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company are usually negotiated when the contract or agreement is signed. Land ownership laws are complex. In principle only Syrians may own land. The right to repatriation of capital is legally recognized. However, the new investment

law requires that the foreign exchange repatriated be generated from company operations.

Given the centralized structure, specific "buy national" laws do not exist. Goods not produced locally or in insufficient quantities, public sector importing agencies procure from the international market, provided foreign exchange is allocated by the Supreme Economic Council.

6. Export Subsidies Policies

In recent years, the Government has tightened the access of official importing agencies and state enterprises to official foreign exchange reserves. However, recent government decisions allowing public sector companies to transact exports and imports at the "Neighboring Country" rate have improved the foreign exchange position of these companies. Neither export financing nor subsidies are available to either the public or the private sectors. In the past, the system of multiple exchange rates had little or no impact on the level of exports, inasmuch as exporters resorted to unofficial channels where applicable rates did not offer adequate incentives. The recent shift to the official parallel or "Neighboring Country" rate has encouraged both exports and imports to be transacted through official channels. Under the foreign exchange retention system, private sector exporters of agricultural products are permitted to apply 50 percent of foreign exchange proceeds to the purchase of agricultural vehicles, an important incentive in a country which does not permit private sector commercial imports of vehicles.

7. Protection of U.S. Intellectual Property

Syria is a member of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, but has no trademark or copyright laws.

Due to the unsophisticated industrial structure and existing limits on private industry, There are few major infringement problems. Local courts would likely give plaintiffs a fair hearing, but any financial award would be in Syrian pounds.

Most books printed in Syria are in Arabic and by Arab authors. The publishing industry is not well developed. Despite the lack of legal protection, major commercial infringements do not appear to be a problem. There are, however, individual entrepreneurs who copy and sell records, cassettes and videos. These operations are not sanctioned by the Syrian Government. The amount of lost revenue is probably minimal. Enforcement and the associated litigation would be extremely costly.

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The U.S. motion picture industry estimates the home video market in Syria is 100 percent pirated, and is also concerned with unauthorized hotel video performances, which are said to be common. However, only a few hotels have internal video systems.

Given the lack of technical sophistication of Syrian industry and strict government control of communications and data processing, infringements on new technologies are not a problem.

8. Worker Rights

a. The Right of Association

The 1973 Constitution provides for the right to form trade unions. Although the Syrian General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) is purportedly an independent popular organization, in practice the Government uses it as a framework for controlling nearly all aspects of union activity. Effectively, workers are not free to form labor unions independent of the government-prescribed structure. While strikes are not prohibited (except in the agricultural sector), in practice they are effectively discouraged. There were no reported strikes in 1991, as there were none in 1990.

In its 1991 report, the International Labor Organization's Committee of Experts also referred to a number of observations dealing with the single trade union requirement; restrictions on the right of foreign workers to join or form trade unions of their own choosing; government supervision of trade union finances; the requirement that workers spend at least 6 months in a given occupation before becoming eligible for trade union office; and the prohibition of strikes in the agricultural sector.

b. Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively

In the public sector unions do not normally bargain collectively on wage issues, but there is some evidence that union representatives participate with the representatives of the respective employer and ministry in establishing sectoral minimum wages, according to legally prescribed cost of living levels. Workers make up the majority of each board of directors in public enterprises and union representation is always included on those boards. Unions enforce compliance with the labor law. In the private sector, unions are active in monitoring compliance with the laws and ensuring workers' health and safety. The unions, under the law, can undertake negotiations for collective contracts with employers. Generally wages in the private sector are set through annual consultations among Government, business and labor representatives. Workers are protected by law from antiunion discrimination, and there are no reports of it being practiced (see also section 8.e.)

c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor

There is no law in Syria banning forced or compulsory labor. There are a few instances in which such punishment can

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be imposed as punishment, usually in connection with prison sentences for criminal offenses.

d.

Minimum Age for Employment of Children

The minimum employment age in the predominant public sector is fourteen, though it is higher in certain

industries. The minimum age varies more widely in the private sector; the absolute minimum age is 12, while parental permission is required for children under age 16 to work. Children are forbidden to work at night.

The Government legislatively establishes minimum and maximum wage limits in the public sector, and sets limits on maximum allowable overtime for public sector employees. There is no single minimum wage in the private sector for permanent employees. According to the 1959 Labor Law, minimum wage levels in the private sector are set by sector and are fixed by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor. Recommendations are put to him by a committee, including representatives of the Ministries of Industry and Economy as well as representatives of the employers' association and the employees' unions. In practice, private sector monthly minima are not less than that in the public sector. In both the public and private sectors, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is responsible for enforcing minium wage levels.

The Labor Law extensively regulates conditions of work. This includes rules and regulations which severely limit the ability of an employer to fire an employee without due cause. One exception to the heavily regulated labor field relates to day laborers. They are not subject to minimum wage regulations and receive compensation only for job related injuries. They are commonly employed in small private firms and businesses in order to avoid the costs of permanent employees who are well protected, even against firing.

The statutory work week consists of six 6-hour days, although in certain fields in which workers are not continuously busy, a 9-hour day is permitted. Labor laws also mandate a full 24 hour rest day per week. Public laws mandate safety standards in all sectors, and managers are expected to implement them fully. A special department of the Social Security establishment works, through its regional branches, with inspectors at the Ministries of Health and Labor to ensure compliance with safety standards. In addition, workers may file suit against their employers if dangerous conditions on their jobs threaten their health. Guest workers theoretically receive the same benefits but are often reluctant to press claims because workers' permits may be withdrawn at any time. Moreover, many work illegally and are not covered by the official system.

f. Rights in Sectors with U.S. Investment

There is no direct U.S. investment, other than oil exploration and development, in Syria. U.S. firms are required to comply with Syrian labor law.

(D)-Suppressed to avoid disclosing data of individual companies

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce (unpublished)

Bureau of Economic Analysis, August 1991

The Tunisian economy weathered the worst effects of the Gulf crisis better than most observers expected. In spite of a lackluster tourist season, real GDP will grow nearly 3 percent in 1991. The growth is almost entirely due to a 12 percent expansion in the agricultural sector, which saw record crops in hard wheat and olive oil.

The 27.5 percent drop in tourism revenues, Tunisia's largest source of foreign exchange, accentuated the Government of Tunisia's concerns about the vulnerability of its hard currency reserves. The 1990 trade deficit was $662 million.