Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies
Photo by: Duane Daws
To provide a platform for collaborative thinking and discuss potential and real economic issues that hamper industrial development and economic growth, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will host the inaugural Economic Research Advisory Network (Eran) conference at the East London International Convention Centre on March 10 and 11.
Discussions would centre on issues related to building a progressive developmental state capable of growing the country’s economy, while creating employment that would eradicate poverty and inequality, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies outlined in statement on Friday.
He added that the DTI facilitated the establishment of Eran last year with the purpose of creating a national research network dedicated to promoting high-quality economic and development research.
“Eran also aims to promote research in support of the DTI’s strategic objectives of developing trade and industry in the country. We believe that research should contribute to sustainable development and the competitiveness of the South African economy.
“Research underpins all our economic policies such as the Industrial Policy Action Plan. We are on a mission to restructuring our economy to set it on a more value-adding, labour-intensive and environmentally sustainable growth path,” Davies said.
Eastern Cape Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC Sakhumzi Somyo added that sustainable long-term development had to be underpinned by higher growth, labour-intensive exports and the targeting of higher value-added niche areas, led in particular by growth in manufacturing.