Energy issues and implications for macrostability

The pricing and production of energy has important implications for macro-stability. For instance, lower oil and gas prices reduce inflation and the important intensity of the economy, while also improving the ability of the economy to export. This affects the balance of payments and the sustainability of the current account, which can be an important source of macro instability. At the same time, these prices affect the sustainability of domestic gas and oil production and have important implications for the relative operational costs of different energy generating technologies.

The policy workshop brings together officials from South African governmental institutions as well as private company representatives to discuss the complex thematic of energy prices and technologies. The aim of the workshop is to engage experts from different sectors in a joint discussion and inform South African policy-makers of other countries’ experiences with institutional reforms to improve the operations of the electricity sector in the country. 

The event is part of UNU-WIDER's Regional growth and development in Southern Africa project which aims to develop, in conjunction with important research/policy institutions in the region, regional growth and development initiatives that generate economic transformation and widely shared development benefits.

Programme

View and download the presentations

 Presentation slides - Douglas Arent

Presentation slides - Bassam Fattouh

Presentation - Owen Zinaman