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The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation, which read as follows:

Further to its previous observation, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that the problem of wage arrears was due to internal political conflicts which prevented the national administration from functioning properly. According to the information supplied by the Government in its report, these difficulties have now been overcome and as a result the Minister of Finance publicly announced in October 2000 that wage arrears would be settled with a first payment to be made before 20 November 2000. The Committee notes, however, that according to a press report, a copy of which was annexed in the Government’s report, the settlement of existing wage arrears would only be made possible through foreign financial aid which a neighbouring country was expected to offer. Recalling that in the absence of documented information it is difficult for the Committee to appreciate the nature and scale of the problem, the Committee requests the Government to provide full and up-to-date information on: (i) the actual size of outstanding debts due to wage-earners (number of workers affected, amount of sums owed, length of the delay in payment, number of enterprises concerned); and (ii) the concrete measures taken to improve the present situation, including measures to ensure effective supervision and strict application of penalties to prevent and punish infringements. It also asks the Government to provide a copy of the 1998 Act on Finance referred to in the joint communication of the Labour Union of Djibouti and the General Union of Djibouti Workers (UDT/UGTD) dated 26 April 1998.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2003.]