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1. The Committee takes note of the Government's report for the period ending June 1988 and of the information supplied in answer to its previous direct request. According to the information, the Government's efforts to establish the necessary economic infrastructures and implement the rural development policy, within the framework of the 1983-1986 Interim Plan, have had an indirect impact on employment and have helped to contain the rural exodus. The Government indicates that, at the same time, it is strengthening its efforts with regard to employment, particularly the employment of young people. According to the information transmitted with the Government's report, the problems of employment, unemployment and underemployment, particularly among young people of aged 15 to 24 (who account for 60 per cent of the active population of the Comoros) remain, and constitute one of the Government's main concerns. The Committee notes that the Government states that it has accordingly resolved to make the promotion of employment a national priority in the planning process. The Committee trusts that the Government will provide all available information on the measures taken to promote an active employment policy in the meaning of the Convention (Article 1), referring to the relevant questions under this Article in the report form. It also hopes that the Government's next report will describe the procedures adopted to ensure that the effects on employment of measures taken to promote economic development or other economic and social objective receive due consideration (Article 2). Please also provide information on the following points:

(a)the effects on the labour market of the national programme to generate employment and self-employment in the small enterprise and craft sectors;

(b)the action undertaken to promote employment in the rural sector by the Centre for Support to Rural Development (CADER) and the Comoros Federal Development Support Centre (CEFADER);

(c)measures to co-ordinate education and training policies with employment prospects.

2. Article 3. The Government indicates that in the absence of employers' and workers' organisations, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture is consulted concerning employment policies. The Committee recalls that this provision of the Convention provides specifically that "representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken, and in particular representatives of employers and workers, shall be consulted concerning employment policies ...". The Committee hopes that the Government will take appropriate measures to give full effect to this important provision of the Convention. It therefore asks the Government to indicate the manner in which the "representatives of the persons affected" who may be not only representatives of employers' and workers' organisations, but also representatives of other sectors of the economically active population (such as those working in the rural sector and the informal sector), are consulted on employment policies.

3. Part V of the report form. The Government indicates in its report that it requested the assistance of the PECTA in 1987 and 1988 to set up a guarantee fund for small craft enterprises, to organise an employment cell and to register enterprises and compile statistical information on their activities, but that so far there has been no response to this request. The Committee hopes that it will be possible for these projects to be implemented rapidly and that, in its future reports, the Government will be able to provide information on the action undertaken as a result of the assistance or advice provided by the ILO departments dealing with employment policy. Please indicate also any factors which may have hindered or delayed such action.