FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE

FROM FINLAND
TO MOZAMBIQUE
A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
Why Mozambique?
Seija Toro
Ambassador of Finland
Maputo, Mozambique
J
ust as this publication was going to be printed, we received news that
Mozambique had become the top recipient of Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) inflows into Africa. According to the news, “Mozambique shot up the
charts of FDI inflows into Africa as investments pour into its burgeoning oil and
gas sector”. With its natural gas reserves, the country has attracted important
foreign investors into this sector. Further investments are expected, with the
country’s strategic positioning near India and the Far East.
The exploitation of these resources now depends on the mobilization of capital
for infrastructure and support services for the entire value chain.
The Mozambican economy has maintained an annual growth of 7% for
several years and is predicted to follow the same trend. The growing middle
class with a high purchasing power generates new demand for services and
goods to consume. Simultaneously, shortcomings in public good provision
creates opportunities for private sector businesses. For instance the health
care sector lacks many services.
The country has a good location as a logistical hub for its neighbouring
countries and provides the closest access to the Indian Ocean for some of
2
them. More ports, roads, railways and bridges are necessary to meet increasing
trade, particularly with the Asian market.
Only a small part of the fertile land is cultivated in Mozambique, leaving space
for investments in agribusiness and forest industry. In the past, growth in the
agricultural sector has been due to increases in the number of farmers and in
the area under cultivation, but now there is need to improve the productivity
and capacity of the farmers. Agriculture employs around 80 % of the population
and accounts for around 29% of the GDP.
Mozambique is one of Finland’s long-term development partners. Finland
focuses on poverty reduction, improvements in access to basic services, and
promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance. Because of our
long presence in Mozambique, Finns are considered trustworthy partners.
Finnish people have a reputation of being honest and reliable, and our industry
is known for producing innovative and high quality products and services.
As a member of the Team Finland network, the Embassy of Finland in Maputo
invites you to explore possibilities to expand your business into the country.
We are here to help you start.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
3
Economic Outlook
M
ozambique has maintained a robust economic growth over the last
decade and as a result it is one of the best performers in Africa. The
main driver for economic growth has been foreign direct investments
into natural resources, especially into coal and natural gas reserves. The total
investment for natural gas exploitation in Mozambique, from the beginning
to full exploitation, is estimated to require 40 billion euros. Other growth
maintaining industries are building, transportation, telecommunications,
agriculture and financial services, which often are linked to megaprojects of
natural resource exploitation.
Nonetheless, Mozambique remains one of the poorest and most
underdeveloped countries in the world. Due to its capital-intensive nature, the
economic growth has created only limited jobs and tax income. Mozambique’s
economy is not sufficiently diversified; it is concentrated on manufacturing of
raw materials and a few megaprojects. The official sector employs only 32% of
working age population mainly in cities, while the rural Mozambicans virtually
live outside the official economy. Mozambique’s imports exceed its exports
creating a trade deficit, which until now has been funded by foreign aid.
Despite fast economic growth the inflation rate has been moderate, the currency
stable, and the macro economy looks favourable. With the support of the IMF
4
4
and the World Bank, the country’s public financial management has constantly
improved leading to a greater stability. Tax collection over the last few years has
become more effective, and now involves more private taxpayers, especially
small and medium enterprises, while foreign aid has decreased from over 50%
to 28% of the budget in the last seven years. In 2013, tax revenues formed 27%
of the government’s budget, double the amount in 2006. Aid dependency is
predicted to decrease significantly in the next 10-15 years.
In July 2014, EU and Mozambique, as a member of SADC, signed an Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) to promote trade between the EU member
countries and Mozambique. Until its ratification, Everything but Arms (EBA) is
being applied. Under EBA, the EU grants duty- and quota-free market access to
exports from the least developed countries.
Finland and Mozambique have signed a Promotion and Investment Agreement
in 2004. The relations between Finland and Mozambique have largely been
based on development cooperation but recently commercial ties have gained
in importance. In 2013, the value of imports to Finland from Mozambique was
18,5 million and that of exports from Finland to Mozambique 26,8 million euros,
comprising mainly of one-off deals in machinery. A few Finnish companies have
already found their way to the Mozambican market.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
5
TANZANIA
MALAWI
Pemba
Pemba
Lichinga
ZAMBIA
Nampula
Tete
Country Facts
Quelimane
Official name: Republic of Mozambique
Capital: Maputo (1.5 million inhabitants)
Chimoio
Beira
ZIMBABWE
PEOPLE
Population: 25 800 000 (2013)
Inhambane
Languages: Official language Portuguese, altogether 43 languages.
Xai-Xai
Maputo
Religion: Christian 56%, Muslim 18%, Other 7%, None 19%
SWAZILAND
SOUTH AFRICA
Human development index 2013: 0.393 (178/187)
Gender Equality by Ibrahim Index of African Government 2014: 67.9 (9/52)
STATE AND GOVERNMENT
Independence: 1975
Form of government: Democratic Republic
Parliament: Unicameral parliament of 250 members
Head of state: President elected by direct popular vote for a five-year
term, eligible for two terms
Main political parties: Ruling party Frelimo, Renamo, MDM
International organizations: African Development Bank, UN agencies,
IMF, World Bank, World Trade Organization
6
6
SOCIETY AND ECONOMY
MAIN ECONOMIC FEATURES:
Main exports: Aluminum, coal, bulk electricity, titanium, tobacco,
sugar, cotton, timber, precious stones, marble, tantalite, prawns,
tea, cashew nuts
Mozambique’s trade and economy in 2013
Exports: 3 351 000 000 €
Main imports: Machinery and equipment, vehicles, building
materials, furniture, beverages, medicines, fuel, textiles
Inflation: 4.4% (2013)
EU South Africa China India Zimbabwe
36.6%
30.5%
9.4% 5.1%
2.0%
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 799 380 km²
Imports: 7 964 000 000 €
Coastline: 2 470 km
Neighbouring countries: Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland,
Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Land use: 5% under cultivation, 56% pasture, 39% forest (2010)
South Africa India
26.4%
14.1%
China EU Australia
12.7% 11.4% 4.3%
MOZAMBIQUE’S TRADE
AND ECONOMY IN 2013
GDP: 12,25 billion €
GPD per capita (PPP): 960 €
GDP by sectors:
agriculture 28.7%,
industry 24.9%,
services 46.4%
FDI inflow: 5.2 billion €
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
7
Business Environment
A
ccording to the World Bank’s Doing Business Index Mozambique is a
more favourable business environment than the average Sub-Saharan
African country. It is ranked 127 out of 189 countries in 2015, which is
an improvement of 15 places compared to 2013. Mozambique’s international
trade policy is largely defined by the membership in SADC. In spite of the
challenges, Mozambique’s regulatory environment is relatively open to
foreign investors. Problems are often related to the difficulties in contracting
electricity, bureaucracy related to registering property and settling disputes
in court. The upsides for an entrepreneur in Mozambique are protection of
investors, dealing with construction permits and relatively easy start-up of an
enterprise. The government has a strategy to improve the business climate in
2013-2017 by cutting down unnecessary bureaucracy and payments and by
facilitating credit access for entrepreneurs.
The Mozambican government considers foreign investment important
for creating jobs and producing economic growth. But, at the same time
the government also plans and implements reforms in order to improve
opportunities for the Mozambicans at the expense of foreigners. For example,
according to the legislation many projects require foreigners to seek a local
partner to operate at the Mozambican market.
8
Mozambique ranked 119/177 in the Transparency International Index 2013.
Mozambique is not an exception among African countries, corruption
occurs on every level. Even though there are laws and institutions against
it, their enforcement is difficult. According to Finnish companies’ experience
it has been possible to prevent corruption by signing a Memorandum of
Understanding with the government.
One recent improvement is the implementation of an electronic customs duty
system in 2012. It is considered an advanced system, which facilitates and fastens
border trade and for its part inhibits corruption. In general, paying taxes is viewed
as a difficult and slow process. Mozambique’s ranking in Paying Taxes Index in
2014 report is 129/185. For private companies the total tax rate of profit is 37,5 %.
In Mozambique, women hold high positions in government and business alike.
81% of the labour force works in agriculture, 6% in industry and 13% in the service
sector. The labour force is about 11 million but there is shortage of qualified human
resources in many areas. Only a bit more than a half of the population is literate.
Poverty, malnutrition and HIV are issues affecting human development.
The state owns all the land in Mozambique and land use rights (DUAT) are
given for a maximum 50 years.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
9
Political Situation
F
ollowing its independence from Portugal in 1975, Mozambique has gone through
many transitions, including a civil war and a relatively stable post-war period. Since
the 16-year civil war ended in 1992, there has been proper construction of society
and democracy for only the past two decades. The war’s two former adversaries, Frelimo
and Renamo, are today’s main political parties.
The country recorded a major reduction in poverty in terms of per capita consumption
from 1997 to 2003 from 69% to 54%, but official data suggests that poverty reduction
has slowed down and rates remained virtually unchanged from 2003 to 2009. Despite
the sustained high rates of economic growth during the post-war period, the living
standard of the majority of the population remains low. Although access to health and
education has expanded significantly, much work remains to be done to improve the
quality of services. The key challenge concerning Mozambique’s promising socioeconomic development trajectory relates to the political will as well as the GoM’s
technical capacity to promote inclusive macro-economic policies.
Mozambique is a multi-party democracy, but has been predominantly ruled by one party,
Frelimo, which has been in power since the country became independent. Compared
to some other post-conflict countries, Mozambique has made some tangible progress
in improving its human rights record, but shortcomings still exist, including in women’s
rights, child rights and access to justice. The anti-corruption legislation package and its
implementation are important elements in the government’s commitment to fight corruption.
Municipal elections were organized in 2013 and the presidential and parliamentary
elections took place in October 2014. The Frelimo candidate for presidency, Filipe Nyusi,
won and will enter office in 2015. The parliament will see a transformation in its structure,
because Frelimo lost one third of its vote and no longer has a two third majority. The two
opposition parties Renamo and MDM both increased their seats considerably.
10
Business Culture in Brief
BUSINESS LANGUAGE
It is very useful if you can speak
Portuguese, as it is used in most
official matters and in everyday
life. In business, English is widely
spoken since many Mozambicans
have been trained abroad.
COMMUNICATION STYLE
Mozambicans are a diverse nation
in terms of language, religion and
customs. Therefore they tend to be
more indirect when communicating
in a business situation and will try to
avoid offending anyone. Being silent
is a sign of appreciation and respect,
not of indifference. They will wait
for their turn to speak. Make sure to
have silent moments in conversations
so that Mozambicans have room to
express their ideas and opinions.
MEETINGS
Meetings begin with small talk
about families and health. Be
patient because decisions are
being made in a slowly manner. Due
to a culture of hierarchy, a lower
official may not feel comfortable of
speaking to you in the presence of
her/his superior. Avoid arranging
meetings in January which is a
holiday month in Mozambique.
TITLES
Remember to use titles which
are important in Mozambique.
Use titles with surnames when
calling someone by their name. It
is rare to be on first name terms
in business situations.
GREETINGS
Initial greetings are considered
important. Asking ‘’How are you?’’,
“Como está o Senhor/a Senhora?”
precedes conversations with
anyone. Men shake hands often
with two hands placing the left
hand on the upper arm of the
other person. Women may either
shake hands or exchange two
air kisses depending on the
relationship. Everyone should be
acknowledged at least with a nod.
CUSTOMS
Mozambique has a socially
oriented culture which means
that relationships override the
actual business deals. Build good
relations and get to know each
other on a personal level. Give or
receive with two hands.
FROM
FROM FINLAND
FINLAND TO
TO MOZAMBIQUE
MOZAMBIQUE || A
A BUSINESS
BUSINESS GUIDE
GUIDE FOR
FOR FINNISH
FINNISH COMPANIES
COMPANIES
11
Starting Business in Mozambique
In order to start a business you need to:
1
2
3
Make a company name reservation at the Legal Entities Registrar.
Open a provisional bank account and obtain a verification of
deposit with a commercial bank.
Register with the Legal Entities Registrar of Maputo and request
a commercial registry certificate and publish the company
statutes in the official gazette. Documents required are:
a) Copy of the company name reservation certificate;
b) Company’s Articles of Association;
c) Certified copies of the shareholders’ identification
documents or passports.
4
5
6
7
Register for taxes and obtain the respective registration number
NUIT from the local fiscal office where the business is located.
Apply for a simplified operating license with the Municipal
Council President.
Declare the beginning of activity at the tax department.
a) Declare the beginning of activity and register job candidates
at the provincial employment center;
b) Register workers with the social security system;
c) Subscribe a workmen’s compensation insurance coverage.
12
Exploring your Business
Opportunities in
Mozambique
Mozambique has strict regulations
regarding the employment of
foreigners, particularly when there
are qualified citizens who can
perform the same or similar tasks
and possess equal training. A work
permit, valid for up to two years
and renewable for an additional
two years, is a requirement when
hiring foreign employees.
Use a local firm to represent your
company and manage the start-up
process. A local can have essential
understanding of the process
and knowledge of the necessary
connections in public offices.
The Team Finland network can assist your company
when you plan to go global. The Team Finland network
consists of more than 20 member institutions, and has
a team in more than 70 countries. It promotes Finland’s
business interests abroad offering market information,
advice and training, financing, finding business partners,
arranging government contacts and helping with positive
visibility. For all Team Finland services for companies go
to: services.team.finland.fi
For help with entering the Mozambican markets, your
first contact can be any of the Team Finland member
institutions, for instance:
- The Embassy of Finland in Maputo, Mozambique.
The Embassy supports Finnish enterprises to
export from Finland to Mozambique, strengthens
the image of Finland and collects signals on
market developments. The Embassy also helps
arrange visits and high level meetings. If you are
a Finnish company planning to visit Mozambique,
let the Embassy in Maputo know by sending an
email to [email protected] or calling +258
21 482 400. We will be happy to set up a meeting
and help with business connections. Read more:
www.finland.org.mz
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
13
14
FINPRO
Finpro will spar with your company and analyse its
internationalisation potential. Finpro’s office in Pretoria, South
Africa serves the Mozambican market, tel: +27 11 784 3164. You
may also contact Finpro in Finland, tel: +358 204 6951. Read
more: www.exportfinland.fi
FINNPARTNERSHIP
Finnpartnership provides advisory services on business
operations in developing countries, particularly for finding a
business partner. Tel: +358 9 348 434, +358 40 827 9753
[email protected] www.finnpartnership.fi
FINNFUND
Finnfund provides long-term financing for the establishment
or expansion of projects of Finnish companies or their partners
in developing countries. Tel: +358 9 348 434 www.finnfund.fi
Mozambican trade facilitating institutions include:
•
The Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA)
is a nongovernmental organization representing private sector and
lobbying with government. Its network includes key business and
trade organizations with members throughout the country.
•
Advisory firms have profound knowledge of the local economy. Most of the companies are based in Maputo, including Deloitte,
KPMG, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, Financia, PWC, Sal &
Cadeira, which can assist you in doing business at the Mozambican
market. There is also a wide range of consultancy companies, both
national and international, offering support services.
•
The Mozambican Government’s Investment Promotion Center
(CPI) is a key organization for potential investors. Business plans
are submitted to the organization in order to get governmental
benefits of investment guarantees and tax incentives.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
15
Success Stories
Pertti Lehtinen
Managing Director
of KONE Distributor Operations
KONE Corporation sells elevators in the
building boom in Mozambique through local
distributor Blackbird
“There are enough business opportunities in Mozambique for a dedicated
distributor company to survive and grow”, says Pertti Lehtinen,
“We initially did sales from our company in South Africa to Mozambique. One of our
customers, a local construction company, saw the potential in the local market and
wanted to become our distributor in the country. As the potential in Mozambique
grew, we had a good relationship with this company, and they wanted to enter
the elevator business, we set up a distributorship with them. This is our normal
operating model in countries where we don’t have our own company.
We have found a good partner who has been willing to set up a dedicated company
for the KONE elevator business, invest in tools and training, and plan for growth.
The construction market is booming and there is a clear need for good quality
products. It is relatively easy to support our Mozambique business from South
Africa and even use personnel from there to assist in projects locally. In
Mozambique, the elevator industry legislation is not up-to-date, which sometime
makes things quite difficult. However, with local knowledge and contacts issues
can normally be solved. Most construction products and raw materials still have
16
to be sourced from South Africa as the number of suppliers in Mozambique is
very small. For example all steelworks have to be imported from South Africa.
Finding a good local partner and key employees is very important. Costs of
doing business can be high. Markets – while growing fast – are still small as
Mozambique is a developing country with a low purchasing power. Labour is
generally not skillful and requires a lot of support and training. Work culture
requires strong supervision.
Foreign investment is welcomed in Mozambique, but perseverance is the key
factor to succeed in this market.”
KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. The
company has been committed to understanding the needs of its customers
for the past century, providing industry-leading elevators, escalators and
automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernization and
maintenance. In 2013, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 6.9 billion and at the
end of the year over 43,000 employees. Founded in 1910, it is now present in
50 countries worldwide.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
17
Success Stories
Tommy Krohn
Senior Project Manager PMP Power Plants,
Wärtsilä Finland Oy
Wärtsilä builds a power plant
in Mozambique
“In 2013-2014, Wärtsilä built Mozambique’s largest gas engine power plant in
Ressano Garcia”, tells Tommy Krohn.
“Africa is an important market area for Wärtsilä Power Plants. The electricity
demand in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased by 45% since 2000, and is
forecasted to rise by 80% by 2040. The Mozambican economy is one of
the fastest growing on the African continent and the electricity demand
is increasing by 14% annually. Mozambique has its own gas fields and the
government has a programme to increase their own energy production (“gasto-energy”) in the coming years. Both of these factors were important when
we decided to enter into the Mozambican market.
Another very important factor for coming to Mozambique was that we had
sold a 175 MW power plant to South Africa (SGEPP – for Sasol) in 2010 and
the experience from working with Sasol was very positive. When Sasol and
EDM (Electricity of Mozambique) then decided to develop a similar size power
plant in Mozambique, Wärtsilä got the opportunity to participate in the Front
End Engineering and Design phase.
Wärtsilä decided to open its own company in Mozambique in May 2012, even
if we did not have any Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contract at
that stage. The decision was good as the bureaucracy is heavy and it took eight
months until the company was finally in operation. One issue that we faced
during the construction phase was the productivity from local contractors. To
improve progress, it was necessary to increase supervision.
As Mozambique has faced a lot of immigration from Europe due to the economic
downturn, the Labour Ministry changed the requirements for work permits and
18
this has become a real issue for us. Luckily we have a good relationship with
our customer Central Térmica de Ressano García and they have supported us
in acquiring the necessary work permits for our foreign employees.
1) Remember that Mozambique is a bureaucratic country – what takes one
day in Europe can take 2 weeks in Mozambique. Be patient and start
preparing matters in time.
2) IT systems are not connected. Many things still need to be printed, signed
and hand carried to the next office.
3) Be represented with a person(s) that speaks Portuguese and preferably
also knows the local habits.
4) An advisor can be good, but someone also needs to do the “legwork”
5) Not all accounting systems are approved by the authorities (for example
SAP was not), so double book keeping might be needed.”
Wärtsilä Power Plants is a leading global supplier of flexible baseload
power plants of up to 600 MW operating on various gaseous and liquid
fuels. Today Wärtsilä is present with its own legal company or with a
branch office in more than 70 countries. Their portfolio includes unique
solutions for peaking, reserve and load-following power generation, as well
as for balancing intermittent power production. Wärtsilä Power Plants also
provides LNG terminals and distribution systems. As of 2014, Wärtsilä has
56 GW of installed power plant capacity in 170 countries around the world.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
19
Success Stories
Martin Talbot
Country Director
of Nokia Networks Mozambique
Nokia invests in technologies of the future
“The rate of growth here is one of the highest in the world - with faltering economic
fortunes in some of the traditional markets for high technology, no global company
would want to ignore a market with such prospects”, says Martin Talbot.
“We have been in the Mozambican market since the introduction of the first mobile
network services: but even if we hadn’t there is no doubting the business logic
of being here. In absolute terms, Mozambique is of course not one of the largest
country markets, but its relative growth rate is one of the very highest; it’s not a
small country either in population or geography, so it is significant. Our customers’
customers are the mobile subscribers and users of mobile broadband internet
services, and the proportion of the population that subscribes to these services is
still increasing rapidly.
Just like everywhere in the world, there is an insatiable appetite for online access.
Due to the fact that fixed-line access has not been as widely available as in, for
example, European markets, there exists here a special driver for innovation
and development of the market. The explosive take-up and influence of mobile
consumer banking is a well-known example of that. Nokia has always been,
and continues to be at the forefront of innovation in this industry, and leadingedge, innovative products and services are a large part of what is needed here in
Mozambique, whether it be for reliable, resilient backed-up network Data Centres,
or the latest radio access technologies to deliver the best mobile broadband
services to cities and remoter local communities.
Our business here has consistently performed well and contributed significantly to
the overall business results in the region. Over the years we have developed the
regional technical competences that are required to support our customers. No less
than anywhere our customers, the mobile operators, have to provide completely
reliable services to their customer base and we need to stay ahead of their needs.
20
Since the centres of research and development are physically far away, that has
meant the need to invest consistently in regional and local skills and capabilities.
In our industry there is a lot of fieldwork involved in deploying a new or expanded
customer network, and the working environment is a potentially hazardous one,
no less in Mozambique than elsewhere. “Working at height”, that is, setting up
the equipment for the mobile network on towers and buildings, is a potentially
dangerous activity, of course, but simply driving vehicles around parts of the
country where the roads may be in poor condition calls for special vigilance on the
part of employees and managers alike. So we invested early on in internationally
certified standards for Occupational Health & Safety throughout the local company
and our subcontractors. So far, as a result, we have avoided issues in this area, and
we have to be constantly vigilant in all areas of our activity. Of course, this safety
culture is something we are able to bring as added value to the community of
companies and people we work with.
It’s really important to bear in mind that as a corporate citizen here we have
obligations (and, indeed, self-interest) in the development of Mozambican human
resources. Localisation of our staff– maximising the proportion of local staff in key
roles, phasing out the contribution of foreigners in favour of Mozambicans who
have received training and experience at Nokia – this is a key objective of how we
run our operations. Nokia focuses on skills transfer also to our customers in-country
and the development of their national organisations.”
Nokia is a leader in the fields of network infrastructure, location-based technologies
and advanced technologies. Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Nokia employs
57,000 people worldwide. Today Nokia works in three businesses: Nokia Networks
in network infrastructure; HERE in location intelligence; and Nokia Technologies,
focused on technology development and intellectual property rights activities.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
21
Good to Know
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
Like in Finland, electrical plugs with two round prongs are used in
Mozambique.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Basic medical services are offered in Maputo on several private clinics.
SECURITY
Read the Embassy’s travel announcement and make a travel
notification before departure.
OFFICE HOURS
Public sector: Mon-Fri 7.30-15.30,
Private sector: 8:00-12:30 and 14.00-17.30
WATER AND SANITATION
Only drink bottled water. Western-style toilets are available in cities.
VISA AND PASSPORT
A visa is required for entering Mozambique and we recommend
obtaining the visa prior to departure. Borders may or may not issue
visas for visitors. The Embassy of Mozambique for Finland issuing
visas is situated in Stockholm, Sweden. Carry a copy of your visa
and passport with you at all times.
MAIL
The delivery of postal services is uncertain. International courier
services are available.
22
TRANSPORTATION
“Chapas” are minibuses usually packed with people, not
recommended for business visitors. Taxis are quite secure,
affordable and can be found in many cities.
BANKS, CARDS AND CURRENCY
Most international credit and debit cards work in Mozambique, and
ATMs are available in cities. Currency: 1 euro ≈ 40 Mozambican
Metical, MZN (2014)
VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
Yellow fever vaccine certification is required upon entrance for
those who have travelled in countries where the disease occurs,
even if only through transit.
TIME DIFFERENCE
Mozambique is on the same time zone than Finland. In the Finnish
summertime, there is a time difference of -1 hour.
TELEPHONE AND CALLING
Finnish mobile phones usually function in Mozambique.
Mozambique’s country code is +258.
INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY
Hotels and most cafes in Maputo have a wireless connection to the
internet. It is also possible to buy a prepaid mobile phone card and
charge it with mobile internet traffic.
Photos: Juhana Lehtinen, Martti Lintunen, Juha Peurala, Liisa Takala, Katariina Virtanen and Hanna Öunap.
FROM FINLAND TO MOZAMBIQUE | A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR FINNISH COMPANIES
23
Embassy of Finland
Av. Julius Nyerere, 1128, Maputo, Mozambique • Tel. +258 21 482 400
Email: [email protected] • www.finland.org.mz