High unemployment and declining GDP: What role for industrial policy?

  • Date: Thursday, 13 June 2019
  • Time: 14.30-16.30
  • Venue: TIPS Boardroom, 234 Lange Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria
  • Main Speakers: Rudi Dicks, Neva Magetla
  • For enquiries or to register please contact: daphney@tips.org.za
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AGENDA

14:15 - 14:30 Arrival and coffee / tea

14:30 - 14:45 Opening and welcome by chairperson

14:45 - 16:00 Presentations:

Neva Makgetla: Unemployment and GDP in perspective
Rudi Dicks: Accelerating industrial policy to drive growth

16:00 - 16:30 Discussion

16:30 Closure and light snacks

BACKGROUND

The latest jobs numbers and GDP figures point to the urgency of a strategy to put the economy on an upward trajectory. South Africa has huge capacity, but the vicious cycle of slow growth from 2015 is eroding the resilience of the economy and policy space. In this context, industrial policy has been put forward as an enabler, with the Presidency committed to driving growth through a more systematic approach to industry support and unblocking constraints.

This development dialogue will outline the recent economic data and discuss the potential role for industrial policy and stimulus options.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Rudi Dicks is the outcome 4 facilitator in the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency.

Neva Makgetla is a senior economist at TIPS. Makgetla has published widely on the South African economy and worked for many years in government, most recently as Deputy Director General for Policy in the Economics Development Department, as well as in COSATU.