This Public Environmental Expenditure Review (PEER) covers the first two financial years of the 10th Five Year Plan (FYP) (2008/09 and 2009/2010) and also draws on the experience from the 2009 PEER covering the 9th FYP. The Public Environmental Expenditure Review (PEER) will determine the size and composition of the Public Environmental Expenditures (PEE). Public expenditures are among the means to achieve the environmental objectives of Gross National Happiness (GNH). The PEER, therefore, provides a basis for the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) to determine how the public expenditures are reflecting the development objectives for the environment and natural resources.
The Public Environmental Expenditure Review (PEER) for Bhutan is an activity led by the Department of Public Accounts of the Ministry of Finance (DPA/MoF). The PEER is part of the Danida and UNPD/UNEP PEI-assisted Joint Support Programme (JSP) for mainstreaming the environment in development and enhancing capacity for environmental management in Bhutan. A Joint Task Force (JTF) has been established for the PEER preparation. The JTF is chaired by DPA/MoF with members from the Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC), National Environment Commission Secretariat (NECS), and the National Statistics Bureau (NSB). The PEER concept paper prepared by the JTF has guided the preparation of the PEER. Sonam Wangdi (DPA/MOF) was the focal person for the preparation of the PEER. The Danida Liaison Office (LOD) of Bhutan contracted two consultants to support the preparation of the PEER.