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Parts I and II of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in December 2008. The Committee refers to the information provided in the Government’s report concerning the application of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), in which it indicates that an economic development strategy has been devised for the period 2007–31, providing a framework for the 2007–11 five-year plan which sets the reduction of poverty as the essential objective of the national policy for the improvement of standards of living. The Committee notes the indications that the Government envisages a 50 per cent reduction in the poverty rate in the first 15 years and an 80 per cent reduction by the end of the strategy, as well as a 7 per cent increase in the annual growth rate. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report on Convention No. 117 how the implementation of the poverty reduction strategy has enabled the pursuit of the objectives of the Convention, which provides, in Articles 1 and 2, that “all policies shall be primarily directed to the well-being and development of the population”. It also requests the Government to include statistics on the improvement of standards of living, in particular with regard to housing, clothing, medical care and education (Article 5 of the Convention).

Part IV. Remuneration of workers. Advances on wages. The Government recalls that section 37(1)(a) of the Labour Code provides that employers shall not receive interest on advances on wages but that it is nonetheless possible for employers to receive a small percentage of the costs relating to these advances and that this provision is in the process of being revised by the draft new Labour Code. The Government also indicates that no maximum amount has been set for the advances which may be made by employers. The Committee hopes that the Government will take the necessary steps to bring the new provisions of the Labour Code into conformity with the provisions of Article 12. Referring to its previous comments, the Committee once again requests the Government to indicate any progress made through collective agreements, court decisions or administrative decisions to give full effect to Article 12(2) and (3).