Waste Management & Environment / Sustainability

The Gelephu Mindfulness City is planned as a low-rise, walkable city powered by renewable energy with agriculture and forest kept inside the urban fabric, and the country it sits in is known for its forest cover and environmental record. A waste, recycling or water venture is governed by the general framework: incorporation under the Companies Act 2025 with a resident director and a GMC registered office, sites and regulatory clearances coordinated through the Economic Development Group, company tax at 15% under the Income Tax Act 2025 with the founders company and strategic and development company reliefs available by approval until 31 December 2030, equipment imports under the Customs Act 2025, and work passes for foreign staff. Where sustainability becomes a financial product, the Financial Services Act 2025 applies: a carbon credit, emissions allowance or renewable energy certificate recognised by the Gelephu Financial Services Office is an Environmental Instrument and a specified investment, so dealing in, arranging, advising on, holding for others or operating a platform for such instruments by way of business is licensable, while a company buying credits to retire against its own footprint sits within the exclusions. Recognition by the regulator is the decisive question, and carbon and biodiversity projects are listed within the Agri-Tech and Forestry priority industry.

Basnet Law Pte. Ltd. advises on entity formation and priority-industry alignment for environmental ventures, site and clearance coordination with EDG, incentive applications, the regulatory perimeter for carbon and environmental instruments, contracts with public and private counterparties under GMC law, customs treatment of equipment, work passes, and disputes.