Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Madagascar (Ratification: 1966)

The Committee notes with interest the encouraging information contained in the Government's report. It hopes that the Government will continue to supply regularly full reports on the application of the Convention. Furthermore, it would be grateful if the Government would supply information on the following points:

1. The Government states in its report that the growth of employment in the formal sector was very slow during the period 1986-88. The objective established by the 1986-90 Plan (the creation of 17,500 jobs per year over the 1984-90 period) has not been achieved, and the sector only recorded the creation of 1,350 jobs per year. However, the informal sector continues to employ the great majority of the active population and to take up most of the new jobseekers, with an annual average creation of jobs of around 117,000. The Committee notes that, among the "essential objectives" of the current phase of the Government's adjustment programme, it is planned to achieve a rate of economic growth that is higher than the demographic growth, to restructure the industrial sector, to promote small and medium enterprises, to improve the quality of education and to promote a social policy for the most underprivileged groups. In this connection, within the framework of the social aspects of adjustment, the "project for social activities and support for economic management" (PASAGE) was prepared in 1989. The Committee refers to Article 1, paragraph 1, of the Convention, which provides that each Member that has ratified the Convention shall declare and pursue "as a major goal" an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment. It trusts that the orientations of the structural adjustment programme will not conflict with the pursual of the objective of promoting full employment, as set out in the Convention, and that the Government will be in a position to supply information on the impact of the measures that have been taken within the framework of the structural adjustment programme on the situation, level and trends of employment, both on the aggregate and as they affect particular categories of workers such as women, young persons, older workers and disabled workers.

2. Article 2. The Committee notes with interest the results of the measures taken to improve information on employment. It notes the assistance received from the Office and from other international organisations. It hopes that surveys, studies and especially the establishment of a database on employment will assist the Government to "decide on and keep under review, within the framework of a co-ordinated economic and social policy", the measures to be adopted for attaining the objectives specified in Article 1 of the Convention. Please forward extracts of reports, studies and enquiries that are available and related to economic social policy measures on employment (Part VI of the report form).

3. Please supply information on the extent to which the new Investment Code and the Act respecting free industrial zones have contributed to the creation of new jobs.

4. The Committee notes with interest the detailed information on the action taken as a result of the assistance received from ILO technical co-operation projects in various fields (development of crafts, vocational training and further training, the promotion of young entrepreneurs, the vocational rehabilitation of the disabled, programme of labour-intensive works, project for a programme for the vocational reintegration of redundant workers within the context of the reform of public enterprises). The Committee welcomes these activities, which contribute to a better knowledge and application of the Convention, and it would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply information on the progress of the current programmes (Part V of the report form).

5. The Committee notes with interest the Government's policies in the field of education. Within the context of the programme to strengthen the education sector (CRESED), two higher institutes of technology have been established on an experimental basis and a project on training and technical education is being prepared with the support of the World Bank. With reference to the final comments contained in its General Survey of 1991 on the instruments relating to the development of human resources, the Committee emphasises the contribution made by vocational training and guidance to attaining the objectives of the Convention, particularly within the framework of an overall strategy to combat problems related to structural adjustment. It would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply information on the measures that have been adopted to co-ordinate education and training policies with prospective employment opportunities.

6. Article 3. The Government indicates that professional groups of employers and workers are represented on special bodies such as the National Institute for the Promotion of Training (INPF), the National Workers' Education Centre and on inter-enterprise health organisations. Representatives of the professions participated in consultations prior to the adoption of legislation respecting the Code of Investments and the industrial free zones. Please supply further information on activities in the field of employment that have been developed as a result of consultations with the representatives of the persons affected, and particularly with representatives of workers employed in the rural and informal sectors.