I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.
Mozambique is one of the nine key partner countries for the Government’s development cooperation programme, where we have a commitment to long term strategic assistance. Ireland’s bilateral aid programme to Mozambique is governed by a five year country strategy (2012–16). The goal of the programme is to support sustainable, inclusive, development, and to contribute to the reduction of poverty and vulnerability in Mozambique. Under this strategy, Ireland has committed to working with a range of partners to deliver our assistance, including the Government of Mozambique, international institutions, non-governmental organisations, civil society and research bodies. The following table provides the breakdown of Ireland’s support to Mozambique.
Ireland cooperates with other donors in providing support to the Government of Mozambique through a number of different funding channels: general budget support, the education common fund, the land fund for agriculture, and – in a partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative – the health common fund. In 2012, approximately 80% of Irish bilateral assistance to Mozambique was delivered through Government systems. An important objective is to support the development of key public services and to strengthen the capacity of the administration to deliver these services to Mozambican citizens.
Funds delivered through Mozambican Government systems are subject to a series of checks. The Mozambican Government makes available to donors the full details of its budget, including its quarterly and annual financial execution reports, six-monthly progress reports and all audit reports. This includes State accounts audited by Mozambique’s supreme audit institution, the Tribunal Administrativo. In addition, donors, including Ireland, supplement the work of the Tribunal Administrativo through the use of commercial audit companies and through Public Financial Management reviews.
The Mozambican Parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee – which is chaired by the Honourable Eneas Comiche, who visited the Oireachtas last June – has oversight of the State budget, which is a mix of Mozambique’s own revenues and pooled international development funds. It also reviews audit reports from the Tribunal Administrativo on Government spending.
While Mozambique’s economy is growing fast, it still remains poor. Mozambique currently ranks 185 out of 187 countries in the UN Human Development Index. Over recent years, after a terrible civil war, with support from Ireland and other donors, Mozambique has made excellent progress to improve health outcomes, particularly for pregnant women and babies, and to increase the number of children attending primary school. However, considerable challenges remain, including high rates of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. While the numbers of children in school have increased, the Government recognises that more must be done to improve the quality of education.
Area
|
Description
|
Amount - €
|
General Budget Support
|
This support is provided to the Government of Mozambique to implement the national Poverty Reduction Strategy, enhance service delivery across all public services and implement public financial management reforms.
|
9,000,000
|
|
Programme Support Costs
|
23,000
|
Health & HIV/AIDS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)
|
Health Sector Basket Fund – Ministry of Health and Clinton Foundation
|
13,500,000
|
CHAI
|
Clinton Foundation - Support for the provision of technical support to the Ministry of Health, including on drug procurement and the roll-out of health technology
|
200,000
|
Helen Keller International
|
To support nutrition response and efforts to ensure the passing of mandatory legislation on food fortification
|
200,000
|
International Potato Centre (CIP)
|
Orange Flesh Sweet Potato Programme in Niassa Province
|
250,000
|
Provincial Directorate Of Health
|
Focus on Community Health in Niassa and Inhambane
|
450,000
|
International Relief and Development
|
Community Health and focus on HIV/AIDS
|
535,000
|
|
Programme Support Costs
|
88,000
|
|
Total
|
15,223,000
|
Education
|
|
|
Education Common Fund
|
Education Sector Common Fund
|
5,000,000
|
Niassa Provincial Education
|
Education Sector Support
|
550,000
|
|
Programme Support Costs
|
43,000
|
|
Total
|
5,593,000
|
Agriculture
|
|
|
Technoserve
|
Agri-business - building a regional horticulture cluster in Inhambane Province
|
692,000
|
Land Fund
|
Improving Certification of Land for Communities
|
200,000
|
UNICEF
|
Support for Social Protection
|
250,000
|
Swedish Cooperative Centre
|
Strengthening Civil Society Organisations Capacity to Advocate for Natural Resource Issues
|
200,000
|
Provincial Directorate of Planning and Finance
|
Enhancing Public Financial Management Systems in Inhambane and Niassa Provinces
|
400,000
|
-
|
Programme Support Costs
|
39,788
|
-
|
Total
|
1,781,788
|