Three tourist resorts operating illegally in the Ponta d'Ouro tourist area, in the district of Matutuíne, Maputo province, could be closed down by next Friday, reports Rádio Moçambique.

Among the irregularities were tax evasion and the lack of a license to carry out the activity, according to the local authorities.

The director of the tax collection department of the Maputo provincial tax authority, Mauro Waíla, said that the three resorts belong to South African citizens, and that the value of the business is deposited by the clients in private accounts domiciled in neighboring South Africa.

The owners rent the properties out to third parties and, in order to evade the authorities and tax payments, claim that they are private properties.

"They are operating illegally. Until they prove otherwise, which is why after many unanswered notifications, we ended up issuing these warrants so that they can approach the tax administration and the National Inspectorate of Economic Activities (INAE) to regularize their situation.

The next step will be to close the houses. We can't talk about figures now because we have to look at the legislation. They are different situations; you can have the license but not be making the payments, or you can not have the license and not be making the payments either," said Waíla, quoted by Rádio Moçambique.