E/C.12/UKR/CO/6 Employment in the informal economy 13. The Committee notes with concern that 4.6 million persons, or 22.9 per cent of the total employed population, were employed in the informal sector in 2010, and were therefore not covered by the labour legislation or the social protection system (arts. 6, 7 and 9). The Committee recommends that the State party take all appropriate measures to progressively reduce the level of informal employment and to increase the access of persons employed in the informal economy to basic services, social protection and other Covenant rights. The Committee also recommends that the State party systematically include the informal sector in the operations of the labour inspection services, address regulatory obstacles to job creation in the formal economy, and raise public awareness of the fact that labour rights and social protection apply in the informal economy. Wage arrears 14. The Committee notes with concern that the non-payment of wages is still a problem in the State party, with wage arrears amounting to Hrv 998 million as at 1 March 2014 (arts. 6 and 7). The State party should step up measures to address the problem of wage arrears, including by: (a) Ensuring the effective monitoring of the payment of wages; (b) Providing for appropriate and dissuasive sanctions in case of violations; (c) Ensuring that a wage guarantee institution is in place in order for workers to secure payment of their wages when such payment cannot be made by the employer owing to insolvency; (d) Ensuring that mechanisms of redress provide for not only the full payment of the overdue amounts, but also fair compensation for the losses incurred on account of delayed payment. Social security 15. The Committee commends the State party for establishing the concept of State social standards comprising the minimum wage, the minimum pension and the subsistence level, and for regularly increasing the relevant amounts. However, the Committee is concerned that the levels of the minimum wage, unemployment benefit and minimum pension are still not sufficient to provide workers, unemployed persons and pensioners with a decent living for themselves and their families (arts. 7, 9 and 11). The State party should take measures to progressively bring its State social standards into line with its core obligations under articles 7, 9 and 11 of the Covenant and progressively increase the relevant amounts. Health insurance system 16. While noting that the possibility of establishing a mandatory national health insurance system has been under consideration, the Committee is concerned about the lack of progress in that area (arts. 9 and 12). 6