On the 1st of July 2008 a workshop on taxation and Account Keeping was organized for the Tibet Business community of Tibetan Settlements at Bir and Chauntra.

The Workshop was attended by all the Tibetan shopkeepers of the two settlements.

The Excise and Taxation Officer and the taxation inspector of Palampur and Bajnath attended the workshop. They explained in detail how the goods are to be transported from Delhi and else where to their shops in Bir and Chauntra.

They listened to the various difficulties faced by the shopkeepers while conducting their business and also suggested solutions to the problems they faced. They promised full support in helping the business community of the region.

The workshop was also attended by the Chartered accountant and the Tibetan Business Consultant from Dharamsala who interacted freely with the participants providing guidance in the matter relating to the taxation and account keeping.

The Director Tibet Charity used the opportunity to introduce the various activity of Tibet Charity. He also emphasized the need to follow the law of the India while conducting any kind of business.

We feel the workshop has been a big success in making the public aware of some of the rules governing business transaction. It has also provided them an opportunity to interact freely with the concerned Indian officials and thereby clearing some of the problems they have faced wile conducting their business transition.

We take this opportunity to thank Self Sustainable Business Development of Tibet Charity for providing the financial assistance to conduct the workshop.

Updated on 15th of July 2008

Tibet Charity has successfully organized motivational and personality development workshop for the Tibetan teacher trainees from the Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah on the 19th and 20th of February 2008.

The workshop was conducted in two groups .The first group consisted of teacher trainees belonging to the Himalayan regions of India. There were participants belonging to places such as Ladakh, Spiti, Zansker etc.

The second workshop had participants who were all Tibetans.

The workshop touched upon topics such as finding one's personality, understanding resources, setting goals, overcoming obstacles, creating motivations to achieve one's goals and forming new behavioral patterns and commitments.

It is felt that by giving such workshops to the participants who are soon going to be teachers, they could further organize similar workshops to their students. In this way we hope to reach out to the maximum number of people.

The participants have found the workshop very beneficial and they all requested for more such workshops in the future. They felt that such workshops are very relevant to the Tibetans as they are by nature low on confidence and self-belief. They all promised to bring about a change in their way of thinking.

We thank, Mrs.Brita Jacobsen for kindly conducting the workshop. We also thank her family for their contribution in other areas.

Updated on 25th of February 2008

As part of our goals to help the business community among the Tibetans to go for more sustainable business instead of the seasonal short term business they are involved in, Tibet Charity supported the Business Awareness Campaign and Focus Group Meetings organized by Department of Finance, Central Tibetan Administration Dharamsala. The Business Awareness Program organized this year is a continuation of the same kind of program organized last year in all the Tibetan Settlements in the South and some around Dehradun.

This time we have covered the Tibetan settlements in Mainpat (Chattishgarh State), Gangtok (Sikkim), Ravangla (Sikkim) and Simla in Himachal Pradesh involving more than few hundred Tibetans.

In such programs besides the resource persons from the Department of Finance (CTA) the local officials from District Industries Centers were also invited to enlighten the Tibetan on the facilities and opportunities that could be made use of through the Sate or District Industries Centers.

Through such projects, we aimed to raise awareness amongst the unemployed youths and those who are involved in tiny industries about the opportunities and support available to them in the form of subsidies, registration, skill developments, finance, and so on. The project also focused on understanding the problems faced during their normal course of business by existing entrepreneurs and those in retail garment selling business so as to help them shift from unorganized to organized market, carried within the legal frameworks of conducting business.

The program was a big success both in terms of resolving their doubts and for opening the doors of opportunities available.

Updated on 5th of December 2007

As part of the program of Self-Sustainable Business Development Foundation under Tibet Charity, Mr. Steen Jespersen and Mrs. Hanna

Lejboelle from Denmark conducted worekshops for the shopkeepers at Mcleodganj, Dharamsala on the 16th and the 18th of November 2006.

The workshop, which was organized in the Tibet Charity House, was attended by little more than 20 shopkeepers. The workshop focused on decorating the shops and how best to manage the space in the shops. On the 17th they visited Tibet Beads Project and shared ideas with the Management there on ways to improve the shop under them. They also took time to visit some selected shops and gave suggestions for their improvement.

Updated on 18th of November 2006

On the 24th of August 2006, a workshop on VAT and account keeping was conducted at Dalhousie as per the short terms goals of SSBDF Tibet Charity for the Tibetan business people at Dalhousie.

The workshop was attended by 90 Tibetans engaged in small scale business in the area. This workshop has been the most successful one so far as we have been able to invite Mr. Rakesh Bhatia, the local Excise and Taxation Officer ( ETO) who has the decision making power on problems related to taxation in the region. Many of the problems that the people have been facing since the beginning of business engagement in the area were solved during the workshop. He very clearly and politely explained all the rules and regulation related to taxation. He also promised all help possible in the future.

Other rules and account keeping was explained in detail by Mr. Himanshu, the local Chartered Accountant who was ably assisted by Mr. Sonam Gonpo la, their Tibetan advisor.

The Director took the opportunity to introduce Tibet Charity as an Association to the public with special focus on the aims and objectives of Self Sustainable Business Foundation under Tibet Charity.

In conclusion I must say that this has been a very great success that has helped them find solution to long pending problems. They have whole heartedly thanked SSBDF and all concerned for their kind assistance.

Updated on 25th of August 2006

The Self Sustainable Business Development Foundation unit of Tibet Charity Denmark sponsored the Focussed Group Meeting and the Business Awareness Program organised by the Department of Finance, Central Tibetan Administrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Program started on the 2nd of May 2006 at Hunsur, a Tibetan Settlement in the South Indian State of Karnataka and finished on the 2nd of June 2006 at Puruwala, a small Tibetan Settlement in the North Indian State of Himachal Pradesh. From day One to the last the program covered various Tibetan Settlements such as the ones at Bylakuppe, Kollegal and Mundgod in the south and Dekyiling and Paonta Sahib in the north. In total the program benefited a few thousand Tibetans.

The program aimed at finding solutions to the various problems and challenges faced by the Tibetans, particularly those involved in winter sweater selling business in the face of changing geo-political scenario in India. By making the public aware of the challenges ahead of them in continuing the same kind of highly risky and unstable business in the future, they were encouraged to start thinking of more stable and permanent business in the long run. The program aimed at bringing the Tibetan people to the table for development of their motivation and grooming their entrepreneurial potential. The program also sought the cooperation and the expertise of the local District Industries Centre (DIC) to educate the Tibetans about the Business Opportunities provided by such Indian firms. The participants were made aware of the various aspects of global and domestic business environment & opportunities. The deserving people were also given chance to interact with the Resource Persons and the experts from DIC for one to one consultations on their business project profile.

All in all the participants found program very informative, interactive and beneficial and they all expressed their gratitude to all concerned in the organisation of the Business Awareness Program. They also urged the organisers to hold such programs more regularly to enlighten the public on the various business opportunities available.

The Resource persons/the key organizers of the Program were Mr. Sonam Dorjee, Joint Secretary and Mr. Choesang, Assistant under Secretary of the Department of Finance, CTA Dharamsala.

The Director, Tibet Charity, India attended the last lap of their tour in the North.

Updated on the 3rd of May 2006