Only 10 of 41 eligible countries have even been assessed thus far. This is unacceptable given the urgency of the situation. These programs reflect a neo liberal policy framework and have been widely criticized as worsening poverty and inequality in the countries where they have been implemented, and for having a particularly negative impact on women, children, and other marginalized groups. SAPs force countries to orient their priorities around earning foreign exchange in order to keep up debt payments at the expense of development opportunities. Debt, and now through HIPC even the promise of debt relief, is being used as a lever to dictate economic policy to countries of the South.
Countries become eligible by virtue of macro economic indicators.
Social indicators which reflect quality of life in a country are ignored. Mozambique is a country that has experience with the HIPC initiative. In effect, the HIPC deal only cancels the debt which the country was not servicing. Mozambique will continue to spend more on servicing its debt than it will on health and education combined. Of even greater concern is the requirement to adhere to Structural Adjustment Programs-a requirement which worsens the social crisis due to increases in user fees for health and education, as well as diversion of land to increase exports.