COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR PERLITA MUIRURI, PRM OFFICER, TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE

UNCLAS MAPUTO 001190



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREF, PREL, OTRA, SOCI, MZ

SUBJ: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR PERLITA MUIRURI,

PRM OFFICER, TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE



REF: SECSTATE WASHDC 153588



1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants provisional

country clearance for Perlita Muiruri to travel to

Mozambique from September 17 through September 26, 2006

to participate in a special session of the conference

of African Ministers of Health on sexual and

reproductive health. This clearance is conditional upon

the stipulations cited in paragraph 4. Please advise

as soon as possible regarding any schedule or itinerary

changes; refer to paragraph 7 regarding visa

requirements.



Please advise as soon as possible regarding any

schedule or itinerary changes; refer to para 8

regarding visa requirements.



2. Control Officer:



John Wysham, Chief Econ/Commercial Officer at the

Embassy, will be the 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 Polana Hotel. The

rate for a single room is USD$120.00, 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 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 pick-up and drop off at airport. All

other logistical requirements have been arranged.



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. 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.



Direct Hire employees (not contractors) of the

Department of State, USAID, Department of Defense, CDC,

and Peace Corps have country clearance and need not

take any further action. Direct Hire employees of

other U.S Government Agencies must provide their

control officer by cable or e-mail a name and 24-hour

point of contact for their agency that can authorize

medical evacuation. Country Clearance is granted upon

receipt of that information.



The USG does not cover contract employees for medevac.

Therefore, all USG contractors (regardless of the

government agency they are contracted to) must provide

their control officer prior to arrival the name, phone

number, and policy number of their medevac insurance

provider(s) for use in case of emergency. Country

clearance will not be granted to contractors without

medevac insurance.



Post has been provided the required medevac

information.



5. 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.



6. Financial Matters: With the exception of the main





hotels in Maputo, Maputo 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 effect at this time. 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. Mozambique recently

introduced its new currency: the New Metical

(abbreviated MTn.) This currency replaces the Metical

(MT.) One New Metical is equivalent to 1,000 Meticals

(1 MTn = 1,000 MT.) As a point of reference and at

today's exchange rates, 1 USD equals approximately 25

MTn and 25,000 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. Visitors to Mozambique should be aware of

the difference between the two currencies while they

are both in circulation. The only obvious difference to

those unfamiliar with Mozambican currency is that the

New Metical has three fewer zeros. 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



7. Visas: Visas are required for entry into

Mozambique, and the US 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. Diplomatic visitors without visas

will have their passports held pending processing of a

visa, which requires Embassy Maputo to process a

diplomatic note.

There is an airport departure tax payable only in cash,

of 10 USD or equivalent in Metical or Rand for regional

flights, and 20 USD for Intercontinental.



8. 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 (01) 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 HIJACKINGS.

OFFICIAL AMERICANS SERVING IN MOZAMBIQUE ARE PROHIBITED

FROM OVERLAND TRAVEL OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS DURING THE

HOURS OF DARKNESS.



TDY VISITORS SPENDING MORE THAN TWO WORKDAYS IN



MOZAMBIQUE MUST SCHEDULE A SECURITY BRIEFING WITH THE

REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER.



9. Transiting Johannesburg Airport. Post urges

travelers to keep in mind restrictions on carry-on

luggage on international flights (at present no

liquids, gels, or cosmetics are permitted to be carried

on board international flights leaving the United

States). 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 expensive

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.



10. 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