NYIMPINE CHISSANO'S
COMPANY HAS NO LICENCE

Maputo, 29 Nov 2002 (AIM) - The travel agency and car hire company Expresso tours, owned by Nyimpine Chissano, oldest son of Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, has no licence and is thus operating illegally, according to a report in Friday's issue of the independent weekly Savana.

The report cited a source in the Maputo commercial registry office, who said the company was initially registered in the names of Mohamed Harif and Zubaida Ahmed through a provisional licence which expired on 13 February 1997.

The Ministry of Justice was informed of this, but no steps were taken to legalise the company.

Savana's source said that senior officials in the ministry were well aware that the licence had expired long ago, but nothing was done because "great people" are involved in running Expresso Tours.

Its lack of proper legal status has not stopped Expresso Tours from regularly hiring out vehicles for conferences and government functions.

The result of this situation is that the company is not even registered in the name of its current owner.

Expresso Tours can renew its licence whenever it chooses, said the Savana source. The cost of renewal would be 3.5 million meticais (about 150 US dollars).

Savana tried to obtain comment from Expresso tours, without success. The company official who spoke to the paper said her director was absent, and asked "What's the fact that the licence has expired got to do with Savana?"
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