In Bhutan with Druk Holding and Investments

Hello everyone. This is Yannick (The guy on the right) and I am the WDI Fellow serving in Bhutan this summer. First and foremost, I would like to apologize for the delay in beginning my blog. It has taken me a few weeks to get my bearings here and now I am ready to share my experiences.

Before I do that, let me explain my assignment. I am working for the Legal Department of Druk Holding and Investments (DHI). DHI is a government run holding company which holds at least 15 government companies. These companies range from Cement manufacturers to Telecommunications companies. They also own an airline. DHI operates under the 2000 Company Law of Bhutan which governs all corporations. The law needs updating and DHI wants me make suggestions on how it can be better. My assignment also includes researching the tax laws here and coming up with suggestions on how they can be revised to help DHI. Lastly, I am coming up with ways for DHI to clarify its mandate and its jurisdiction in the Bhutan (I’ll explain in later posts).

My experience in Bhutan so far has been nothing short of exciting. My experiences have included:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1)      <!--[endif]-->Hiking up to a monastery above 10,000 ft.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2)      <!--[endif]-->Planting a bottle-brush tree at Bhutan’s new LEED Platinum technology park (take that Michigan Law School! MLS was just awarded the LEED gold standard for the new South Hall building). 

3)      <!--[endif]-->Being tricked into eating Betel-nut, what Bhutanese eat instead of chewing tobacco-I will explain later.

4)      <!--[endif]-->Being nearly attacked by a dog (stray dogs are a problem in Thimphu. For the most part they are friendly but every so often you get aggressive ones).

5)      <!--[endif]-->Finding a Bhutanese church with English language services—which is remarkable in this predominately Buddhist country.  

Well that’s about it for now. I think I’ve whet your appetite for more and I’ll be sure to deliver.