CAB-Construction Association of Bhutan

Participants from MHPA

The majority of the Contractors in Bhutan are comprised of those who have left monkhood (GayTay), dropouts, cow herder, (thab thob - bag bog). There are another lot of people comprising of Dashos, Bussiness tycoons, Engineers and even retired Lynpos into the Construction sector. Once the retirement age is reached, the only option found is to become a contractor. Anyone can become a contractor in Bhutan. You need no qualification nor you need the education to become one. Due to many contractors coming up in the market the works become scarce. Many opt to play do and die for the want of work, meaning they quote the lowest while bidding, which leads to the direct quality compromise. Some contractors become bankrupt due to the low rates. Some issues need to be contractually supported and need some mending with change in time. To reach the voice of contractors to the policymakers, CAB was formed in 2000. You may be Engineer today, but you will become a contractor tomorrow. So you all need to support your mother (CAB) in any way possible. Today, CAB is sustained by the membership fees which are paid annually. 

That was the opening remarks of the Executive Director of CAB for the 5 days CMS training in Trongsa (5th to 9th April 2021). 

CAB in association with MOWHS and collaboration with UNDP is conducting CMS training to all the contractors and engineers in the county to introduce to the software that shall replace the conventional way of writing MB (Measurement book). Soon they are trying to make it mandatory to attend and produce the certificate of participation to participant in the Tendering Process like they need to produce a CDB certificate. 

CAB, as per the ED was on the verge of closure due to funding constraints. Now they are in a position to function with the Membership fees they collect from their members annually. Almost all the construction company in Bhutan are their members. They have their board of Directors headed by the president. A president and board Members are refuted among the contractors. They perform their extra duties without any financial benefits. Today CAB is headed by President Mr. Thinlay Jamtsho, Owner of M/s T & K Construction. He was the one who has supported CAB financially by Contributing Nu. 500,000 When CAB was in a state of collapse. 

Today CAB has 181 Large, 413 Medium, and 2179 Small contractors as Members. They collect around Nu. 17,538,000.00 annually. The annual fee structure of Nu. 50,000.00, 10,000.00, and 2,000.00 for Large, Medium, and Small respectively were fixed after convening a meeting. 

CMS basically is a software (offline/Desktop version) that interfaces from the point of Rate Analysis to the Bill Payment. Everything will be recorded systematically so that the charm of MB writing to a point the RA-Bills are delayed shall be resolved. Every entry made in the software can be extracted in the form of Reports. Soon, the desktop version will be interlinked with the online e-GP through which the usage of CMS shall be mandatory. 

All in all, I personally got to know some contractors of Trongsa and learned some challenges faced by them in this time of the pandemic. I knew the CAB is trying every way possible to help our contractors from the point of increasing Mobilization Advance and doing away with the LD for those affected by the pandemic. I can see some contractors lost on the way, murmuring the CMS software is for Engineers. YES, I agree with them. I feel like if you don't have the engineering knowledge you don't understand the terms in there. So there are some Contractors who I feel came for the sake of Certificate.