The Bhutan GovTech Agency has proposed a major revision to its digital skills training target, citing funding constraints and slower-than-expected progress. During its Midterm Review, the agency recommended cutting its original goal by 75 percent, reducing the number of citizens to be trained from 400,000 to 100,000 by the end of the current five-year plan.
The initial ambition was to equip hundreds of thousands of Bhutanese with the skills needed to safely and effectively use digital services. However, progress has fallen significantly short. As of March this year, only around 7,000 individuals have completed training. Officials attributed this gap largely to financial limitations. Of the Nu 910 million originally proposed for the initiative, only Nu 290 million was allocated. With training costs averaging Nu 11,000 per participant, scaling up the program has proven difficult.
Despite this setback, the agency remains optimistic about the broader digital economy. It has set a target of creating 5,000 quality jobs in the digital sector. Encouragingly, more than 1,200 jobs were generated between July 2024 and February this year, including opportunities in freelancing.
The GovTech Agency also aims to contribute 300 million US dollars to the national economy through digital sector growth by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan. So far, the sector has generated over 44 million US dollars as of June last year, falling short of the annual target of 60 million dollars but still indicating steady progress.
Officials highlighted notable achievements in governance and digital infrastructure. According to the World Bank’s 2025 GovTech Maturity Index, Bhutan has been elevated to Category “A,” the highest classification. This reflects strong performance in government systems, online service delivery, citizen engagement, and digital enablers.
In emerging technologies, Bhutan’s Artificial Intelligence maturity currently stands at Level 2 out of 5, while cybersecurity capabilities improved from Level 1 to Level 2 over the past year.
The health sector has also seen significant digital transformation. The electronic Patient Information System (ePIS) has been adopted by 90 percent of healthcare providers nationwide, with the goal of achieving full adoption by the end of the plan period.
However, challenges remain. The agency pointed to rising attrition in the civil service as a concern, with 68 resignations recorded since 2023 and 13 more officials currently serving notice periods.
