Mozambique: The Costs of 'Owning' Aid

Mozambique has only recently emerged from a long civil war; the national political process remains uncertain and the government apparatus is weak. Since its origin as an independent state, the country has been heavily aid-dependent, but the donor community has come to regard Mozambique as a positive case with a government that is receptive of new policies. In the name of increasing local ownership and of reducing the costs or burdens of dealing with multiple donors, most bilateral donors are seeking to channel more of their aid directly through government into sector and national budgets, instead of bypassing government through donor-led projects. However, this article argues that the immediate effect may be neither to reduce the costs of aid nor to increase the ownership of government.