The third of a series of international conferences on regulation and competition under of the auspices of the Centre on Regulation and Competition (CRC) - the only one to be held in Africa - will be co-ordinated by the School of Public Management & Planning at the University of Stellenbosch, in partnership with TIPS, the African Forum for Utility Regulation (AFUR) and the National Electricity Regulator (NER).

The School of Economics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) are running their fourth annual short course on computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling course in Johannesburg from 4/5-16 July 2004.
The IT revolution has allowed techniques that were once the preserve of a handful of leading theoreticians to become part of the practical economist's everyday toolkit. CGE modelling is one of a number of approaches to economy-wide analysis that have become accessible and practicable as data and computer based techniques have developed

The tertiary sector accounts for around 60% of South Africa's GDP and formal employment. In addition, the sector provides key inputs to the manufacturing and primary sectors and in some cases is a crucial determinant of the competitiveness of these sectors. Nonetheless, services remain under-researched in South Africa, thereby limiting the potential for government to meet its economic objectives and to use the GATS negotiations at the WTO to win trade preferences for Services exports.
In an attempt to develop a medium-term research agenda for the sector, TIPS convened a small workshop of interested researchers and academics to discuss research priorities, sectoral challenges, availability of information and information sharing.

Input-output analysis, complemented by means of social accounting matrices is often used as a tool to conduct such meso-level economic enquiry. Researchers frequently use these tools to analyse the impact on production, the environment, prices, employment and income effects of policy related changes in international trade, taxes, fiscal policy and investment. Economic modelling techniques that capture economy-wide impacts of policy changes are increasingly being used in South African academic, consulting and research circles. To cater for this increased demand, the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town in conjunction with the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) are offering the fourth one week introductory course in economy-wide policy impact analysis.

The SA Department of Agriculture saw the UN FAO's Regional Conference for Africa as an excellent opportunity to interact with participants from Africa in a one-day workshop on Growth and Development through Agricultural Trade.

TIPS and DPRU, in association with Cornell University, sponsored an international conference to bring the best global research on issues around macro- and micro-economic linkages to the attention of African policy-makers. The Conference had a broad remit, covering theory, empirics and policy, while addressing individual countries, groups of countries, and the continent as a whole.

The Conference focus echoed the South African government's facilitative role in the African Union, as the organisers believe South African research organisations should play a leading role in promoting dialogue between policy-makers and the research community - not only in South Africa but in the region more broadly.

The objective of the Conference was to provide an environment within which robust debate can ensure that the research community is more attuned to the kinds of research questions facing the policy community, and that the policy community is aware of the latest relevant research available - locally, regionally and internationally.

Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool opened the Conference, while Ravi Kanbur of Cornell University (and the former editor of the World Development Report) delivered a constructive critique on the World Bank's new policy on development policy lending. The Forum's opening and closing keynote addresses were delivered by John Page, World Bank chief economist: Africa and Alice Amsden of MIT, respectively.

Out of the 50 papers presented at Forum 2004, eight were chosen through a peer-review selection process for a Special Issue of the Journal of African Economies on Poverty, Trade and Growth in Africa, published in December 2006.

Papers presented at the forum are available for download.

See Annual Forum papers

Achieving Agricultural Development through Agricultural Trade is being presented by the International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC) in conjunction with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Africa Regional Conference for Africa, February 29, 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 10:00 to 18:00 in the Sandton Convention Center. The seminar will feature:

• Mike Gifford, Former Trade Negotiator from Canada
• Michael MacDonald, Head of Economics, SEIFSA
• Ricardo Melendez, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
• Percy Wachata Misika, Minister Counsellor for Agriculture at the Embassy of Namibia in Paris
• Erastus Mwencha, Secretary General, COMESA
• Michel Petit, Professor at the Institut National Agronomique, France and former Director of Rural Development, World Bank
• Rodger Stewart, President, World Association of Beet and Cane Growers
• Nicholas Sabwa, Former Trade Negotiator, Kenya
• Robert L. Thompson, IPC Chairman and former Director of Rural Development, World Bank
• Ann Tutwiler, IPC Chief Executive
• Hans van der Merwe, Chief Executive, Agri SA
• Ann Tutwiler, IPC Chief Executive
• Ajay Vashee, President, South African Confederation of Agricultural Unions

The IPC's seminar will bring together government officials, farmers, and other agricultural stakeholders in the region to discuss the role that agricultural trade can play in economic development and to relate that role to trade negotiations at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels. Speakers will make brief presentations on a range of topics that will illustrate how African agriculture can benefit from existing trade agreements at the regional and multilateral levels as well as those under negotiation. Presentations will be followed by open discussion between panelists and participants. The seminar will cover:

• What African agricultural interests need from national governments to take advantage of more open agricultural trade;
• How agricultural interests can communicate their needs to those making trade policy in national capitals, in Geneva and elsewhere;
• What the costs and benefits of regional integration are and how regional trading arrangements can benefit agricultural trade in Africa;
• What elements of the text being used for agricultural negotiations at the WTO are and how they will affect African agriculture; and
• What the political realities are in both developed and developing countries that will effect the outcome of the Doha Round of WTO negotiations.

The program is based on a series of seminars carried out by the IPC in summer and fall 2002 for developing country trade negotiators in Geneva entitled "Achieving the Doha Development Agenda". The Geneva seminar series provided practical advice and a forum for open discussion with IPC members - former agricultural trade negotiators from the US, EU and Canada; agribusiness executives and other trade experts - but also with other negotiators. Participants in the Geneva seminars cited a need for similar 'real world' advice and information to flow to officials in capitals as well as the broader community of agricultural stakeholders. In response, the IPC developed the Capacity Building Program, Achieving Agricultural Development through Agricultural Trade. Similar seminars will be held in other regions during 2004.

More information can be found on the IPC website - www.agritrade.org.

This program is made possible by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).(make a live link plse - www.usda.gov)

Since 1994, South Africa has been faced with the challenges of re-integration into world markets as a global economy, while at the same time positioning itself to realise the high expectations of its populace regarding a successful transition towards a more democratic order. To achieve the objectives of economic growth through competitiveness on the one hand, and employment generation and income redistribution as a result of this growth on the other, SA's small micro- and medium-sized enterprise (SMME) economy has been actively promoted since 1995. Despite voluminous research, however, the extent to which SA's SMMEs contribute to poverty alleviation, economic growth or international competitiveness is still largely unclear.

Better preparing Developining countries now for the current round of agrculture negotiations: this TRALAC aims to help the participants identify what is at stake for them in the current Round of WTO agriculture negotiations and to allow them to return to their capitals with a clear understanding of what their countries need to do in order to more effectively pursue their national interests in the negotiations which will hopefully culminate in a Doha Agreement on Trade in Agriculture.

The South African Government is currently preparing its approach to the 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun Mexico. As part of the preparations, the Government is convening a National Consultative Conference, so that interested parties can participate in informing the development of South Africa's approach to the meeting in Mexico.
You are kindly invited to attend - or to nominate a delegate - to attend the National Consultative Conference. The Conference is being hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and will be held on 19 - 20 August 2003 at Gallagher Estates, Midrand. The Conference will discuss the overall state of play in the WTO negotiations and each of the negotiating areas.