The Economic Research Advisory Network (ERAN) second annual conference, “Driving South Africa's Industrial Development Agenda” is scheduled for 08 to 10 March 2017 in Bloemfontein.
The following sub-thematic areas are proposed:
- Corporate and consumer regulations: (i) Reducing regulatory barriers to entry, facilitating the ease of doing business and making competition policy developmental; and (ii) Ensuring policy coherence and certainty through coordinated implementation.
- Inclusive growth: (i) Role of the state and the private sector in inclusive growth; (ii) Measures for ensuring inclusive economic development and industrialisation; (iii) Green economy opportunities in the provinces; (iv) The extent to which wholesale and retail sector helps grows the economy through local content and supplier development; and (v) Infrastructure development as hindrance of SMMEs’ growth in provinces.
- Industrial development: (i) Finance for industrial policy - the role of Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); (ii) Sustainable industrial development models in local municipalities; and (iii) The impact of government incentives on economic growth, job creation and the development of SMMEs.
- Trade and Investment: (i) Inclusive export-led reindustrialisation; (ii) Supporting exporter development and market opportunities; (iii) Measures to revitalise the clothing and textile industry; and (iv) The efficacy of the manufacturing incentives in the growing economy.