New Bhutan premier's focus is jobs, not 'happiness'

Bhutan's pursuit of "Gross National Happiness" (GNH) has brought it global fame as a model of alternative development, but its new prime minister, Tshering Tobgay, believes the doctrine has distracted from tackling the country's problems.

The country's pursuit of "happiness" - effectively economic development that takes into account the environment and people's psychological well-being - was first proposed by Bhutan's former king in the 1970s.

While its promotion by prominent Westerners such as economist Jeffrey Sachs has helped give Bhutan a prominence not normally accorded to such small countries, the model faces increasing criticism at home.

Tobgay, 47, backs the principles and the notion that "economic growth is not the be all and end all of development", but he confesses to finding the complexities of GNH hard to grasp.

"I'm sceptical of how it has been overused by some people and how they have been distracted from the real business at hand," he said over the phone from the capital, Thimphu.