Page 10 - PDP Manifesto 2018

scale.
force personnel who want to take up commercial farming.
Jewel 4: Tourism
We will continue to pursue ‘High Value, Low Impact’ tourism policy. Tourism sector needs to be further boosted to cater to the increasing number of tourists visiting Bhutan. e PDP will designate industry status to the tourism sector
by passing a Tourism Act. To diversify
the bene ts of tourism, we will open all dzongkhags to tourism. In addition, we will identify a tourism product or service for every dzongkhag and brand and market each dzongkhag accordingly. We will open all southern gateways to facilitate arrival and departure of tourists.
We will explore the possibilities of constructing additional domestic airports in eastern Bhutan to encourage tourism in the east. We will expand Gelephu Domestic Airport to handle landing of Airbus aircra s in situation when landing is not possible in Paro. is would be the rst step towards expanding the Gelephu Airport into an international one. We will buy additional helicopters to enhance domestic helicopter service and tourism.
Jewel 5: Cottage, Small and Medium Enterprises
e Cottage, Small, and Medium Enterprises (CSME) have huge potential to create wealth and jobs. e PDP recognizes
We will strive to achieve food self- su ciency across all major food items
in the next ve years. We will promote commercial farming through farm mechanization and suitable agricultural technologies, primarily to substitute import and enhance export of agricultural produce. We will promote private ownership of power tillers by subsidizing the cost and facilitate access to nance for agricultural enterprises through Priority Sector Lending (PSL), Rural Enterprise Development Corporation Limited (REDCL), micro- nance programs and Bhutan Development Bank Limited (BDBL). We will provide one more power tiller to every chiwog and ensure that every chiwog has a minimum of two power tillers.
To facilitate agriculture trade and business, we will introduce Guaranteed Buy-back Scheme of agricultural produce. Large areas of our limited arable land are fallow. We will ensure cultivation of all fallow lands in the country. We will construct 700kms of new irrigation channels to irrigate about 50,000 acres of land in the next ve years. We will support youth engaged in the agriculture sector.
We will o er land on lease to encourage youth to take up agriculture. Such opportunities will also be extended to retired civil servants and retired armed
MANIFESTO : 2018 9
PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY
UNITY. STABILITY. PROSPERITY.