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1. The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous direct request. The main new development during the period covered by the report is the adoption of a national agreement for the promotion of employment concluded by the Government and the employers. In this agreement, action to promote employment is aimed essentially at young people and is set out in four programmes: on-the-job courses, the "senegalisation" of employment, the replacement of workers who have reached the age at which they are entitled to retire, and direct recruitment. The Committee notes with interest the conclusion and content of this agreement whose first preambular paragraph states that the struggle against unemployment is a national priority. The Committee hopes that, in its next report, the Government will indicate the scope of the agreement, the quantitative objectives of each programme and the extent to which they have been or are in the process of being attained. (Question 2 under Article 1 of the Convention in the report form.). Please state, in particular, the number of young people who have obtained lasting employment upon completion of the proposed courses and the number of jobseekers recruited by the enterprises.

2. In its previous direct request, the Committee stressed the importance of collecting and analysing statistical and other data concerning the volume and distribution of the workforce and the nature and extent of unemployment and underemployment and trends in these areas, as a basis for decisions regarding employment policy measures (Article 2). In its report, the Government states that it is examining the possibility of organising a system for collecting and processing employment statistics as part of the restructuring fo the manpower service. The Government lists a series of studies and surveys to be used as a basis. It also states that one of its main concerns is to strengthen the means of evaluating the social and economic impact of the structural adjustment programme on the employment market. The Committee takes due note of the Government's efforts and hopes that it will be in a position to communicate in its future reports the information required by the report form (Ar ticle 1, question two, and Part VI of the report form), indicating as far as possible the effects of the structural adjustment programme on employment levels.

3. The Committee notes that the studies on incentives for workers and employers aimed at the promotion of the enterprise, production and employment have now been completed, as have the preliminary reports drawn up on January 1988 by the Delegation for insertion, reinsertion and employment. Please indicate the main conclusions or recommendations and any employment policy measures that have been adopted as a result.

4. The Committee notes the references made by the Government, in its report, to the National Employment Fund (FNE), established by Decree No. 87-1404 of 17 November 1987 and the Special Employment Fund (FSE). It would be grateful if, in its next report, the Government would provide additional information on the type of projects adopted, the characteristics of the different beneficiaries, and the nature and number of the productive jobs created under the projects financed by these funds.

5. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes that the delegation for insertion, reinsertion and employment planned to evaluate the effect of the new provisions of the Investment Code and to ascertain whether its present concerns regarding employment had been taken into account. It also notes with interest the provisions of Decree No. 88-256 of 11 March 1988, setting out the employment and training objectives to be met by enterprises wishing to benefit from any of the schemes provided for in the Investment Code. It requests the Government to continue to supply information on the measures taken to ensure that the criterion of job creation is taken into consideration in decisions concerning investment.

6. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on employment programmes for the urban and rural informal sector, mentioned in the Government's report, stating the objectives, the difficulties encountered and the results obtained.

7. Please indicate whether a follow up is still being carried out in respect of the National Plan of Action for Women to which the Committee has referred in its earlier comments. Please provide information on measures already being implemented or under consideration to satisfy the needs of this category of the active population.

8. The Committee notes that the above-mentioned national agreement for the promotion of employment provides for the establishment of a joint committee made up of representatives of the administration and the employers' organisations parties to the agreement. In future reports, please provide information on the manner in which consultations are carried out, in practice, on employment policy measures, with representatives of the employers and workers and of other sectors of the active population, such as persons working in the rural sector and the urban informal sector (Article 3).