CMNT_TITLE

The Committee notes with satisfaction the Government's reports containing information in reply to its earlier comments and the abundant documentation provided with these reports.

1. The Committee notes that the annual inspection reports are published in the form required under the terms of Article 20 of the Convention and contain the elements referred to in Article 21 of the said Convention and detailed in accordance with the guidelines given in Part IV of the Labour Inspection Recommendation, 1947 (No. 81). The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to provide the Office with annual inspection reports on a regular basis.

2. The Committee also notes with interest the efforts made by the Government to strengthen the powers and resources of the labour inspection services. It notes that section 2 of Ordinance No. 96.11 of 10 June 1996 amending and supplementing Act No. 90.03 of 6 February 1990 increases the investigative powers of inspectors by giving them access, through the employer, at the headquarters of the employers' organization or at the workplace, to all information on legislation and regulations relating to labour and the conditions under which work is performed. The Committee furthermore notes that Executive Decree No. 96.98 of 6 March 1996 provides for the inclusion of reports on occupational accidents and diseases in the special registers which employers are required to keep (sections 10, 12, 15 and 16), and that these registers are available to the labour inspector when checks are carried out, even when the employer is absent (section 13). The Committee hopes that these legislative provisions will promote the development of strategies for preventing occupational hazards by improving knowledge of the causes and circumstances of occupational accidents and diseases.

3. Lastly, noting with interest the information provided on the increase in the means of transport and facilities available to the labour inspection services, the Committee hopes that the Government will continue to maintain the effectiveness of the latter by providing the resources and facilities needed to accomplish their task and that it will provide the Office with information on any progress made in this regard.