The Economic and Finance Committee and the Legislative Committee of Bhutan held a committee meeting on  28 August 2024 to deliberate on the ‘Zero Draft’ of the collaboration strategy between Parliament and the private sector under the Voice for Green Change Partnership (V4GCP) project.  The meeting was attended by the Hon’ble Speaker, Hon’ble Opposition Leader and Hon’ble Members of the Parliament.

Mr. Chhorten Dorji, Executive Director of  Handicrafts Association of Bhutan (HAB), on behalf of the 50 private sector entities made a presentation detailing various aspects of the Zero Draft. The presentation emphasized the potential contributions of Parliament to private sector development (PSD) outlining several strategies. 

The presentation included the discussion on the strategies to bolster small enterprises and civil society organizations (CSOs), recognizing their vital role in the economy. Key strategies highlighted were: 

1. Fostering proactive engagement between Parliament and the private sector, capacity building, enhanced scrutiny of economic legislation, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), simplifying regulatory frameworks, promoting innovation, and monitoring legislative impacts.

2. Strengthening government support, financial oversight, legislative scrutiny, and promoting transparency and accountability in government-private sector relations.

3. Enhancing dialogue between MPs and private sector stakeholders, facilitating resource access for constituency development, encouraging opposition involvement in economic debates, and promoting collaboration among Parliament, local government, and the private sector. The strategies also focus on gender inclusion, and diversity

Members of Parliament highlighted the importance of small enterprises and CSOs in Bhutan's economy, recognizing their challenges and the need for support to foster growth. The Members expressed support for the V4GCP project, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration to achieve sustainable economic development in Bhutan. The V4GCP project aims to empower CSOs through training in advocacy, business development, and leadership, enabling them to contribute effectively to Bhutan’s economic development and policy discourse. The V4GCP project seeks to address these issues through strengthened local platforms, joint research, coordination, and training. 

The Project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Handicrafts Association of Bhutan (HAB) in partnership with national and international Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the V4GCP project aims to promote a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economy by enhancing civic engagement and sustainable practices within the broad private sector development framework .