COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC) VISIT TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MAPUTO 001081

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

MCC FOR SGAULL
AF/S FOR HTREGER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMCA, EAID, ECON, OVIP, AFIN, OTRA, MZ
SUBJ: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MILLENNIUM
CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC) VISIT TO TRAVEL TO
MOZAMBIQUE

REF: MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP 463

1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country
clearance for MCC staff to travel to Mozambique on the
following dates to further develop the program design
and due diligence for the Government of Mozambique's
proposal.

Cassia Carvalho-Pacheco, Associate Country Director
Arrival: 31 August 2006
Departure: 14 September 2006

Jonathan Saiger, Director, Infrastructure
Arrival: 03 September 2006
Departure: 07 September 2006

Paul Watkins, Project Manager, Mozambique Water and
Sanitation
Arrival: 03 September 2006
Departure: 07 September 2006

Omar Hopkins, Associate Director, Infrastructure
Arrival: 03 September 2006
Departure: 07 September 2006

Stephen Gaull, Country Director, Operations
Arrival: 04 September 2006
Departure: 14 September 2006

Beverly Watson, Associate Country Director, Operations
Arrival: 07 September 2006
Departure: 15 September 2006

Stuart Kerr, Director, Legal & Regulatory
Arrival: 10 September 2006
Departure: 15 September 2006

Thomas Campbell, Director, Financial Development
Arrival: 10 September 2006
Departure: 16 September 2006

Maria Claudia Pachon, Program Officer, Operations
Arrival: 04 September 2006
Departure: 14 September 2006

Emily Andrews, Director, Monitoring & Evaluation
Arrival: 18 September 2006
Departure: 22 September 2006

Jonathan Nash, Associate Director, Environmental &
Social Assassments
Arrival: 06 September 2006
Departure: 14 September 2006

Tanya Southerland, Senior International Attorney
Arrival: 07 September 2006
Departure: 15 September 2006

David Gentry, Fiscal Accountability Advisor
Arrival: 07 September 2006
Departure: 15 September 2006

Mark Huisenga, Director, Agriculture
Arrival: 09 September 2006
Departure: 15 September 2006

Jolyne Sanjak, Director, Property Rights & Land Policy
Arrival: 10 September 2006
Departure: 15 September 2006

David Ameyaw, Director M&E
Arrival: October (TBD) 2006
Departure: October (TBD) 2006

Celeste Tarricone, USAID Detailee
Arrival: October (TBD) 2006
Departure: October (TBD) 2006

Elizabeth Cordaro, Procurement Advisor
Arrival: 10 October 2006
Departure: 21 October 2006

Please advise as soon as possible regarding any
schedule or itinerary changes; refer to para 8
regarding visa requirements.

2. Control Officer:


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John Wysham, Chief Econ/Commercial Officer at the
Embassy, will be control officer. He can be contacted
at:

-- Office telephone: (258) 2149-27-97, ext.3425
-- Office fax: (258) 2149-35-74
-- Cellular: (258) 82-315-7170

3. Hotel Reservations:

Post has made hotel reservations at the Hotel Avenida. The
rate for a single room is USD$110.00, which includes a
breakfast buffet. Maputo per diem is currently USD$224.00
(lodging USD$146 and meals/incidentals USD$78). 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 bookings@hotelavenida.co.mz

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 pick-up and drop off at airport. All
other logistical requirements have been arranged.

4. Briefing by RSO on Security Situation:

Please see para 9 below. Foreigners have been crime
targets recently. TDY visitors staying longer than two
days must come to the Embassy for a security briefing
from the Regional Security Office shortly after
arrival. Guidance will include helpful do's and don'ts
about walking around Maputo, dangerous areas in the
city, use of taxis, etc.

5. 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. Post is therefore very strict in
not granting country clearance unless we are assured
that the traveler is adequately covered if a medevac is
required.

Post has been provided the required medevac
Information.

6. Consular Registration:

All TDY visitors spending more than two work days 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.

7. Financial Matters:

With the exception of the main hotels in Maputo,
Mozambique is essentially a cash economy. Credit cards
are of limited utility. Vendors will accept U.S.
dollars (or 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. There are no currency import/export
restrictions in affect at this time. The American
Express credit card is accepted by Mozambican Airlines
(LAM).

Please note that charge limits are in effect on most
credit card transactions, and hotel bills need to be

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settled every few days.

8. Visas:

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 USD 20 or 300,000 meticais.
Those arriving from a country with a Mozambican embassy
can obtain visas at the airport or land border entry
points for USD 25. Diplomatic visitors without visas
will have their passports held pending processing of a
visa, which requires Embassy Maputo to process a
diplomatic note.

9. Security/Threat Assessment:

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 jewelry 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 area along the sea),should be
avoided as joggers and pedestrians have been mugged
frequently, even during daylight hours.

There are no known terrorist groups active in Mozambique and
no current indications that U.S. citizens are being targeted
by terrorist organizations.

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 21-49-07-23. 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.

Overland travel after dark is extremely dangerous due
to poor road conditions, lack of emergency services,
and the increased potential for vehicle highjacking.
Official Americans serving in Mozambique are prohibited
from overland travel outside city limits during the
hours of darkness.

TDY visitors spending more than two work days in
Mozambique must schedule a security briefing with the
Regional Security Officer.

10. Airport Departure Tax:

There is an airport departure tax, payable only in cash
in U.S. dollars or in meticais, of USD 10 or its
equivalent for long-distance international flights and
USD 10 or its equivalent for regional flights (those
within Southern Africa). A domestic departure tax of
55,000 meticais is levied.

11. Airline Reservations:

Changing airline tickets after arriving in Maputo is
often difficult. Passenger reservations on all
airlines can be changed through the national airline
and/or travel agents in South Africa, but reissuing
tickets have proven difficult. Travelers should be sure
to confirm onward flight reservations.

12. Transiting Johannesburg Airport:

Please be aware that baggage security is a significant
problem at the 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, digital
cameras/cameras, and alarm clocks),toiletries (such
as soap, shaving kits and cologne)and shoes
(especially expensive running/athletic shoes). A

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LOCKED BAG DOES NOT ENSURE SECURITY - please put items
such as these in your carry-on baggage. 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.

13. 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.

RASPOLIC