BHUTAN: On Dec 17, 2023, the King of Bhutan announced plans to build a new city with multiple goals: creating job opportunities to retain young Bhutanese who might otherwise migrate to countries like Australia, boosting tourism, and diversifying the kingdom’s economy.
Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), located on Bhutan’s border with India, will function as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). Its blend of sustainable practices and cutting-edge technology has been described as almost “sci-fi.” For instance, the city is pioneering in global finance by including cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum in its reserves.
The project has earned praise from Nobel laureates and is being positioned as an economic bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia.
“The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) project is a pioneering initiative creating an urban environment centred around mindfulness, sustainability, and innovation. The city will integrate traditional Bhutanese values with cutting-edge design and technology, harnessing the Kingdom’s abundant green power to serve as a global exemplar of holistic development. The GMC will operate as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) vested with executive, legislative, and independent judicial power,” its official website states.
Interestingly, GMC has drawn heavy inspiration from Singapore — a city-state roughly one-third its planned size — by adopting 18 Singapore laws as the foundation of its legal framework, along with 10 financial regulations from Abu Dhabi.
The Singapore laws adopted cover areas such as employment, foreign manpower, goods and services, immigration, taxation, data protection, and contracts, among others.
Several prominent Singaporeans also hold key roles in GMC. Initially, former Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong was named Chief Executive Officer. However, on 2 November 2024, Daily Bhutan reported that another former CAG chairman, Lee Seow Hiang, together with Pang Yee Ean – previously CEO of Surbana Jurong Capital and director general of investments at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank – had been appointed co-CEOs. Mr Lee and Mr Pang had originally been listed as members of the GMC’s Board of Directors.
However, there has been some criticism that the “Mindfulness City” has come at a price to the communities of people who were displaced by the new city. Others have claimed that the compensation they received for the land where GMC now stands is woefully inadequate.
“The Gelephu Mindfulness City tests Bhutan’s commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity. It also offers Bhutan a chance to rewrite this painful narrative, not by erasing the past but by addressing it with sincerity, justice, and compassion,” reads a piece regarding the issue. /TISG
