Without such social investments economic growth will be compromised. Policy implications 9. Since resources are limited, trade-offs must be made between investment in economic growth and human resources, and investment in a social safety net. Welfare expenditure will only be able to expand as higher economic growth rates are achieved. The benefits of economic growth, however, should be equitably distributed through raising real per capita income and through social development programmes, which in turn will increase the capacity of individuals and families to meet their own needs.
Limited resources require trade-offs between expenditure programmes.
Investment in human resources and the social safety net may reinforce other investments in economic growth. Understanding the impact of social spending on growth is critical to ensure that trade-offs do not bias spending against social development or growth. This means that the high expectations of many people for the new democratic Government to deliver welfare services and programmes to address pressing needs cannot be fully met in the short-term. These expectations are a significant constraint and pose a great challenge to all parties to develop social security and social welfare programmes that are both sustainable and interlined with other anti-poverty strategies. Lack of national consensus 11.