Credit and Financial Services: Rural Finance Support Programme The development goal of RFSP is to contribute to economic growth and poverty alleviation by improving the livelihoods of poor rural households and viability of enterprises in rural areas of Mozambique.  Central to achieving this goal, as programme objectives, RFSP would aim to improve the sustainable access to financial services by poor individuals, vulnerable groups and emerging enterprises in rural areas and create a positive and conducive institutional and policy environment for the development and sustainable provision of rural financial services improving the economic opportunities and income of the poor. The outputs from such a programme are expected to be the following: Increased number of income generating activities and rural enterprises financed, increased volume of trade generated, and greater quantity of investment and improved inputs used for crops, livestock and fisheries; Increased assets and savings generated/accumulated within rural communities, including poorer members of society, women and youth; New and innovative approaches piloted and mainstreamed for the provision and outreach of financial services to rural areas, including coastal zones, emphasizing improved access to such services by the poor, women and youth; Financial intermediaries operating profitably in rural areas; A new rural finance support institution legally established and operating sustainably; Funds from donors and government better coordinated and resources more effectively utilized; Government''s capacity for planning and supporting rural finance strengthened; Bank of Mozambique''s capacity to the deal with an expansion of financial services into rural areas strengthened, both in terms of improving and maintaining a supportive legislative environment and being able to provide the necessary supervision of institutions operating in these areas; Strategic/policy framework document for rural finance prepared, used and regularly updated; Rural finance policy support unit established in MPF and operating; Association of microfinance institutions operating sustainably; and Greater liquidity in the rural economy.3.RFSP would be national in scope. It would provide for involvement by a number of donors and help create a policy, institutional and financing framework within which different initiatives aimed at supporting the development of rural finance would be accommodated. While the scope would be national, individual initiatives would focus on specific areas of the country. This would help maximize management effort and promote operating efficiencies. The Programme would have an initial investment period of eight years and comprise four investment components. Each of the components represents a separate and monitorable element of the Programme, with its own set of objectives, outputs, activities and management requirements.4.The pace and phasing of the Programme are dictated by the need to develop the programme progressively and to initially proceed cautiously. The limited experience with rural financial services and limited number of financial service intermediaries operating in rural areas necessitates a gradual and progressive approach to programme implementation