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The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government in its first report and in the report received in 2007. Referring also to its comments under Convention No. 81 on the coverage of the labour inspection system and the prospect of creating an integrated inspection system incorporating occupational safety and health issues, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to the following points.

Article 9, paragraph 3, of the Convention. Training of inspectors. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate the measures taken to ensure appropriate training for inspection staff performing their duties in the agricultural undertakings liable to inspection by each of the inspection authorities.

Article 15, paragraphs 1(b) and 2, and Article 21. Transport facilities, reimbursement of the travelling expenses of labour inspectors and inspections carried out. According to the information provided by the Government, during the period covered by the 2007 report, 8,672 agricultural undertakings were inspected out of almost 253,000 undertakings liable to inspection (legal entities and individuals who hire workers), representing a coverage rate of less than 3.5 per cent of undertakings. The information provided by the Government in its report under Article 17 of the Convention on inspection activities in the agricultural sector seems to indicate that these activities mainly target complexes in the food-processing industry. The Government also indicates that the inspection services do not have vehicles at their disposal for their work-related travel, but that the related expenses are reimbursed up to the relevant state budget allocation. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide further information on the distribution of inspections between industrial food-processing undertakings and agricultural undertakings employing agricultural workers. It also requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to ensure that agricultural undertakings which are situated far from urban centres and public transport facilities are inspected as often and as thoroughly as prescribed by Article 21.

Article 26. Publication of an annual report on the work of the inspection services in agriculture. The Committee notes with interest the detailed information provided by the Government on the activities of labour inspectors in 2005, 2006 and during the first half of 2007. It draws the Government’s attention to its comments in paragraphs 320 to 345 of its General Survey of 2006 on labour inspection on the objectives of an annual report containing the information required by Article 27 and on the value of its publication in one of the forms and within the time limits prescribed by Article 26, and it requests the Government to take measures to give full effect to these provisions and to keep the ILO informed.