College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2023 72 PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH CENTRE (PEERC) The Public and Environmental Economics Research Centre (PEERC) was established in 2017 to play a role in filling a potential gap in the current economic and policy agenda by aligning the fields of public economics and environmental economics. Environmental issues are currently at the forefront of the policy discourse, as the world battles with issues of global warming and climate change. Most of the remedies to environmental issues and externalities are public policy instruments, such as tax policy and regulation. Therefore, PEERC attempts to mobilise the key skills and resources in both fields towards identifying and remedying environmental issues through public policy. While this is the primary premise of the research centre, PEERC endeavours to be at the forefront of both the public economics and environmental economics fields. The daily operations at the Research Centre are overseen by its Director, Mr Jugal Mahabir, and its Head of Administration, Ms Mokgatla Nkadimeng. POLICY, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES In March 2023, the water portfolio team at PEERC was invited to the Western Cape and City of Cape Town Water and Sanitation Indaba that took place in Cape Town on 28 March 2023. The team was invited to present their idea on preserving water using the Hydrowallet system, which promotes a water credit market system to promote efficient water use. In June 2023, PEERC received an invitation to participate in the XVIII World Water Congress that was hosted by the International Water Resources Association (IWRA). The XVIII World Water Congress took place in Beijing, Peoples’s Republic of China, from 11 to 15 September 2023, under the theme, ‘Water for all: Harmony between humans and nature!’. PEERC further engaged in the ManziMakers Challenge for Young Entrepreneurs in South Africa: Business Ideas in Water, Sanitation, and Waste in South Africa. The ManziMakers Challenge is a six-month support programme for young entrepreneurs in South Africa. In July 2023, the team at PEERC and HydroDrip were successful in the application that had been made for the ManziMakers Water and Sanitation Challenge. The prize included coaching sessions, a fully funded four-day applied training on business, and up to R21 000 to prototype and implement the solution. From 4 to 7 September 2023, the South African Local Government Association held a National Members Assembly (NMA) in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Government officials, including members of the executive, municipal leaders, mayors, councillors, and chief financial officers of over 200 municipalities across the country, attended the NMA. The head of the Public and Environmental Economics Research Centre (PEERC) at UJ, Mr Jugal Mahabir, was invited to join the breakaway group entitled ‘Municipal financial sustainability’. He offered commentary regarding municipal revenue enhancement, infrastructure financing and conditional grants from his vast experience in local government performance. For more information, please refer to the Adoption of the SALGA Annual Report and Annual Financial Performance 2022/23 and SALGA Annual Performance Plan 2023/24. Collaboration with Spatialize (Pty) Ltd PEERC is partnering with Spatialize (Pty) Ltd to develop a South African Regions Investment Opportunity Report. This exciting initiative looks at developing a country-wide investment report aligned to the 52 regions in the country. The Mr Jugal Mahabir Director
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