A cheque of five million ngultrums was also handed over to an official of His Majesty's kidu fund in Phuentsholing during the concluding ceremony. Her Royal Highness Ashi Kesang Wangmo Wangchuck attended the closing ceremony that also had in attendance some ministers, the opposition leader, the national assembly speaker, bureaucrats and businessmen among others. Medals and certificates of recognition were awarded to 50 employees, who completed 26 years of service with the Tashi group, including awards for two of the most outstanding former employees. The Tashi group was started by the late Dasho Ugen Dorji five decades ago and has today grown into a business conglomerate with a turnover of four billion ngultrums annually. Over the past 50 years, the group explored its business avenues in areas such as the manufacturing industries, hospitality, infrastructure development, tourism and telecommunications. "During the past five decades the Tashi group has been involved in various initiatives that have touched and benefited every citizen of the country, either directly or indirectly," the vice-chairman of Tashi group, Tobgyal Dorji, said in his keynote address. "We also got into providing vital services required for the nation building by establishing engineering workshop, hotels, construction agencies etc." With the government's approval of foreign direct investment, Tobgyal Dorji said the group increased its business portfolio by venturing into tourism, hospitality services, telecommunications and banking. "The group always believed in seizing the opportunity that comes with change, knowing that the only thing that remains constant is change," said Tobgyal Dorji, adding the group has successfully built the first five star hotel, Taj Tashi, in Thimphu. The new projects under the Tashi group that are in various stages of progress in Pasakha are two large plants of calcium and silicon, and a cored wire plant under a joint venture with SKW Metallurgie, Germany and a silicon metal plant. A few more hotels are in the pipeline to be constructed in various locations, apart from the aviation business in starting a private airline for domestic and international services. Twenty five years ago, Tashi group's turnover was Nu 250M annually that has now increased to Nu 4,000M a year, and the contribution to the government through taxes is now Nu 170M compared to five million ngultrums 25 years ago. Similarly, from 500 employees 25 years ago, the group now has 3,000 employees. Similarly records with the group show that the total sale of petrol was 3493 kl in 1985, which has now increased to 16,020 kl; while the sale of diesel that was 15,912 now increased to 64,754 kl. The domestic gas connection was 3,967 then and now stands at 125,215 connections. "This shows the quantum leap of growth in consumer product catered by the group," said Tobgyal Dorji.
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