Dr Ganesh Nana, Chair of Productivity Commission: POSTPONED

This event has been postponed, we will post a new date soon.

Ganesh is a first-generation New Zealander, born, bred, and educated in Te Whanganui a Tara. His interest in economics originally emanated from his love of numbers, which in turn arose out of his passion for cricket.

Ganesh took up the position of Chair of the Productivity Commission Te Kōmihana Whai Hua o Aotearoa after 22 years at the consultancy Business and Economics Research Limited (BERL). His work at BERL covered a broad range of projects. His highlight was efforts in strengthening relationships with Māori entities and organisations and building an understanding of te ōhanga Māori.

During Ganesh’s presentation, he will look at the impact of the global pandemic, its economic damage and the policy responses across the globe which has led some, if not many, to question some of the foundations of economic thinking. In this context some of the global challenges are: the dislocation between asset markets and real economy indicators; the lethargic responses to climate change; entrenched inequality of income, wealth, and opportunity; the inadequacy of conventional monetary policy and the quest for new monetary tools; the rehabilitation of fiscal policy, and the role of government; and the gig economy and associated casual and insecure employment arrangements; to name but a few.

“Productivity and wellbeing must be viewed together, not separately. There are some who view wellbeing as a ‘nice to have’, suggesting we need to wait till we can afford improved wellbeing. Thankfully, such a perspective is no longer prevalent. Moreover, there is a growing realisation that the rules, structures, and institutions underpinning our economy need to take responsibility for delivering wellbeing to all.” Dr Ganesh Nana.

The schedule:

8.30am - Registration

9.00am - Welcome and Intros

9.10am - Dr Ganesh Nana

9.45am - Q&A

10.00am - Case Study 1: Productivity through Innovation – Aaron Panell, FlipFarm

10.20am - Case Study 2: Robotics & Automation – Andrew Kersley, Oxin (smart tractors)

10.40am - Case Study 3: Creating a Future-proof Workforce (tbc)

10.50am - Wrap up by Dr Ganesh Nana