rising debt service costs that compete with productive expenditure the minister has given us the assurance that steps will be taken to ensure that the growing debt burden does not crowd out spending on development priorities and that government will stabilise growth in interest costs through a careful controlled reduction in the deficit taking into account the health of the economy there is however no guarantee of this given that the global recovery is risky and fragile and that south africa’s economic growth is inextricably intertwined with the global economy