Cottage and Small Industry Policy, 2019.

This Cottage and Small Industry (CSI) Policy is a nation wide setoral policy document. The CSI Policy sets out the overall policy framework for CSI development until 2030. The overall objective of the policy is to promote establishment of new CSIs and improve the performance and competitiveness of existing CSIs to enhance their participation and contribution to the Bhutanese economy.
As the mission of the Policy states, the CSI Policy seeks to enhance CSIs contribution to employment generation and alleviation of poverty, especially in rural areas. Development of a culture of entrepreneurship at all levels of the education system and all spheres of economic activity will reinforce the importance of entrepreneurship and its contribution to socio-economic development of the nation. There is also a need to develop and enhance a deep and diverse talent pool of CSIs that matches labour market demand, with an emphasis on gender equality. The Royal Government of Bhutan shall: 1.Ensure collaborative and synchronized efforts amongst agencies in providing skills development training with a focus to encourage women and youth entrepreneurship; 2. Promote women entrepreneurship in CSIs to maximize the economic contribution of both genders through provision of preferential business development services; 3. Promote entrepreneurship amongst vulnerable groups in CSIs to improve their livelihoods through provision of preferential business development services.
The CSI Policy seeks to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. The objectives of CSI Policy 2019 comprise of six strategic domains of entrepreneurship ecosystems namely: i) Policy and Legislative Framework; ii) Entrepreneurship Culture and Human Capital Development; iii) Business Development Support and Infrastructure; iv) Enhancing Access to Finance and Incentives; v) Innovation and Technology Adoption; vi) Access to Market. The measures proposed in the Policy include: 1. Adopt an integrated business licensing system - end to end automation for CSIs to ease doing business; 2. Adopt registration system for cottage scale industries with validity of 3 years for those activities not requiring any sector clearance and those not in the restricted category; 3. Stimulate the development of business cluster and/or value chains to increase competitiveness of CSI products and services. 4. Facilitate establishment of market infrastructure such as warehouses, cold storage facilities, naturally ventilated store, pack house, etc. for CSI products; 5. Facilitate establishment of market linkages to link producers to market; etc.