PIC microcontroller PORT not changing logic states
Looking at the data sheet, no output is shown for RA0, but RA1 has output ability. Perhaps you should try another port or pin for test? In any case, you cannot use PORTA for 8-bit parallel data output!. The killer is RA3, which is input-only.

 But on the other hand, the block diagram in the same data sheet shows that RA0 should be configurable as a digital output. The only other odd thing about RA0 is its ability to serve as an ultra-low-power-wake-up...with a programmable current sink. RA0 is also in-circuit-serial-programming data pin, but that shouldn't matter after a reset.