Independent economist · Australia & international
Helping governments, sovereign investors, developers and major projects make better decisions through rigorous economic modelling, social cost-benefit analysis and investment appraisal.
Matias Vaira, PhD · Former Head of Economic Advisory Section at Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF)
Experience across
Expertise
Engagements can be delivered as standalone commissions, specialist reviews, embedded advisory roles or contributions to multidisciplinary consulting teams.
Assessment of whether projects create genuine economic and social value—incorporating opportunity costs, externalities, shadow pricing, distributional effects and uncertainty.
Transparent modelling of GDP, employment, industry, regional, productivity and fiscal effects—designed around the decision at hand.
Independent economic input to feasibility studies, business cases and investment proposals, with a clear distinction between activity, impact and net benefit.
Concise, evidence-based advice that translates economic complexity into practical implications for boards, executives and public-sector leaders.
Approach
Translate the policy or investment question into an analytical structure with a credible counterfactual and clear decision criteria.
Use modelling proportionately. CGE, econometrics, SCBA and scenario analysis answer different questions.
Document evidence, uncertainties and limitations so the work remains credible under executive and technical review.
Present results in a way that clarifies trade-offs, risks and the implications of acting—or not acting.
Selected experience
Descriptions are deliberately high-level to protect confidential information while demonstrating the scale and nature of the work.
Led economic advisory supporting major projects and investment proposals. Established social cost-benefit analysis and CGE-modelling capability and strengthened the economic assessment of business plans.
Designed a new framework combining SCBA and CGE modelling to assess proposed special economic zones and support robust centre-of-government decision-making.
Translated complex policy questions into modelling and evidence-based advice across labour markets, macroeconomics and public policy in senior government roles.
Insights
Practical perspectives on appraisal, modelling, urban economics and sovereign investment.
A distinction that materially changes the way major investments should be assessed.
Read article ↗Choosing between CGE, input-output, econometric and simpler analytical approaches.
Read article ↗Moving beyond construction impacts to productivity, agglomeration and long-run outcomes.
Read article ↗