cxix. Notable progress has been achieved in promoting adult literacy in Mozambique. Projections of continued positive trends due to the development and expansion of the literacy campaign are encouraging. Nevertheless, the present high rate of illiteracy is likely to have very negative implications on the extent to which the majority of the population contributes to the development of the country. cxx. The fight against poverty cannot be won unless ignorance due to the lack of education, especially illiteracy, is eradicated. The important role of education in advancing economic and social development and in reducing poverty therefore cannot be overemphasised. Mozambicans who are functionally illiterate may be subject to social intimidation, health risks, stress, low income and other pitfalls associated with their inability to read and write adequately. Their functional illiteracy may increase the friction they experience with the mainstream of society, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will become involved in antisocial activities, such as crime or self-destructive activities. For this reason, it is important for Mozambique to improve literacy rates in communities by strengthening the education system and adult literacy programmes. 4.6 High Dependency on Aid cxxi. Over the past 50 years, aid has undergone significant changes in terms of its objectives and composition. A strong view exists today that, in the long run, dependency on aid does not lead to the development of dynamic processes of productive capacity and accumulation. Despite encouraging international resolutions, including the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (PDAE) and the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA), empirical evidence continues to point to a number of obstacles associated with aid modality, management, donor accountability and harmonisation. cxxii. Since the end of the civil war, Mozambique has consolidated its position as one of the largest recipients of aid in the world, both per capita and in absolute terms. The country’s reputation in various quarters has made it a major destination of ODA. A group of 18 donors,1 known as “G-18”, currently provides budget support to Mozambique. The volume of ODA to the country has grown steadily, from an annual average of just over US$900 million during the 1990s, to more than USS1.3 billion between 2000 and 2005. cxxiii. Interactions with stakeholders, especially government officials, and a review of evidence made available to the CRM by various government ministries and departments, suggest that Mozambique has become heavily dependent on international aid in a multidimensional, structural and dynamic manner. In other words, it depends on aid for finance, policy choices, institution building, the culture of the civil service and CSOs, and even the development and dynamics of political institutions and the economy. Admittedly, Mozambique has been 25

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