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The Committee has noted the Government’s report for the period ending 31 May 2005, the information it contains in response to its previous comments and the documents attached. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide in its next report additional information concerning the following points.

1. Number of inspectors and their status and conditions of service. Referring to its previous comments relating to the level of the salaries of inspectors, the Committee notes the Government’s explanations concerning the role of the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) in the re-examination of pay, grade structure and the conditions of service of public officials. It notes in this regard the conclusions of the PRB concerning differences in wages affecting Occupational Health and Safety Inspectors. The Committee invites the Government to ensure that, within the framework of the procedures it describes, it takes into account the need to guarantee public officials responsible for labour inspection a level of pay and career prospects which will attract and retain quality staff and to ensure that they are independent of any improper influence, in accordance with Article 6 of the Convention, when determining their conditions of service. The Committee also notes the information relating to the conditions of service of inspectors under contract. It requests the Government to indicate the manner in which these officials are ensured stability of employment and are independent of changes of government and of improper external influences, as required by the same Article of the Convention. The Committee hopes moreover that the Government will soon be in a position to indicate that the vacant posts, both in the Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate and the Labour Inspectorate, have been filled.

2. Publication of an annual report. The Committee, which notes the tables of statistics attached to the report, hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to transmit the annual reports which, since 2001, it has repeatedly indicated are being compiled. It recalls the importance that it attaches, for the proper functioning of the labour inspectorate, to the publication and transmission to the ILO by the central inspection authority of an annual inspection report containing all the information required under Article 21 of the Convention within the deadlines prescribed by Article 20. The Committee hopes that the Government’s next report will indicate real progress in this regard.