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The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report covering the period 1997-98. The Government states that economic growth began to slow substantially at the end of 1996, due to anti-inflation measures taken. GDP grew by less than 2 per cent in 1997, down from 4.5 per cent in 1996. Those most affected by the increase in unemployment are the young (aged 15-24), people who did not finish secondary school, and those living in developing areas. The Government is attempting to reduce interest rates gradually to stimulate growth. The Government adds that a decrease in the number of vacancies being posted in the Employment Service has resulted in fewer suitable jobs for registered jobseekers, leading to longer duration of unemployment spells. The Government is looking into transferring some functions of the Employment Service to private agencies to remedy the situation. The Government also is in the process of examining a proposal to replace "crisis" courses offered in times of unemployment with lifetime studies, to reduce the problem of mismatch. It also intends to increase the number of vocational courses available and to extend public works projects. The Committee would appreciate receiving further information on the effect of these efforts to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment, in accordance with Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee also notes the employment statistics supplied in the report and asks the Government to supply information on the trends of underemployment, as requested in the report form under Article 1.

Further to its previous comments, the Committee would appreciate additional information on the procedures adopted to ensure that the principal measures of employment policy are decided on and kept under periodical review within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, as specified in Article 2. It asks the Government to indicate whether formal procedures have been established for consulting with representatives of workers' and employers' organizations, and representatives of other sectors of the economically active population such as those working in the rural and informal sectors, on employment policies, as required in Article 3.