2022 Public Economics Winter School: Reviving Public Infrastructure Investment for Community Development

Media are invited to attend a three-day virtual Public Economics Winter School from 30 August – 1 September 2022. The theme is “Reviving public infrastructure investment for community development” and will enable delegates to understand the complexities of delivering services, such as water and electricity, to households. While municipalities are at the coalface of delivering these services, policies and regulations are formulated at a national level. This complexity will be analysed over the three days.

The Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana will open the Winter School together with Acting Head of Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) , Ms Ronette Engela. The 2022 keynote address will be delivered by Ms Chanda Nxumalo, Chair of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA).

This year’s event will be the sixth edition of the Public Economics Winter School, a GTAC initiative in collaboration with the National Treasury. The overall main objective of the winter schools are to build public economics capacity by offering post-graduate economics and social science students and young economists the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills on a range of public finance topics as well as network with economists working in National Treasury and its agencies including renowned academics and specialists in the field.

• Day 1 will focus on framing the issues of service delivery in South Africa with the keynote address delivered by Ms Chanda Nxumalo, Chair of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association.

• Day 2 will focus on service delivery in metros and cities. Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Head of the Investment and Infrastructure Office in the Presidency and the former Mayor of Tshwane, will share his views on the key to effectively driving investment and delivery at the city or metro level.

• Day 3 will focus on local government service delivery in district and local municipalities and will end with the very popular student debate between small teams of students on a series of topics discussed during the Winter School.

Source: Government of South Africa