We are at a moment in our history where we need to make difficult choices. Public finances are constrained; and we will hear this more clearly when Minister Tito Mboweni delivers his Budget Speech next week. Our capacity to borrow is extremely limited. It is therefore necessary for us to prioritise and to make trade-offs. We need at this time to direct our resources to those programmes that have the greatest impact on poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth.