Objective 1: Promote macroeconomic policies that support sustainable development. Macroeconomic Policy, Stability and Growth The APR Panel recommended that Mozambique should increase its efforts aimed at achieving broad based economic growth that reduces poverty and inequality through the empowerment of people to participate in the growth process in terms of employment and obtaining skills and productive assets (i); that ways to reduce external aid dependence be explored, through expanding domestic revenue mobilization and rationalizing non-priority expenditures (ii). 102. Regarding the above-mentioned recommendations, it should be noted that the country has made substantial progress, worthy of recognition, as expressed in various documents and records of the Government and development partners, as can be seen below: The economic growth rate continues robust. Macroeconomic performance, assessed in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been satisfactory, and in general, around an average of 7, 0% (2007-2011). Indeed, after registering a slowdown in 2009, GDP showed in 2010 and 2011 real growth in the order of 7.1% and 7.3% respectively (Table 2). This growth has been broad based, taking into account that in its composition we can highlight the contribution of the sectors of agriculture, with an average weight of 23,5%; manufacturing (12.8%); transport storage and communication (10.9%); trade (11,0%) and services to companies (6.9%). 42