E/C.12/TGO/CO/1 Recalling the State party’s obligation to safeguard the right of all persons to fair and decent working conditions, the Committee urges the State party to raise the minimum wage strictly in line with the cost of the “basket of household goods” for workers and their families and to ensure that the minimum wage is applied in all sectors. The Committee also calls upon the State party to revise the salary scale in the public sector in order to ensure a decent standard of living for civil servants and their families. 17. The Committee is concerned that working conditions in the free zone remain appalling and that only a fraction of the workforce is covered by social security insurance. The Committee also notes with concern that labour inspectors have been denied access to companies operating in the free zone, despite the entry into force of the 2011 Act on the status of the free zone (art. 7). The Committee urges the State party to ensure that labour law is applied in companies operating in the free zone and to impose effective sanctions in the event of non-compliance. The Committee further recommends that the State party ensure that the parties concerned are familiar with the new 2011 Act on the status of the free zone so as to ensure that labour inspectors are given free access to all companies operating in the free zone. The Committee requests that the State party provide, in its next periodic report, statistics on labour disputes, including those involving companies in the free zone. The Committee also asks the State party to clarify the role of the Company for the Administration of Free Trade Zones (Société d’Administration des Zones Franches, SAZOF) in the new legal framework. 18. The Committee is concerned that persons working in the informal sector, including domestic workers, do not enjoy fair and satisfactory working conditions (arts. 7 and 9). The Committee recommends that the State party apply the Labour Code and social legislation within the informal sector, in particular by opening it up to labour inspection services. The Committee requests that the State party deal with regulatory obstacles to job creation in the informal sector. 19. The Committee notes with concern that a large proportion of the State party’s population enjoys no form of social protection, despite the passage into law of the Medical Insurance Act and the Social Security Code in 2011, under which coverage of the schemes was considerably expanded. The Committee also notes with regret the slowness with which the planned reforms are being introduced and is concerned by reports that the financial future of the social security institutions involved is not secured (art. 9). The Committee urges the State party to speed up the implementation of the social security system in order to achieve the extended coverage provided for in the Social Security Code of 2011 as rapidly as possible. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that these reforms are based on lasting institutions and procedures that are accessible to all. The Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 19 (2007) on the right to social security. 20. The Committee draws attention, with particular concern, to the fact that child labour is widespread in the State party, especially in the most deprived regions (art. 10). The Committee urges the State party to implement the National Plan of Action to Combat Child Labour and to ensure that it is properly funded. 21. The Committee is concerned that the difficulties involved in obtaining civil status certificates prevent many individuals in the State party from exercising their economic, social and cultural rights (art. 10). GE.13-44283 5