As an aide to the prime minister of Bhutan, Takao Takahashi helped deepen people's understanding of the need to manage their money in the rapidly growing South Asian country valuing "gross national happiness."
The 31-year-old, who now works for the World Bank in Washington, said that although Bhutan's consumption is surging amid rapid economic growth, its people have little knowledge about how to manage their money.
He said people in remote areas still barter goods and therefore can lack experience in how to handle money, adding he has seen people spending a sizable amount of money without understanding the value of what they are actually buying.