Welcome to National Business Initiative! 

  “There can be no successful business without successful society and there can be no successful society without successful business”

 …this was the credo of the national conference “Role of the Private Sector in Peace building, Reconciliation and Development” held in July 2003 in Kathmandu which led to the formation of a apolitical and impartial NGO – the National Business Initiative (NBI) in 2005.

 The fact that sustainable peace is vital for sustainable business and vice versa is widely accepted by leaders of all sectors of society. That is particularly true for Nepal, where unjust socio-economic development, disparities, exclusion, poverty, and poor governance are the root causes of a long lasting conflict. A flourishing economy that provides fair business or employment opportunities to all Nepalese people regardless of their caste, gender, age or ethnicity will play an important role in mitigating existing conflicts and avoiding new tensions.

Conflict and its impacts such as strikes, blockages, extortions, blackmailing, shortages, destruction of infrastructure, displacement of workers, etc. substantially increase the cost of doing business, limit international competitiveness and lead to closures and international relocations of businesses. The resulting shrinkage of economic activities and therefore increasing unemployment and poverty perpetuates existing conflicts and leads to new tensions.

 Inclusive economic growth – providing income as well as state-revenues for the overall-development of the country is essential to achieve sustainable peace and stability in Nepal. This requires the commitment, leadership and participation of all sectors of society. With the formation of NBI, the Nepalese private sector has accepted its responsibility and demonstrates its commitment  to promote sustainable peace in Nepal through just socio-economic growth.

 NBi is now

       promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), increased responsiveness to stakeholders requirements and alternative communication strategies in order to promote peace and productive relationships in individual companies

       supporting private sector actors in improving communication and reputation and advocating private sector’s contribution to development and general welfare

       initiating dialogue between private and other sectors (mainly the public sector) to promote an enabling environment for inclusive economic growth