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Announcement: The South African
Economic Regulators Conference
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) announces the first South African Economic Regulators Conference.
DATE: 21 & 22 August 2012
TIME: 08h30 to 17h00
VENUE: Emperors Palace, Jones Road, Kempton Park, Gauteng
COST: Open event, no cost to attend
WEBSITE: Click here to visit the conference website
Online registration is now open, and the the closing date is 10 August 2012.
BACKGROUND
Like many other developing countries, the SA government economic policy is spearheaded by an infrastructure thrust, to be implemented mainly - but not only - by state owned enterprises. The mixed regulatory dispensation and the various economic regulators' decisions play a critical role in shaping the trajectory of SA's infrastructure sectors, including energy, transport, water and telecommunications.
At the same time, the limited financing capabilities of state owned enterprises and the state on the one hand and a stop-start approach to the introduction of competition and privatisation in the infrastructure sector on the other, make for a challenging environment for economic regulators. In some instances this may lead to a tension between the ideal of a "developmental state" and the objective of increasing the competitiveness of the economy.
A general concern is the fact that administered prices have been a major contributor to inflation and the rising cost of living. Prominent recent examples include an effective doubling of the electricity price over three years and a public outcry over toll road fees. The developmental implications of administered prices and tariffs are especially significant in light of the fact that these costs impact the poor disproportionately as a portion of their overall income leading to sometimes complex and inconsistent subsidies and cross subsidies.
It is recognised that the efficacy of economic regulators depends in part on their perceived independence, funding, governance and how they interface with policy, planning and the public as a whole.
CONFERENCE THEME
The conference seeks to address the following key question:
"How can South Africa's economic regulators contribute to cost-effective delivery of essential infrastructure in the face of key financial, social and environmental imperatives?"
The sub-themes in this discussion include:
- The policy-planning-regulation interface
- Sources and modes of funding for future infrastructure,
- State owned enterprises, public-private partnerships, privately owned entities
- Tariffs and pricing: reasonable returns and their economic, social and environmental sustainability
- Regulating for competition and security of supply in the context of funding challenges
- Institutions, governance and coordination (including reporting, funding and appeal)
- Industry restructuring or unbundling of vertically integrated industries
- Entry barriers for new operators
FURTHER DETAILS
Click here to visit the conference website for further details including: programme, key speakers, information for delegates, directions and on-line registration.
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Complimentary (free) 3-part webcast series on smart machine design
National Instruments cordially invites you to join the experts for a complimentary (free) three-part webcast series demonstrating technologies, techniques and tips for optimising machine monitoring, energy efficiency and smart machine design, entitled:
The three webcasts are as follows:
Machine monitoring: Maximise production quality through performance measurements
Click here to view now on demand
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Machine efficiency: A practical guide to lower the energy consumption of your design
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Smart machines: Key technologies to get ahead of the competition
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Additional free resources for download
Top 5 Trends in Embedded Systems
NI created the Embedded Systems Outlook to highlight some of the most pressing trends and challenges facing design teams building embedded control and monitoring systems.
CompactRIO Developer's Guide
This guide provides an overview of recommended architectures and development practices when programming NI CompactRIO Controllers.
We hope you find the above webcasts interesting and of benefit to your applications.
To speak with a technical consultant, freecall 0800 203 199 or email ni.southafrica@ni.com | |
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Your journals...
(Tablet and PC edition)
(Tablet and PC edition)
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