A Chinese heater through India to Bhutan? What does it mean?

Why should Bhutan pay for India to import Chinese goods when it is costing so much for Bhutan and its people.

A Chinese product in Bhutan means a

donation to Indian Economy from Bhutan..

This is an electric heater (in the picture) brought from Dolma Enterprise, but one can find such electric heater in allmost all of the shops that sell electric heaters in Thimphu.

As you see, it is a Chinese product but our Bhutanese enterprenuers did not import directly from China. They have bought from Indian dealers and I am sure this would mean Indian rupee out flow.

If India gets shocked when Bhutan for the first time bought few Chinese vehicles directly from China, India should also stop selling Chinese products to Bhutan. My argument here is, if India could buy Chinese products and sell to Bhutan why can’t Bhutan chose to buy directly from China at more cheaper rate than that of buying from Indian dealers.

Take it for this heater (in the picture), these business houses have bought those heaters for around Rs3000 and are selling at different rate in different shops in between Nu3500 to Nu4000, which means a heavy hammer on the Bhutanese consumers.

At what rate could it have bought by the Indians from China and What could it have been the rate if Bhutanese bought directly from China?  What could be the market price if the Bhutanese dealers had brought them directly themselves? And what will be the difference and its impact for Bhutanese consumers?

I am sure our Bhutanese dealers could have sold at the same price as they have bought from Indian dealers where our people the end users could buy at Nu1000 less than what we are paying right now. If Bhutanese dealers had paid Rs3000 for a heater to the Indian dealer, What would have been the price paid by Indians to the Chinese? May be Rs2000. If a Bhutanese bought the heater from Chinese directly at the same rate, we the end users can pay less than Nu3000 but not more than we are paying right now.

Who is benefitting from this tricky policy of our great friend? Of course our big brother. our government takes loan from India. Say we haveRs5 billion for Economic stimulus plan, aren't we paying 5 percent interest?

Well as we have to buy even Chinese goods from India, we land up paying Rs 5 billion back to our brother besides toping up again 5 percent interest. If we have to pay rupee even for Chinese goods, what kind of profit can Bhutan make from 5 billion? What will be the benefit of Rs 5 billion grant for ESP?

How can we stimulate our economy unless our brother agrees to let us buy Chinese good ourselves, so that what ever Chinese yen we collect from our tourism can be made into use to stimulate our economy for real.

I think Bhutan will be happier than receiving billions of grant from India as a friend if it would favour us with better trade independence without having to bent for double hammer. And in the process, Bhutanse end up hammering Bhutanese when Chinese hammer India and India hammers Bhutan. Can we at least defend our own head if not hammer other?

Can India do this favour for a great friend? If India is a true friend and if it means real support to Bhutan’s Economic Stimulus Plan, then the support should come in favor of trade Independence and shipment route to Bhutan. Can Bhutanese Government take a step forward for its trade independence, which would actually make a great change in stimulating the economy? I am sure at least this government can not do anything for it owe a lot to India in many ways.

Should we keep looking upon our big brother to consider our economy, our status and our strength, so that their small but great friend will be with more power in hand to make impact being by their side.

No, Bhutan should at least raise to defend our own heads. While we protect the interest of friendship, we can not hurt ourselves more than what we have been waiting for our friend to consider our pain.