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1. The Committee took note of the Government's report for 1996 and the information it contains in reply to its previous observation. It regrets, however, that the report does not contain statistical data allowing appreciation of the situation and trends in the active population, employment, underemployment and unemployment. The Committee requests the Government to supply any data or estimates available on this subject in its next report, indicating how they are updated in the intervals separating national surveys on population and employment. Recalling that the VIIIth Economic and Social Development Plan envisaged achieving a reduction of unemployment rate to 13 per cent in 1996, it requests the Government to indicate the type of difficulties encountered in achieving this objective, indicating to what extent they have been overcome. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would describe the growth and employment objectives of the IXth Plan (1997-2001) and supply the relevant extracts.

2. In its report, the Government provides information which relates mostly to the reforms completed or in progress in order to strengthen the initial and further vocational training system and to adapt it to the new requirements of the economy. The Committee recalls its interest in information on other aspects of economic and social policy having an impact on employment. It requests the Government to indicate in its next report how the measures taken in fields such as investment policy, budgetary and monetary policies and price, incomes and wages policies contribute to promoting full, productive and freely chosen employment. In addition, the Committee again asks the Government to indicate the measures that have been taken or are envisaged to ensure that the implementation of the recent association agreement concluded with the European Community has a beneficial impact on the employment situation.

3. The Committee notes the indications on the number of beneficiaries of measures for the integration of young people into the labour market and the implementation of the integrated programme of support for the creation of employment in backward regions. It would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide information, as detailed as possible, on the implementation of the various labour market policy measures, and supply any available evaluation of their results in terms of effective and lasting integration in employment of those concerned.

4. Article 3 of the Convention. The Government indicates that the National Council for Vocational Training and Employment, in which representatives of employers' and workers' organizations participate, contributes to the formulation of development plans for employment and vocational training. It adds that the Economic and Social Council is consulted on the General National Economic and Social Development Plan and will examine the draft legislative texts relating to employment. The Committee recalls that under this important provision of the Convention, representatives of all the sectors concerned must be consulted on employment policies, in both formulating and implementing the policies. It requests the Government to supply examples of recent consultations in the bodies it mentions, specifying the opinions received and how they were taken into account.