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Article 5 of the Convention. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government concerning the raising of the restrictions imposed by the Central Bank with regard to the transfer of funds. In this context, the Government refers to 75 beneficiaries residing in Italy for whom benefits are paid through designated substitutes in Brazil whereas, according to the statistics supplied in the annexature to the information received in 1990, the Government mentioned 1,600 beneficiaries in Italy who were receiving Brazilian social security benefits. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply information on the reasons for such a decrease in the number of beneficiaries in Italy receiving Brazilian social security benefits.

Furthermore, the Committee notes the statistical information supplied by the Government concerning the transfer of benefits to Spain and Portugal. It would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply in all its future reports statistical information on the number of beneficiaries residing abroad and on the amount of the benefits transferred, with an indication in particular of the country of residence of the beneficiary.

Articles 7 and 8 (in relation to Article 10, paragraph 1). With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes with interest that new agreements have been prepared for signature with Spain, Italy and Portugal and that negotiations are under way with Austria, Canada, Guatemala and the United States in particular. It also notes that the agreements concluded with Argentina and Uruguay apply to all the workers covered by the social security scheme of the contracting States irrespective of their nationality. The Committee therefore hopes that, in the conclusion of any new agreements, the Government will continue to adopt the same broad approach with regard to the scope of the agreements so as to give better effect to these provisions of the Convention. It hopes that the Government will supply information in its next report on any progress achieved in this respect and that it will supply the text of any new agreement which is concluded.