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Corné van Walbeek

Professor at the School of Economics and Principal Investigator of the Economics of Tobacco Control Project, University of Cape Town
Corné van Walbeek is currently a Professor at the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town. He joined UCT in 2000 as a Senior Researcher in the Applied Fiscal Research Centre, and began teaching in the School of Economics in 2001. Before joining UCT Corné was a manager in a fruit exporting company for three years and a lecturer at Stellenbosch University for six years. His research interests are primarily in the economics of tobacco control, and in particular how changes in the excise tax on tobacco products can affect cigarette consumption. Within this field, his research has focused on the estimation of price elasticities of demand, how excise tax increases impact the poor, changes in smoking by different demographic groups over time, and the industry’s reaction to changes in the tobacco excise tax. His PhD thesis, completed in 2005, was entitled “The Economics of Tobacco Control in South Africa”. Furthermore, he has consulted the government in Jamaica and research groups in East Africa about tobacco control. Recently his research has had a strong international and cross-sectional focus. Together with Evan Blecher, their work has popularised the idea that the effectiveness of excise tax increases should be evaluated in terms of cigarette affordability, more than simply the price of cigarettes. The concept, although simple and intuitive, is gaining prominence in the literature and with the World Health Organization, and affordability measures are included in cross-country surveys of tobacco variables.

Tobacco isn’t a good investment – study shows a decline in stock prices since 2016

Nov 20, 2024 23:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business

Environmental, social and governance investing, also known as impact or socially responsible investing, has become a popular concept. Its based on awareness of the impact that firms have on the environment and on human...

Tobacco control: South Africa must do more to help people quit smoking

May 28, 2021 11:10 am UTC| Health

Each year on 31 May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hosts World No Tobacco Day. The day aims to spread awareness about the risks of tobacco use and to encourage governments to implement effective tobacco-control...

Economy

Oil Prices Fall on U.S.-Iran Hormuz Deal Hopes

Oil prices fell on Friday, ending a two-day rally as traders weighed reports that the United States and Iran were discussing a phased agreement that could eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease disruptions to...

Canadian Dollar Faces Pressure as Fed-BoC Policy Gap Widens

The Canadian dollar could remain under pressure through the end of 2026 as diverging monetary policy between the Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada weighs on the currency, according to CIBC Capital Markets. CIBC expects...

Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness

The Japanese yen ended a five-day losing streak on Friday, rebounding from the closely watched 160-per-dollar level after Tokyo disclosed that U.S. President Donald Trump had raised concerns about the currencys weakness...

US Comfortable With Canada Trade Standoff as Import Bans Loom

President Donald Trumps administration is prepared to maintain its escalating trade dispute with Canada as new import restrictions approach and Washington threatens additional tariffs on key Canadian industries. U.S. Trade...

Dollar Falls as Oil Eases, Yen Jumps on Intervention Signals

The U.S. dollar weakened on Friday as oil prices retreated, although the currency remained headed for a second consecutive weekly gain as expectations for another Federal Reserve rate hike increased. The Japanese yen,...

Politics

Colombia Extradites FARC Dissident Leader ‘Spider’ to US

Colombia has extradited Geovany Andres Rojas, a senior commander of a dissident faction linked to the former FARC rebel movement, to the United States, where he is wanted on drug-trafficking charges. Rojas, widely known by...

Evan Gershkovich Says FSB Set Trap for 2023 Russia Arrest

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich says Russias Federal Security Service orchestrated an elaborate sting operation that led to his 2023 arrest on espionage charges, according to his first detailed published...

Saudi Arabia Seeks Military Support as Houthi Attacks Escalate

Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs were expected to discuss support for Saudi Arabia as escalating Houthi attacks intensify security concerns across the Middle East, while new restrictions on Iranian flights add...

Putin Says Ukraine Peace Proposals Remain on Table

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that proposals aimed at ending the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine remain under consideration, although Moscow must determine which options best serve Russias interests. Speaking to...

Iran Rejects Nuclear Concessions in Hormuz Deal

Iran will not compromise on its nuclear rights even if the United States accepts Tehrans proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring major obstacles to ending the...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

AMD Hits $1 Trillion as BofA Raises Price Target to $720

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) has joined the $1 trillion market capitalization club, and BofA Securities believes the semiconductor giant has room to climb further as artificial intelligence drives stronger demand...

US Appeals Court Upholds Anthropic AI Supply Chain Ban

A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld the Department of Wars decision to exclude Anthropic from its supply chain, handing the Trump administration a significant victory in a closely watched dispute over military use of...

Solidigm Eyes $150 Billion IPO as SK Hynix Expands AI Storage Push

SK Hynix subsidiary Solidigm is considering a U.S. initial public offering as early as next year that could value the semiconductor storage company at as much as $150 billion, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The...

Meta Found Liable in New Mexico Facebook Data Privacy Case

A New Mexico jury has found Meta Platforms liable for misleading consumers about Facebook user privacy and data-sharing practices in a case tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The verdict followed a two-week trial in...

DaVoice Sues Perplexity AI Over Trade Secrets

AI technology startup DaVoice has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI in California federal court, accusing the artificial intelligence company of misappropriating trade secrets connected to wake word technology used in...