ANALYSIS OF BHUTAN’S INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY POLICIES TOWARDS COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Among the developing countries, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is radically becoming a major tool for development and has shown a huge contribution to the economy. Seeing potential of ICT, the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) has also taken a huge effort towards adopting it. Although Bhutan is a late starter, the RGoB is putting considerable efforts towards developing the infrastructures needed to strengthen it. Being a small country with limited and scarce resources; the RGoB realizes that it cannot rely on it alone and so it plans to build a knowledge based society empowered by ICT. They see knowledge based economy as a way to boost socio-economic development of the country as well as increase employment opportunities. Policy has already been put in place by the government aimed to achieve the goals and objectives for development. So far there has been little or no study done on the influences of these policies towards the growth of Bhutan. The big question to be asked now is: Is it having any contribution to the development of the country or not? How can there policies be further improved? This research will try to explore the impact and influences of the RGoB’s ICT policy on the competitiveness and growth of the economy in Bhutan.