The Secular Decline of the South African Manufacturing Sector : Policy Interventions, Missing Links and Gaps in Discussions

1. Introduction -- 2. Does trade-openness affect the role of the domestic output-gap on inflation? If so, what is the role of the global out-put gap? -- 3. Does an increase in trade-openness and import-penetration affect income inequality? Evidence from the manufacturing sector output growth and employment growth -- 4. What is the impact of Chinese import penetration on the South African manufacturing sector? -- 5. What is the impact of global trade uncertainty and the exchange rate volatility on the manufacturing sector? -- 6. How does activity in manufacturing sector respond to trade and exchange rate shocks? Evidence from trade-openness and import penetration thresholds -- 7. What is the impact of imports by stage of production on the manufacturing sector output and employment growth? -- 8. What is the impact of imports by stage of production and the manufacturing sector investment growth? -- 9. What is the impact of global trade uncertainty and the exchange rate volatility on the manufacturing sector? -- 10. What is the impact of commodity price booms and capital flows surges episodes on the manufacturing sector? -- 11. What are the effects of capital flow shocks on the domestic manufacturing sector? -- 12. Does the persistent widening in the trade deficit explain the decline in the manufacturing sector output and employment growth? -- 13. Do credit booms, financial and credit cycles affect activity in the manufacturing sector? -- 14. What is the role of business and consumer confidence in amplifying the transmission of positive shocks into the manufacturing sector? -- 15. Do positive investment shocks in the manufacturing sector result in increased labour absorption and participation rates? -- 16. Did the decline in the excess capital adequacy ratio amplify the monetary policy easing and credit cycles on activity in the manufacturing sector? -- 17. Did the increase in excess liquid assets of banks amplify the effects of tight macro-prudential tools on activity in the manufacturing sector? -- 18. Did loose loan-to-value and repayment-to-income ratios amplify commodity price booms on activity in the manufacturing sector? -- 19. Do tight loan-to-value and repayment-to-income ratios in amplify the effects of tight monetary policy cycles on the manufacturing sector activity? -- 20. What is the impact of selected financial regulation and macro-prudential tools on credit to the manufacturing sector? -- 21. Did monetary policy cycles propagate the impact of credit and financial cycles on activity in the manufacturing sector during 2005Q1 and 2008Q3? -- 22. What was the role of demand shocks, supply shocks, productivity shocks and monetary policy shocks on the manufacturing sector during 2005Q1 and 2008Q3? -- 23. The role of electricity price shocks on the manufacturing sector output and employment growth -- 24. What is the impact of the manufacturing sector output and sub-sector employment growth on the labour absorption and participation rates? -- 25. What is the nature of the output-employment in the manufacturing sector? Evidence from the manufacturing subsectors -- 26. What are the effects of the minimum wage and productivity growth on the manufacturing sector output and employment growth? -- 27. What is the impact of market income concentration and the mergers and acquisitions channel on the manufacturing sector?.