VZCZCXRO4836
RR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHTO #0773/01 1870956
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060956Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP  0212
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7576

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MAPUTO 000773 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMCA EAID ECON AFIN OTRA NH MZ
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR CHRIS BERTELS AND 
MANUEL AVILA TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE. 
 
REF: MCC 393 
 
¶1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country clearance for 
Chris Bertels and Manuel Avila to travel to Mozambique, 
from July 15, 2007 until July 22, 2007. The purpose of this 
trip is to assess local audit firm capabilities. Please 
advise as soon as possible regarding any schedule or 
itinerary changes; refer to paragraph 13 regarding visa 
requirements. 
 
¶2. Control Officer:  Leonel Miranda, Political Officer, 
will be control officer. He can be contacted at: 
 
-- Office telephone:  (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3423 
-- Office fax:        (258) 2149-35-74 
-- Cellular:          (258) 82-319-8830 
 
¶3.  Hotel Reservations and Expeditor:  Post has made 
reservations at the Polana Hotel.  The rate for a single 
room is $120 single, $137.50 double.  Maputo per diem is 
currently 224 USD (146 USD for lodging and 78 USD for 
meals/incidentals).  The hotel accepts dollars, meticais, 
rand, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, DinerQs Club 
(credit cards), and travelers checks for payment of hotel 
bills.  There is no additional charge for cashing travelers 
checks.  The hotel can be contacted at: 
 
-- Telephone:  (258) 21-49-1001/7 
-- Fax:   (258) 21-49-14-80 
-- E-mail:  res@polana-hotel.com.mz 
Expeditor will pick up 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 EmbassyQs 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 Mozambican Heroes 
near the Maputo airport.  Such areas are sometimes marked 
 
MAPUTO 00000773  002 OF 003 
 
 
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 (originally abbreviated 
MTn, but now abbreviated MT.)  This currency replaced the 
old Metical. One new Metical is equivalent to 1,000 old 
Meticais.  At current exchange rates, 1 USD equals 
approximately 26 MT and 26,000 old MT.  From July 1st, 2006 
through December 31st, 2006, both currencies were in 
circulation.  Since the start of 2007, only the new Metical 
is in circulation.  During 2007, old Meticais can be 
exchanged for new Meticais at commercial banks.  The most 
obvious differences between the two currencies are that the 
new Metical notes have three fewer zeroes than the old 
Metical notes of the same value and that the new Metical 
notes are in much better condition than the old Metical 
notes.  The largest new Metical note is 1,000 MT (versus 
500,000 old MT.) The smallest new Metical note is 20 MT 
(versus 10,000 old MT.)  For further guidance, please refer 
to the images of the currency 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 traveling. 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; 
 
MAPUTO 00000773  003 OF 003 
 
 
-- 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