During the hearings Prof S van der Berg highlighted the increase in social spending, noting that fiscal resource shifts did not necessarily translate into real resource shifts. He added that the sustained improvement in poverty reduction, through increased social spending, requires economic growth and investment in human capital. The expanded grant system had an impact on poverty reduction, but not enough jobs were created. Van der Berg points out that despite the increase in resource allocation, the lack of efficient social spending continues to challenge the country. This constraint is also identified in ASGI-SA.