Home ›

DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE SEMINAR: “South Africa’s trade strategy and competition policy – towards coherence?” and “Mapping of South Africa’s Investment Incentives”.

Start: 
18/10/2011 - 13:30
End: 
18/10/2011 - 16:00
Contact: 

RSVP by email: Ipeleng [at] tips [dot] org [dot] za to confirm attendance. Seats are limited and reservation will be on a first come first served basis.

Venue: 
TIPS Offices, 826 Government Avenue, Corner of Percy, Pretoria
Organisation: 
SAIIA, TRALAC and TIPS
Main speakers: 

Trudi Hartzenberg is the Executive Director of the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (tralac). She is an economist specialised in trade, industrial and competition policy, regional integration and industrial organisation. She has taught at a number of Universities in South Africa as well as abroad in Denmark. She has worked on assignment for a number of international institutions including the IMF, African Development Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
 

Lesley Wentworth has worked for over a decade on research and technical assistance in the area of FDI marketing and promotion. After several years at the World Bank agency, MIGA, she returned to South Africa and has worked as an independent consultant on socio-economic development projects, particularly in Africa.

Competition policy is playing an increasingly significant role in the trade and investment environment in South Africa. According to a 2010 IMF report, there is a high degree of product market restrictiveness in South Africa that is partly exacerbated by anti-competitive behaviour in the markets. This is regarded as being highly trade restrictive.
Also, the recent Wal-Mart/Massmart case brought under closer scrutiny the link between investment, competition and trade policy. It highlighted the potential use of competition policy as a vehicle for industrial policy and other domestic economic objectives. Can governments use competition policy to stimulate the growth and development of certain sectors, including through investment, and would this be compatible with the rules of the international trading system?  In addition to creating a conducive policy environment, there are other direct measures used by the government to attract investment from both domestic and international sources.  As is the case with many other developing countries, SA seeks to boost investment through a variety of incentive schemes that operate at the local, provincial and national level.   These incentives have been put in place to support the various economic development objectives of SA.  What type of incentives are being offered?  How effective are they?
 
SAIIA, TIPS and Tralac have come together to create a platform for the discussion of these issues. Trudi Hartzenberg, from Tralac, will present on the interlink between competition, investment and trade policy in South Africa.  Lesley Wentworth, an independent consultant for SAIIA will scope out the range of investment incentives currently being offered in  South Africa. 

Linked to organisation: 
South African Institute of International Affairs
AttachmentSize
DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE INVITE.pdf99.14 KB
Trade and comeptition Trudi Hartzenberg.ppt193.5 KB
Mapping South Africa’s Incentives.ppt1.49 MB

This event is part of a series:

Development Dialogue Seminar Series

The Development Dialogue Seminar series is a Seminar Series hosted by TIPS. The Seminars offer a platform to share views and ideas on specific development issues and alternative policy strategies.

Though the Seminar programme has been designed for government officials for whom the themes tackled are of relevance, the Seminar in fact focuses on a wide range of topical development issues. The themes covered by the series span the informal economy, specific trade negotiation challenges, etc. The seminar series also attempts to offer perspectives from other countries in the region and beyond.

The Seminars are generally be held in the afternoon of the last Friday of the month. They will start at 14h00 and conclude at 15h30 though discussions can continue after 15h30. However, for international speakers, the seminars could be held on other days. Please refer to the programme on the home page.

Who can attend?

Government officials and others who contribute to policy are targeted by the Seminar series but all are welcome though places are limited.

If you would like to attend please contact ipeleng [at] tips [dot] org [dot] za. Please specify food allergies if any, as a light lunch will be served prior to the seminar.

 

Other events in this series: