New SACES fund boosts relevant research
The SA Centre for Economic Studies (SACES) will further strengthen its contribution to public policy development in South Australia with the establishment of the Independent Research Fund (IRF).
The IRF, a collaborative venture between SACES, the 成人大片 and prominent members of the business community, will analyse some of the most challenging issues facing the private and public sectors and make recommendations to the State and Federal governments.
The initiative, launched with the IRF鈥檚 inaugural meeting on 5 November 2018, will see the economic and social research skills of SACES and the 成人大片 applied to questions that have dogged the private sector and are often ignored by governments.
An early contender for analysis is the issue of regulations (past and present) which will be viewed though a prism of their relevance in a modern economy and their contribution to State and regional growth.
The IRF鈥檚 analysis will be provided to institutions and individuals that are integral to the development of good public policy, including the new State Productivity Commission, Parliamentary inquiries, MPs and senior public servants.
SACES Executive Director, Associate Professor Michael O鈥橬eil, said that while the IRF has secured funding from a group of successful SA business people, it would approach its task and report in a totally independent manner.
鈥淭here is a clear need in South Australia for an independent source of informed and unbiased advice on a range of economic, social, financial and regulatory issues,鈥 Associate Professor O鈥橬eil said.
Associate Professor O鈥橬eil said SACES has a long track record of exploring such issues and has published widely on a diverse range of topics including the drivers of the State鈥檚 economy; population policy; studies into regional development; the impact of gambling; the social cost of methamphetamine use; the value of social enterprises; the effectiveness of immigration; energy and power costs; unemployment and poverty, and the pathways to employment for the State鈥檚 young people.
In a major Economic Issues paper last year, SACES made the case for a revival of the State鈥檚 economy and included some controversial recommendations.
鈥淎fter a very thorough and clear-eyed analysis, we recommended reducing the number of Members of Parliament and cutting the size of the public sector 鈥 suggestions that may not have been welcome in some quarters but which were justified by our analysis,鈥 Associate Professor O鈥橬eil said.
鈥淲e also advocated for the establishment of a State-based Productivity Commission and we were very encouraged to see the new State Government take up that idea,鈥 he said.
SACES uses its online聽SA Economic Forum聽to publish its Economic Issues papers, a regular 鈥榙ata wrap鈥 of ABS statistics and, where appropriate, consulting reports for private sector clients. The 鈥榖log鈥 as it is more affectionately known will also be the platform to publicise the work of the new IRF.
鈥淎t SACES we are always interested in new ideas or riddles to solve and we would welcome any views that the University鈥檚 alumni may have that the new Independent Research Fund could explore,鈥 Associate Professor O鈥橬eil said.