OECD report on South Africa released

The OECD’s first Economic Assessment of South Africa has been released on Tuesday 15 July and it looks at the reforms needed to create jobs, tackle poverty and allow growth to catch up with the most dynamic emerging economies.

Unfortunately UJ is not subscribed to the OECD databases, however A Policy Brief with the main conclusions of the survey is freely accessible in pdf format (in English and French) on the OECD’s web.

Here are some of the highlights of the Economic Assessment of SA:

Chapter 1: Achieving Accelerated and Shared Growth for South Africa
This Chapter presents an assessment of South Africa’s development strategy, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA).

Chapter 2: Reforming goods and services markets in South Africa
This chapter examines the potential role of competition policy in enhancing long-term productivity growth in South Africa. It also investigates the role of regulatory and institutional reform in reducing barriers to entry, exit and growth. More precisely, it uses the OECD's methodology to calculate an indicator of Product Market Regulation (PMR) to assess the degree to which government regulation in markets for goods and services promotes or inhibits competition.

Chapter 3: Realising South Africa's employment potential
Unemployment in South Africa is extremely high and very unevenly distributed, being concentrated among young less-skilled blacks. The sharp increase in unemployment in the 1990s was driven by a surge in the supply of less-skilled labour, accompanied by a failure of labour demand to keep pace. Growth of the working-age population and the release of pent-up pressures for labour force participation in the majority black population explain the big increase in the supply of less-skilled labour, while negative demand shocks in labour-intensive sectors were an important factor in the slow growth of demand. The combination of these factors means that market-clearing would have required a substantial fall in real wages in the decade after 1994, especially for less-skilled workers.

Earlier in the year the OECD has also released their African Economic Outlook 2008 report which focuses on Technical Skills Development. It also presents a comprehensive analysis of the economic, social and political developments on the continent.

New issues in SAePublications

The new issue of TaxTalk (Issue 10) is available in SAePublications

1.Readers' forum Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 3
2.The tax implications of getting divorced Authors: Simpson, Mandy; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 4
3.Seize & forfeiture Authors: Van Dyk, Johan; Wessels, Rooth; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 6-7
4.Small Claims Courts - how do they work? Authors: Delbridge, Clive; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 8-9
5.Summaries of the interviews broadcast on Summit TV. Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 10
6.First National Tax Conference held in Midrand : SAIT news Authors: Klue, Stiaan; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 11
7.Expatriate benefits taxed Authors: Arendse, Jackie; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 12-13
8.Why SARS won't pay your travel allowance Authors: Krause, Steve; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 16-17
9. Capital reconciliation : the deadly weapon of Revenue Services Authors: Van Deventer, Hennie; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 18
10.Plan and strategise now for hassle-free year-ends Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 26
11.PAYE and the non-executive director Authors: Seegers, Gerald; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 28-29
12.VAT registration made easy : focus on SARS Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 30
13.Inbound investments in Germany : consequences of the 2008 business tax reform : part 1 Authors: Waniek, Felix; Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 32-33
14.Proposed Tax Practitioners' Bill : an enhanced relationship with SARS or a pressure to spy? Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 34
15.Jokes aside - the legendary wit of counsel and the bench Authors: Published: 2008From: TAXtalk, Issue 10, Apr / May, Pages: 36

StatsSA's reply on Investec allegations

VS

A storm is brewing between StatsSA and Investec regarding the interest rates & CPI:

"Investec Asset Management, South Africa's second-biggest private money manager, said yesterday [July 15]the May inflation rate of 10.9 percent is overstated by 2.2 percentage points because the statistics office delayed reweighting product categories in the consumer price index by two years. The office today denied that it delayed the process, adding that updating the index had taken longer than in previous years because it was being cautious." Bloomberg Africa

It didn't take StatsSA long to reply to the allegations:

"Recent press reports based on an analysis of consumer price inflation by Investec Asset Management suggest an error in the calculation of the CPI, resulting in an overstatement of the annual inflation rate.

The difference between Stats SA’s official inflation rate and Investec’s estimates arises from the reweighting and rebasing of the CPI to be implemented in 2009. It is important to note that there is no error in Stats SA’s CPI calculations. Any difference in the rate of inflation given the old and new weights is not the result of errors but of a careful and logical process of keeping up with current changes in the economy as far as practically possible.

Reweighting and rebasing in many advanced economies take place with intervals of 3 to 10 years.

In most cases, South Africa included, base-period weights are used in the CPI, which implies that the weights always refer to a previous period and inevitably introduce a measure of bias. While no CPI is free of biases, Stats SA strives to minimise such biases."

Read the whole reply here

Higher Education News

Here is a brief snapshot of HE news from around the world:



Short Subjects
KNOCKOUT POETRY In Japan, a scholar of communications, in the hope of getting people to talk with one another, holds "boxing" competitions in which the blows are thrown verbally, in verse.
THIS PROF GETS GOOD MILEAGE: Among the vehicles in Grand Theft Auto IV is a car called the Karin Dilettante, apparently named for a psychology professor who has been critical of video-game violence.
SOMETHING AFOOT: Police investigators in Canada have turned to academe for help in solving the mystery of five human feet, clad in running shoes, that have washed ashore in the past year.

The Faculty
A LINGERING INFECTION Federal charges against a professor who uses bacteria in his artwork have been dismissed, but he and his colleagues warn that the episode may have a chilling effect on academic and aesthetic freedom.
YOUR FIRST REAL TASTE OF ACADEMIC CULTURE No better preparation for the tenure track exists than a graduate assistantship; here's how to make the most of it.
HOW NOT TO EVALUATE YOUR DEPARTMENT HEAD Go ahead, submit a long, gossipy rant against your chairman, but prepare to be ignored.

Information Technology
SPINNING A NEW WEB
A nationwide effort to redesign the Internet will now involve economists and social scientists in hopes of designing a more adaptable network

International
IN AFRICA, FOR THE LONG TERM Groups of American colleges and foundations strive to create lasting partnerships with universities in African countries.
KNOCKOUT POETRY In Japan, a scholar of communications, in the hope of getting people to talk with one another, holds "boxing" competitions in which the blows are thrown verbally, in verse.
ONE-WAY TRAFFIC: The U.S. ambassador to India has criticized what he sees as a trade imbalance in higher education between the two countries.

More

National power generators The Scottish Government is eager for universities to lead the nation to renewed prosperity and, ultimately, independence. Tariq Tahir asks if the sector is up to the challenge and what its response could mean for the rest of the UK

One tongue, very tied In decades of linguinsania, Deirdre McCloskey has tried to learn a second language - everything from French, Greek and Latin to German, Scots Gaelic and Sanskrit - with no success. But she's still not resigned to monolingualism

Public face of a private faith Mona Siddiqui, one of the UK's leading commentators on Islam, is driven by intellectual curiosity, religious belief and a desire to engage. Hannah Fearn writes

Working with PowerPoint Lecture and conference talks can be enhanced by PowerPoint , but unless it is used with thought it can overwhelm your audience.

Ethical issues in research Avoid delays to your research project by providing your institution’s ethics committee with enough information to properly assess your undertaking

Spending research grants wisely Getting the most from your research grant with the help of the procurement department

Make a video of your screen

Daniel Socco from DailyBlogTips recently posted some information on free open source software you can use to make a video of your screen. It's the free version of CamStudio and here is what you can do with it:

- You can use it to create demonstration videos for any software program
- Or how about creating a set of videos answering your most frequently asked questions?
- You can create video tutorials for your classes or training
- You can use it to record a recurring problem with your computer so you can show technical - support people
- You can use it to create video-based information products you can sell
- You can even use it to record new tricks and techniques you discover on your favourite software program, before you forget them

I have not had time to download and play around with CamStudio, but seems to be quite promising and I can already see the use of it with regards to my training session, perhaps it will be useful to you?

Everything you need to know about Business Education under one roof

On Wednesday 3rd September 2008, leading business schools and affiliated institutions from across the country will converge at the annual SABSA Business School Expo in Sandton, Johannesburg. For managers, executives and entrepreneurs aspiring to get ahead, and companies wanting to invest in their human capital, this represents an ideal platform to accelerate leadership, management, career and business development.

Why Attend?

Apart from the various MBA and Executive Education programmes that are available nationally, the business schools will be presenting a number of short courses, bursaries, scholarships, competitions, giveaways, value offerings, career initiatives... the list goes on.

Business Schools: Meet with faculty, admissions staff and alumni from across the country at one venue, on one day
Explore: Everything you need to know about MBA programmes, executive education and short courses
Funding: Find out about bursaries, scholarships and funding options
Prizes & Giveaways: Over R200 000 worth of business school prizes and giveaways up for grabs
Value Offerings: Business school value offerings available to both individuals and companies.

Register

In order to gain free entrance to the SABSA Business School Expo, register online . Alternatively, pay R50 when registering at the event.

Venue: Sandton Sun
Date: Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Times: 12h00 to 20h00

Call for papers - SAAIR

The Southern African Association for Institutional Research is awaiting papers on the following theme:

Institutional Research responding to the changing Higher Education Environment

Presenters are encouraged to make use of the Forum 2008 section of the SAAIR website for submission of abstracts and outlines. You can also use circular 2008-346 on the UJ Intranet for more detailed information.

Format for abstract:

English only

A maximum of 150 words

No illustrations, graphs or references to be included.
This should be pasted into the"Abstract" text box for web submissions

Format for outline:
Please submit your outline as a document in the following format:

Type of presentation

Title of presentation

Text (500-600 words)
This should be submitted as a separate document for web submissions. Do not add the author’s name or any other identifying information to the outline.

Submission due date: 30 July 2008.

E-mail the documents as file attachments to Ms Carin Strydom . Alternatively, fax the documents to Ms Strydom, at +27 12 429 2295.

Presenters will be notified by 15 August 2008 of acceptance of proposals.

Enjoy teaching those classes!

Things are happening at StatsSA!

Website facelift
StatsSA have revamped their website recently to reduce the clutter and make it easier for you to find information.

Main changes were made to the Find Statistics section, left menu bar and News section .

Find Statistics
The Find Statistics section has been tidied up by moving the keyword search function to the left menu bar and they have added links to Census 2011 information and the Community Survey data.

Left Menu bar
The keyword search function has been moved here and a new link has been added: Major Project Subsites. This button links to all the special projects that have mini-sites. These sites may also be accessed through the Events calendar under Recent events.

News Section
A Current Events section has been included with News. When an event or current project has passed, these links will be moved to the Major Projects Subsites section or to Recent events under the Events calendar.

I like this cleaner version of StatsSA's website and (hopefully) it will be easier to navigate and find information.

Census 2011
StatsSA is also busy with preparation for Census 2011 and has released a survey where members of the public can suggest questions to be added as well as the level of geography that the census should cover.The contributors’ details will be kept confidential and no person’s identity will be released.

Launch of the new Labour Force Survey
As of August 2008 the LFS will be released quarterly, instead of six-monthly.
QLFS results for the first and second quarters of 2008 will be published on 28 August 2008.

The historical continuity with previously published labour market results will be facilitated. At the August 28th launch, Stats SA will also publish revised key labour market indicators for previous March surveys as far back as the year 2000. These indicators will be based on link factors computed using the QLFS first quarter results (January to March 2008) and the LFS conducted in parallel in March 2008.

Wiley's Finance & Investment Catalogue 2008

Wiley has released their Finance & Investment Catalogue 2008 and it includes everything from quantitative to derivative finance, bear to bull markets and the commodity to credit crunches... They also offer a 30% discount when you quote this promotion code: V9028

The titles are divided into:

Quantitative Finance

Risk

Alternative Investment

Investment Management

Banking

Actuarial Science

General & Introductory Finance

and here is the table of contents: (click on the image to enlarge it)

Find blogs on a specific topic: Trendpedia

Trendpedia finds trends in social media. You choose the topics, enter the keywords, and click “Search Trend”.

Trendpedia finds the articles online that talk about your topics. It organizes the articles in a trendline that shows the popularity of the topic over time — you can track a topic’s trendline from three months ago up to today. Click on the trendlines to find the articles about your topic posted on the date of choice.
Example: Risk Management vs Project Management or track a single subject: Socially Responsible Investments

SARB new publications/information

The SARB has published the following information:

1. Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
Data in this template cover the short-term foreign currency assets of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and of the Central Government of South Africa. A wider definition was used up to December 2005.

2. Release of Selected Monthly Data: Money and banking

3. Gross External Debt First Quarter 2008

4. Press statement issued by Mr TT Mboweni, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, at the launch of the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Coin.

New journals in SAePublications

During the recess SAePublications have not been idle. Here are some of the new issues available:

1. BER : Wholesale Sector Survey Quarterly analysis of consumer activity and trends in the retail, wholesale and motor trade - Wholesale sector survey : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008,Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 33 p.

2. BER : Economic Prospects : Full Survey Economic activity expected during 2008 and 2009 - Full survey : second quarter 2008 Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 49 p. Notes: This pdf, as supplied by the publisher, is unfortunately not searchable.

3. IMFO : Official Journal of the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers Vol 8, Issue 4 (Winter 2008)

4. SA Mercantile Law Journal = SA Tydskrif vir Handelsreg Vol 20, Issue 1 (2008)

5. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol 21, Issue 4 (2007)

6. Bulletin of Statistics Vol 42, Issue 2 (June 2008)

7. Tax Breaks Newsletter Issue 270 (July 2008)

8. Acta Academica Vol 40, Issue 1 (2008)

9. African Finance Journal Vol 10, Issue 1 (2008)

International Insurance Fact Book 2008-2009

In response to the globalization of the insurance business and the need for readily available data on world insurance, the Insurance Information Institute (III) produces a Fact Book for international insurance statistics.
The information included, which covers 89 countries, comes from a variety of sources and III have attempted to standardize the information as much as possible.The updated book is presented each year at the annual seminar of the International Insurance Society.

The Fact book includes:
A World Overview

World Rankings

Country Profiles

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the rat race!

I trust this will be a fruitfull (if hectic) semester for you and remember it's only 7 more weeks and then it is Spring break!