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January, 2005 |
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From the Editor |
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New Year Agenda
Moving ahead to the year 2005 and the Nepali business community still has loads of things to complain about. But mere complaining will never solve any of their problems. They have to make New Year’s resolutions to take some initiatives to solve these problems. One major refrain of the private sector’s complaints is obviously the lack of security. It is, however, not something that the business community can do nothing about. Last month, when the Prime Minister challenged the business community to use its managerial acumen to start the peace talks with the elusive Maoists, he sure had a point. The business community used its skills recently to negotiate the reopening of about 50 business establishments that were forced to close by the rebels.
It may seem trivial to make the rebels agree to let businesses reopen in comparison to the challenge of making them agree to lay down their arms. There are, however, examples of such successes of the private sector in countries like South Africa, Peru and Sri Lanka, which went through similar or even more serious conflicts that Nepal is going through presently. However, it appears that the Nepali business community is presently bogged down by some of its members being blacklisted by banks for failing to honour their debt obligations. No doubt the borrowers have their own valid arguments to oppose this step taken by the banks, but the banks too have their own set of compulsions. Both the bank and the business community being members of the same sector, there is no reason why they cannot sort out their differences to address the problem in a concerted manner and getting to the root of the problem. The year 2004 witnessed a number of cases in which the business community totally behaved against the spirit of the free market. Syndicates, cartels and monopolistic behaviours were rampant. Transporters’ syndicate has been vexing the business community itself. However, the business community cannot raise its voice against the transporters’ syndicate alone. It has to go about the problem in a holistic manner and work for the eradication of such practices by helping the government formulate effective laws to address such menaces. On our part, New Business Age, has resolved to continue helping the private sector and the general people by reporting and analysing the important economic and business issues that are vexing them. Let’s make the year 2005 a much better one than the best we may have had so far. Happy New Year! |
Send your feedback to the editor: bizline@mos.com.np |
