Maputo, Mozambique, 1 June – Mozambique’s Programme Support Partners (PAP) known as the Group of 19 (G19) are to contribute US$688.6 million to the country’s state budget and to sector programmes in 2012, the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Mozambique, Shaun Cleary said in Maputo.

During the formal hand over of the letters of commitment, Cleary said that of that amount US$379.1 million were to support the State Budget and US$309.5 million for sector programmes.

Three countries – Germany, Norway and the Netherlands – are still waiting for authorisation from their respective governments or parliaments to announce their contributions which, if they are the same as in 2011, will raise the amount handed over to Mozambique to US$760 million, according to Mozambican news agency AIM.

A statement issued at the time said that most of the G19 members had kept their aid commitments at the same level as in 2011, whilst programme support had seen a rise of over US$45 million, as compared to 2011 for which it totalled US$263 million.

According to Cleary, five members of the G19 had reduced their budgetary aid, whilst one had increased it.

The G19 is made up of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the European Commission, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

Associated members of the PAP are the United States of America and the United Nations. (macauhub)