E/C.12/1/Add.107 page 4 25. The Committee is concerned that the low level of wages, particularly in rural areas and in the west of the country is insufficient to provide a decent standard of living for workers and their families. The Committee notes that the situation is aggravated by the persistent problem of wage arrears, especially in the construction sector. 26. The Committee regrets the State party’s prohibition of the right to organize and join independent trade unions in the State party. 27. The Committee is concerned that many of the reforms in the formal welfare system have not been extended to the countryside, where the local authorities of poor regions have a limited capacity to generate the funds necessary to provide welfare and social services. The Committee notes with concern that the means-tested non-contributory social assistance extended to all urban areas starting in 1996 was similarly extended to some, but not all rural areas. 28. The Committee regrets that, in the absence of reliable data, it could not assess the nature and extent of the reportedly high incidence of domestic violence in the State party and the degree of enforcement of existing legislation for the protection of victims of domestic violence. 29. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of reliable information, including statistics, on the extent of the problem of sexual exploitation of women and children in the State party, including prostitution, sale and trafficking in persons. 30. The Committee is deeply concerned that despite the rapid economic development in recent years, poverty persists in the country, disproportionately affecting the rural population. The Committee is concerned that in spite of the efforts made by the State party to improve the economic and social conditions of rural populations, the disparity in income and in the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living continues to widen between the rich and the poor, in particular those in urban/rural areas, as well as those in coastal provinces/inland provinces. The Committee also regrets the absence of an official poverty line that would enable the State party to define the extent of poverty and to monitor and evaluate progress in alleviating poverty. 31. The Committee is concerned about the reports of forced evictions and insufficient measures to provide compensation or alternative housing to those who have been removed from their homes in the context of urban development projects as well as of rural development projects such as the Three Gorges Project. The Committee is concerned about the number of forced evictions and demolitions that have occurred in anticipation of the 2008 Olympic Games to be hosted by the State party. The Committee further expresses concern about the lack of effective consultations and legal redress for persons affected by forced evictions and demolitions, including those of historic structures, buildings and homes in Lhasa, Tibet. The Committee also regrets that insufficient information was provided on the extent and causes of homelessness in the State party. 32. The Committee notes with concern that funds allocated to public health have diminished despite the overall increase of health-care expenditures over the past decade in the State party. Furthermore, the Committee notes with concern that the health-care system that had in the past delivered basic health care to the majority of rural residents has been considerably reduced.