KUENSELTHAT THE PEOPLE SHALL BE INFORMED TUESDAY, A PRIL 7, 2020 Travel COVID -19 companies PHYSICAL distancing measures can slow paying down the virus, so that the healthcare system can cope; but they will employees not stop this pandemic purely in their own despite loss right. To suppress and control the virus, we must isolate, test, treat But little or no op- and trace the cases. tions for small and new entrants MB Subba COUNSELING intervention for those Amid the indefinite Covid- under quarantine and 19-induced tourist ban in the those who may have country, many tour operators mental distress due to have kept their employees on the current COVID-19 pandemic has been the regular pay roll in a show For the children: established. of solidarity. Pg 3 Incomes from tourism The following numbers have been negative for a are available for month now. But tour compa- counselling support: nies are using either cash in hand or incomes from other 17123237 sources to pay their staff. 17123238 One of the biggest tour Community takes 17123239 companies in the country, Yangphel Adventure Travel, 17123240 has been using cash in hand 17123241 to pay the employees, ac- over Covid-19 cording to its chief executive - MoH officer (CEO), Karma Lotey. He said that the compa- responsibility ny’s 270 employees, includ- Weather ing that of its hotels, Zhiwal- Big businesses take the lead ing, are on paid leave. But he added that it would not be Yangchen C Rinzin ing, Penden Cement, Bhutan they need us and we should be sustainable to keep them on Polymer, and small business there for them,” Sonam Tobgay the regular payroll beyond f small is beautiful, the entities are the members of Dorji said. “The government six months. Gomtu community is the task force. Included in the has to look after entire country Karma Lotey said that living up to the phrase. team are also the Royal Bhutan so, we can atleast take care of 20 5 MAX MIN company was working out a Gomtu is a small Police and local government our own employee.” win-win arrangement with town that has remained officials. Jigme mining’s joint man- banks. The company has Ialmost isolated after Bhutan’s Vice chairman of Lhaki aging director, Ugyen Kezang, proposed to banks for re- border was sealed on March Cement, Sonam Tobgay Dorji, said that this initiative was structuring of loans, enhanc- 23. Located almost 60km from said that task force was formed to sustain and survive in the ing working capital and de- Phuentsholing and Samtse, to assist the government pre- worst-case scenario. “We’re ferment of interest payments there is no internal route to pare for the case scenario. mainly looking to ensure that to retain employees. travel from Gomtu to Samtse. food supply continues. Logis- 24 9 “Of course, if there is In the face of such a situ- What’s being done? tics will be arranged, roads MAX MIN some fiscal incentives, there ation, the people decided to First of all, the companies have maintained, and the quaran- is nothing like it. But we don’t do something together. They decided not to layoff their em- tine centres taken care of. In- want to burden the govern- got together to come up with ployees. Instead, some of the dividuals and companies have ment at this difficult time,” he immediate and future plans. employees are deployed with begun donating to the fund.” added. There is a Gomtu Covid-19 police and DeSuups to guard Employees too have volun- Most other tour operators Task Force. the porous border. teered to donate a day’s salary. www.kuenselonline.com are doing the same. Pg 2 Lhaki Cement, Jigme Min- “This is the time when Pg 2 HOME PAGE 2 Tuesday, April 07, 2020| KUENSEL Special flights for Bhutanese from Delhi on April 9 Tshering Palden India is arranging the flights, a travel advisory to the Bhuta- Lumpur to Paro,” an updated tory quarantine upon arrival the embassy wrote on its Fa- nese Associations in Australia travel advisory from the em- in Paro, the embassy isThere- Two special flights for Paro- cebook page. earlier this month, ‘a sizable bassy stated. It stated that fore, the Embassy will also Delhi-Paro sector on April The embassy is asking number of Bhutanese’ in- the embassy is in touch with need to coordinate their travel 9, to bring home Bhutanese Bhutanese nationals who are formed the embassy that they both the Malaysian Airlines home with the health and for- residing in India. in Delhi to register with the wish to return home as early and Druk Air. eign affairs ministries. Foreign Minister Dr Tandi embassy to book a seat on the as possible. The embassy has also Bhutanese are asked to Dorji yesterday said that it flight. The embassy stated that it asked the Bhutanese Associa- follow up with their respec- has been confirmed. “The “We can still accommo- has found out that Malaysian tions in Australia to compile tive Bhutanese Associations. government at the moment date around 21 individuals on Airlines is operating a few the list of Bhutanese wanting The Bhutanese Associa- is exploring other possibilities the Paro-Delhi-Paro sector,” flights to Kuala Lumpur from to avail this option. tion in Perth have sent out a for other Bhutanese wishing the embassy’s message on its Perth, Sydney and Melbourne “All Bhutanese in Austral- form for the residents to regis- to return home,” he said. Facebook page stated. in April and up to mid May ia who wish to return home ter and asked them to confirm The Royal Bhutanese Em- Meanwhile, the embassy 2020. are requested to get in touch by yesterday evening if they bassy in Delhi in coordination in Bangkok, Thailand is ex- “This could be a viable with Bhutanese Associations wished to return home on with the Ministry of Foreign ploring possibilities to bring option as transit is possible in your respective states/area the flight that the government Affairs, Drukair Royal Bhu- back Bhutanese residing in at Kuala Lumpur as of now, as soon as possible.” would be arranging. tan Airlines and relevant au- Australia and Malaysia. and Drukair may also be able As the returnees have to thorities in the Government of After the embassy issued to put in flights from Kuala undergo 21 days of manda- Travel companies paying employees despite loss From Pg 1 Little or no options for 50,000 and that all of them Prime Minister Dr Lotay the government plans to inject Owner of Bhutan Birding small and new entrants came from tourism. “I’m to- Tshering at the recent meet the liquidity into financial institu- and Heritage Travels, Hishey While the older players are tally bankrupt and am going press asked affected businesses tions. Tshering, said that he had com- making adjustments, small through a critical situation,” he not to send their employers Financial institutions mitted to his staff members that tour operators and new en- said. on unpaid leave. He said that expressed their willingness he would continue to pay them trants’ anxious wait for relief Executive director of Asso- the government had already to help clients by deferring despite the loss of income from programmes continues. ciation of Bhutanese Tour Op- started bearing some portion equated monthly installments tourism. He has about 12 full- The delay in relief pro- erators (ABTO), Sonam Dorji, of affected employees’ salaries. (EMIs), providing moratorium time people, including some grammes has forced some of said that despite the total loss But Kuensel found that and increasing grace period on from his hotel, on the regular the tour operators to send their of income, most tour operators many affected employees loans for eligible individuals payroll. employees on unpaid leave had expressed commitments to were either engaged in tempo- and businesses. “If I reach a situation where although the government has continue paying their employ- rary jobs or have returned to However, whether or not I can’t pay anymore, then I will requested them not to do so. ees for some months. their villages as the employers banks will give soft loans, tour have to see which of the staff But the tour operators say that Some employers, he said, stopped paying them. operators will have to wait for members are in more dire the government has been ago- were paying 50 percent of the To enable businesses to the government’s economic need,” he said. nizingly late. salary. The ABTO, he said, had avail loans and maintain con- stimulus plan. If the situation prolongs Economic relief pro- come up with strategy to en- tinuity of economic activities, but things return to normalcy grammes should have come gage the employees in alterna- after a year, Hishey Tshering more than a week ago, if the tive economic activities and in said that he would pay the em- government’s earlier state- skills development trainings. Community takes over ployees in arrears. He was in ments were anything to go by. One of the alternatives favour of submitting a letter of The government later said that considered is to engage peo- Covid-19 responsibility commitment saying that tour it needed to incorporate some ple in development of tourism operators would pay their em- amendments into the relief infrastructure. He said he was From Pg 1 “The protocol today is that ployees as a part of support to programmes. hopeful that deferment of loan The fund has hit Nu 0.9M supplies are first sent to Samtse the government. Small and new tour opera- installments would come in the today.