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The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its reports of May and October 1998 in reply to its previous comments. The Committee also notes that the most recent annual report on the activities of the labour inspectorate transmitted to the ILO in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention covers the year 1989. It once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that annual inspection reports containing all the information required under Article 21 are transmitted to the ILO within the time-limits set out in Article 20.

Child labour and labour inspection. The Government states that labour inspectors are empowered by law to carry out inspections in artisanal workplaces with a view to verifying compliance with the provisions of the national legislation to protect employees engaged in these workplaces. It emphasizes that the current legislation contains specific provisions concerning child labour in the artisan sector and states that the officials responsible for inspection ensure observance of these provisions with all the necessary rigour, and particularly those concerning the age of admission to employment and occupational safety and health. The Committee also notes the information that the Employment Department has adopted a series of measures to reinforce supervisory action in all the economic branches in which child labour is widespread and that a cooperation programme has been launched with the ILO to identify sectors which use child labour. The Committee recalls in this respect that in its previous observation in 1996, which was repeated in 1997, it requested the Government to supply detailed information on the activities of the labour inspectorate, particularly in carpet factories where child labour is widespread according to the information provided previously by trade union organizations. The Committee trusts that the Government will supply this information as soon as possible and that it will indicate the number and frequency of inspections, the number and nature of the violations reported, the contraventions registered and the penalties imposed.

The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on a number of points.