Haroon Bhorat appointed into the Presidential Economic Advisory Council

30 Sep 2019
30 Sep 2019

The Development Policy Research Unit is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Haroon Bhorat into the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) with effect from 1 October 2019.

Read the full statement here: http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/press-statements/president-appoints-economic-advisory-council

The establishment of the PEAC was announced during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address of February 2018. The unit will aim to generate new ideas for economic growth, job creation and addressing poverty. On the establishment of this unit, President Ramaphosa said: “It will draw on the expertise and capabilities that reside in labour, business, civil society and academia.”

The Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) will be expected to engage and provide advice on:

  • The pillars of a macro-economic strategy that should frame economic and industrial policy decisions that government should pursue in the medium to long term, consistent with the electoral mandate of the current administration.
  • Creative ways of building trust between government and social partners in a manner that responds to South Africa's triple challenges of poverty, unemployment an inequality.
  • Global developments that impact on South Africa's growth prospects, and critical steps required to achieve policy coherence and to build confidence across society, social partners and investors.

The DPRU Director said of his appointment:

I am both honoured and humbled by the appointment to the PEAC.  I am sure that our debates will be both robust and creative - with the collective aim of trying to deliver sustained higher levels of jobs-rich growth to South Africa.  The environment provided by both UCT and the DPRU will no doubt contribute significantly these ongoing discussions with the President.

Prof Bhorat serves alongside UCT’s Prof. Alan Hirsch, who was also the founding director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance from 2011 to 2019, and DPRU alumnus Dr Liberty Mncube: Former Chief Economist at the Competition Commission and current scholar at Wits University.

Other notable members and affiliates of the DPRU include: Prof Dani Rodrik, Prof Vusi Gumede, Dr Thabi Leoka, Prof Imraan Valodia, Mr Wandile Sihlobo, Prof Tania Ajam and Dr Kenneth Creamer.

News coverage of the announcement: