 12 candidates have Maruti 800, five have a Santro each and five have Tucsons.
Pema Wangdi of Chaskhar in Mongar tops the vehicle list with two Toyota Hiluxes worth Nu 1.68 million. Following him is Pema Dhendup of Trong, Zhemgang, who has a Tucson and a Grand Vitara worth Nu 1.58 million registered in his and his wife's name.
Jambay Dorji of Paro has six vehicles registered in his wife's and son's name. He owns a Daewoo Muso, an Isuzu Trooper, a Santro, an Alto, a Maruti 800 and a power tiller, worth a total of Nu 1.24 million, according to his declared assets.
Only one candidate among the 44 owns a Toyota Prado. Tashi Tshering of Bidung in Trashigang owns one but is registered in his son-in-law's name.
Interest bearing deposits
Thirty five candidates including the fresh graduates do not have a savings account. Only nine candidates have declared their interest bearing deposits, according to the asset declaration form with the ECB.
The candidate from Chargaray, Samtse, Dr. Mani Kumar Rai, is the richest in terms of cash saved. He and his wife have cash worth Nu 1.55 million in fixed deposit. Ngawang Gyamtsho of Samkhar, Trashigang, has savings of Nu 700,000 followed by Chhatrapati Phuyel of Dorokha, Samtse, with Nu 429,000.
Among the candidates who declared their interest bearing deposits, Justin Gurung of Phuentenchu, Tsirang, is the lowest with only Nu 100 as savings.
Other assets
Only six candidates have declared assets not specified in the asset declaration form.
Jambay Dorji of Lungyi, Paro, has a travel agency and seed business worth Nu 7.2 million. Kesang Namgyal of Yalang, Trashiyangtse, runs a private business registered in his daughter's name worth Nu 700,000 followed by Naichu of Saling, Mongar, who has Nu 645,000 saved from his retirement benefit.
Both Bishnulal Gurung of Tendu, Samtse, and Sangay Phurba of Kabjisa, Punakha, have travel agencies worth Nu 400,000 and Ngawang Gyamtsho has declared his apple orchard worth Nu 200,000.
Among all the 44 candidates, Chhatrapati Phuyel of Dorokha, Samtse, is the only candidate to have declared assets in terms of gold reserve. He has declared 40 grams of gold ornaments worth Nu 48,000.
Liabilities
The asset declaration forms of most NC candidates revealed that most had outstanding education loans. Among the 15 candidates who had declared outstanding loans, six had outstanding education loans with the National Pension and Provident Fund (NPPF).
Others loans include vehicle, building and personal loans.
Though Pema Tenzin of Chali, Mongar, is second in terms of owing land and buildings, he stands on top when it comes to owing liabilities too. He has an outstanding loan of Nu 6.5 million. Thinley Dorji from Chapcha, Chhukha, has building worth Nu 22 million in his wife's name but his wife also has an outstanding loan of Nu 2.5 million as declared by him.
According to the asset declaration forms, Jigme Wangchuk of Jomotshangkha has the least outstanding loan, Nu 15,000.
(Reproduced from Bhutan Times)