Is Druk Yuel Headed The Merlion City Way?

Recently a friend from abroad sent me some intriguing comments that read, in part, as follows:

“………. Interesting articles you put up there .. the Bhutanese exodus to Australia! 40,500 & growing - almost a third of Thimphu population.

They are not there just for study and work – a large number of them will be there for the rest of their lives as many hold PRs.

The last time that happened to Singaporeans leaving Singapore and with the added problem of lower birth rate, the Prime Minister set up incentives to entice them to return home. 

That did not work. Then the policy shifted to granting PRs & Citizenship to foreigners. Today, the true-blue original Singaporeans are <50%!

Another problem was when foreigners began to flip property & other businesses, then relocate the monies elsewhere.

If Bhutan copies Singapore model all the way through, this will be the way”

This friend fears that there are clear signs that we are headed the Singapore way – we are faced with the same twin problems that Singapore faced decades back - outward migration of our youth and falling birth rate!

Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bhutan - sounding the alarm bells

The problem of outward migration is a tricky issue – we may have to live with it for a while – unless there occurs an upheaval in the Bhutanese migrants’ psyche – and decides to prefer life over livelihood. Frankly, I am not very hopeful of that ever happening, or even that if that will be seen as meaningful.

In the context of falling birth rate, the PDP government is already trying to address the problem – by offering cash incentives to encourage making of more babies. Time will tell if this program will succeed … but even if it does, this has to be seen as a long-term solution that may not salvage us from our imminent short-term woes that are not very difficult to foresee.

So, the question then is: Is it likely that we too will arrive at that point where we have to invite foreigners to be our citizens?

Maybe … or maybe not.

But Bhutan has one off-the-rack solution - even if just a marginal one - that Singapore did not have …. What remains to be seen is whether we are willing, and have the courage, to act and grab the bull by the horns!

………..to be continued.