VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTO #0435/01 1021108
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121108Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO USDA FAS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD OTRA CTM MZ
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR EDWARD GERARD TO TRAVEL TO 
MOZAMBIQUE 
 
REF: USDA FAS WASHDC 683656 
 
¶1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country clearance for Edward 
Gerard from 29 April 2007 until 02 May 2007 to travel to Mozambique, 
to discuss the Norman Borlaug Fellows program and to resolve any 
remaining issues so that this program may begin in Mozambique. 
Please advise as soon as possible regarding any schedule or 
itinerary changes; refer to paragraph 13 regarding visa 
requirements. 
 
¶2. Control Officer:  Brooke Williams, Commercial Officer at the 
Embassy, will be control officer. She can be contacted at: 
 
-- Office telephone:  (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3422 
-- Office fax:        (258) 2149-35-74 
-- Cellular:          (258) 82-300-0834 
 
¶3.  Hotel Reservations:  Post has made hotel reservations at the 
Hotel Polana. The rate for a single room is USD$120.00, which 
includes a breakfast buffet. Maputo per diem is currently USD$242.00 
(lodging USD$185 and meals/incidentals USD$57). The hotel accepts 
U.S. Dollars or South African Rand; Diners Club, VISA, MasterCard, 
or American Express credit cards for payment of hotel bills. 
 
The hotel can be contacted at: 
 
-- Telephone:         (258) 21 49-10-01 
-- Fax:               (258) 21 49-14-80 
-- E-Mail             res@polana-hotel.com 
 
Reservation Policy: Hotels charge for no-shows, and most will debit 
one day's room rate for no-shows and reservations canceled with less 
than twenty-four hours' notice prior to arrival. Therefore, advance 
planning and prompt notification of changes well in advance of the 
twenty-four hour limit are necessary otherwise such charges will be 
assessed to the intended traveler.  Please contact your control 
officer promptly with details of any changes. 
 
Expeditor will pickup and drop off at airport. 
 
¶4. Medical Services:  Maputo has limited medical facilities. 
Visitors will have to be medevaced in the event of a major injury or 
illness.  In the past, we have had visitors nearly die because 
details of their medevac insurance were not readily available. 
Direct Hire employees (not contractors) of the Department of State, 
USAID, Department of Defense, CDC, and Peace Corps need not take any 
further action.  Direct Hire employees of other U.S Government 
agencies are requested to provide to their control officer before 
arrival a name and 24-hour point of contact for their agency that 
can authorize medical evacuation.  Contractors are requested to 
provide to their control officer before arrival the name, phone 
number, and policy number of their medevac insurance provider(s) for 
use in case of emergency. 
 
¶5. Health:  Travelers are advised that chloroquine resistant malaria 
is present in Mozambique.  The most recent guidance from the 
Department of State Medical Office recommends weekly use of 
mefloquine as the drug of choice for malaria prophylaxis in 
chloroquine-resistant areas. Mefloquine must be started one to two 
weeks before arriving at post. Daily doxycycline is an alternative 
regimen. Doxycycline must be started three days before arriving at 
post. Both malaria prophylaxis medications must be continued for 
four weeks after departing post. 
 
¶6. Security and Required Briefing:  TDY visitors spending more than 
48 hours in Mozambique must obtain a security briefing from the 
Embassy's Regional Security Office.  The biggest threat facing U.S. 
citizens visiting Mozambique is crime.  The State Department has 
designated Mozambique a critical-threat post for crime.  Street 
crime and vehicle hijackings are common and can be violent. 
Visitors must be vigilant when out in public areas and should not 
display jewellery or other items of high value.  Visitors should 
avoid carrying backpacks or purses, as these can draw unwanted 
attention of would-be muggers.  Isolated areas, such as along the 
Marginal (the Maputo road along the sea), should be avoided as 
joggers and pedestrians have been mugged frequently, even during 
daylight hours. 
 
¶7. There are no known terrorist groups active in Mozambique and no 
current indications that U.S. citizens are being targeted by 
terrorist organizations. 
 
¶8. The police are poorly paid, poorly equipped, and lack the 
professionalism that U.S. citizens are accustomed to in the United 
States.  Visitors requiring emergency assistance should not rely on 
local emergency services, but should contact the Marine Security 
Guard at Post One at (21) 49-27-97.  Mozambican law requires that 
all persons carry an identity document, such as a passport, when out 
in public and produce it if requested by police.  A copy of passport 
identity and visa pages is acceptable.  There are certain areas in 
the city of Maputo where pedestrian traffic is prohibited, e.g., in 
front of the presidential offices located north of the Hotel Polana 
on the seaside of Avenida Julius Nyerere and on the Monument to 
 
MAPUTO 00000435  002 OF 002 
 
 
Mozambican Heroes near the Maputo airport.  Such areas are sometimes 
marked with international "no trespassing" signs/symbols. 
 
¶9. Overland travel after dark is extremely dangerous due to poor 
road conditions, lack of emergency services, and the increased 
potential for vehicle hijackings.  Official Americans serving in 
Mozambique, including those on TDY, are prohibited from overland 
travel outside city limits during the hours of darkness. 
 
¶10. Consular Registration:  All TDY visitors spending more than two 
workdays in Maputo are required to register with the Consular 
Section in the Chancery to ensure that the Mission has current 
emergency contact information for each visitor. 
 
¶11. Financial Matters:  With the exception of the main hotels, 
Mozambique is essentially a cash economy.  Credit cards are of 
limited utility. Vendors will accept U.S. dollars (or at times South 
African rand) in lieu of the local currency, the metical.  For a day 
trip to Maputo, we recommend visitors bring with them USD 100 in 
cash for spending money.  Dollars can be exchanged at any bank or 
currency exchange facility.  Embassy Maputo recommends against the 
use of travelers checks, as transaction charges are uniformly high. 
Please note that Embassy Maputo will need fiscal data in the event 
that extensive services or goods are required during the visit. 
Mozambican Airlines (LAM) accepts the American Express credit card. 
Please note that charge limits are in effect on most credit card 
transactions, and hotel bills need to be settled every few days. 
 
¶12. New Currency:  On July 1, 2006, Mozambique introduced its new 
currency: the New Metical (abbreviated MTn.)  This currency replaces 
the Metical(MT). One New Metical is equivalent to 1,000 Meticais (1 
MTn = 1,000 MT.)   At current exchange rates, 1 USD equals 
approximately 26 MTn and 26,000 MT.  From July 1st, 2006 through 
December 31st, 2006, both currencies are in circulation, and all 
prices are expressed in both currencies.  After December 31st, 2006, 
only the New Metical will be in circulation.  The most obvious 
differences between the two currencies are that the New Metical 
notes have three fewer zeroes than Metical notes of the same value 
and that the New Metical notes are in much better condition than 
Metical notes.  The largest New Metical note is 1,000 MTn (versus 
500,000 MT.) The smallest New Metical note is 20 MTn (versus 10,000 
MT.)  For further guidance, please refer to the images of the New 
Metical on our intranet site at 
http://maputo.state.gov/Sections/FMO/fmo.htm 
 
¶13. Visas and Airport Departure Taxes:  Visas are required for entry 
into Mozambique, and Embassy Maputo urges travelers to have them 
prior to travelling. Travelers arriving from a country without a 
Mozambican embassy can get visas at the airport or land border entry 
points for 20 USD or 300 MTn.  Those arriving from a country with a 
Mozambican embassy can obtain visas at the airport or land border 
entry points for 25 USD.  There is an airport departure tax payable 
only in cash, of 20 USD or equivalent in Metical or Rand for 
regional flights, 8 USD for domestic flights and 20 USD for 
intercontinental flights. 
 
¶14. Luggage Precautions:  Post urges travelers to keep in mind 
restrictions on carry-on luggage on international flights.  At 
present, there are restrictions on carrying liquids, gels, and 
cosmetics on board international flights leaving the United States. 
 
 
¶15. Travelers also should bear in mind that security of checked 
baggage is a significant problem for travelers who transit 
Johannesburg airport. Many items have been stolen from checked bags, 
including the checked bags themselves. The items stolen most often 
are electronics (including I-Pods, cameras, and alarm clocks), 
toiletries (such as cosmetics, soap, shaving kits and cologne) and 
shoes (especially running/athletic shoes).  A LOCKED BAG DOES NOT 
ENSURE SECURITY.  One security measure that seems to meet with some 
success is to have your luggage stretch-wrapped at your point of 
departure.  The stretch-wrapping makes it more difficult for the 
thieves to gain access to your luggage.  Be aware that flights 
between Johannesburg and Maputo are often serviced by a small plane 
with little space for carry-on luggage.  This may require passengers 
to check their larger carry-on items. Please ensure your valuables 
are kept in a bag small enough to carry on your lap to keep them 
with you at all times. We take this problem very seriously and are 
doing what we can to help aid a solution. In brief, please: 
 
-- Leave behind irreplaceable valuables; 
-- Always lock your bags; 
-- Have your luggage stretch-wrapped when possible; 
-- Keep your valuables with you in a small carry-on; 
-- Make sure that your carry-on luggage complies with current 
international restrictions/regulations. 
 
DUDLEY