COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MCC MARK HUISENGA AND CASSIA CARVALHO-PACHECO TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MAPUTO 001423



SIPDIS



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KMCA, EAID, ECON, OVIP, AFIN, OTRA, MZ

SUBJ: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR MCC MARK HUISENGA

AND CASSIA CARVALHO-PACHECO TO TRAVEL TO MOZAMBIQUE



REF: MCC 607



1. Embassy Maputo welcomes and grants country clearance

for MCC Mark Huisenga to travel to Mozambique, from 5

November 2006 until 15 November 2006 and Cassia

Carvalho-Pacheco from 14 November 2006 until 21

November 2006 to further develop the program design and

due diligence for the Government of Mozambique's

proposal. Please advise as soon as possible regarding

any schedule or itinerary changes; refer to paragraph

13 regarding visa requirements.



2. Control Officer: Brooke Williams, Econ 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 reservations at

the Avenida Hotel. The rate for a single room is $115

single, which includes a breakfast buffet. 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, Diner's Club (credit cards),and travelers

checks for payment of hotel bills. There is a $35 per

check fee for cashing travelers checks. The hotel can

be contacted at:



-- Telephone: (258) 21-48-4400

-- Fax: (258) 21-49-9600

-- E-mail: bookings@hotelaveninda.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. <br />
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



MAPUTO 00001423 002 OF 003





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 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



MAPUTO 00001423 003 OF 003





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.



RASPOLIC