Nine local firms who have flouted race reporting laws are falling into line said Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister.

And Mr. Lister said The Royal Gazette had played a big part in keeping up the pressure on companies ignoring the laws.

Last month Mr. Lister said the companies would be named and shamed in the courts and press if they failed to register with the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE). They had missed the October deadline for form three which gives the racial breakdown of their workforce as it stood on August 31, 2000.

Mr. Lister said: "We had been in contact with them but thinking about what the paper said probably made them a little more sober.

"Then we had one submission and the others are all in the process of trying to submit now they understand the consequences to themselves.'' Firms failing to register can be hit with $1,000 fines.

"I would expect in a reasonable period of time to get them all. At the moment we are trying to take them through it,'' said Mr. Lister. "In a couple of weeks I am hoping to get them all in.

"We can move towards the final reports when we get these.'' Mr. Lister said he had been pleased with the responses from the rest of the 436 firms who come under the CURE regulations because they employ ten or more people.

"Basically we are very pleased with what's happened. The level of cooperation has been extremely good and we are very pleased business has taken it to heart.'' He said companies now needed to keep up with day to day monitoring of hiring and firing and promotions which comes under form four which must then be submitted by the end of August.

Last month Government launched a web programme to make it easier for firms to compile their statistics.

Mr. Lister said: "People should take advantage of the Internet and whatever other means of capturing the information from day to day.'' Terry Lister