MONROVIA โ The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has mandated its committee on Labor to streamline the list of work permits submitted to the Senate by Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah.
Plenaryโs decision resulted from a heated debate on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, surrounding the issuance of work permits to non-Liberians by the Ministry of Labor.
The Senate has since mandated its Committee on Labor, chaired by Grand Gedeh County Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely, to comprehensively scrutinize the categorization and issuance process of work permits across the country.
Presenting a report on the current status of work permits, Senator Nimely revealed that a total of 10,117 work permits were issued under the leadership of Labor Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah.
Of this number, 7,633 permits representing (75%) were renewals, while 2,484 representing (25%) were newly issued.
Senator Nimely emphasized that the unchecked issuance of work permits has serious implications for employment opportunities available to Liberians and called for urgent action to safeguard local jobs.
Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County, who initially raised the issue of work permits, contended that permits should not be viewed as a tool for revenue generation but rather as a regulatory measure to prevent non-Liberians from occupying jobs that qualified Liberians can perform.
He further criticized Labor Minister Cllr. Kruah for failing to include job categories in his report and recommended that the Minister be held in contempt and faces a vote of no confidence.
Senator Dillon at the same time cited disparities in labor conditions, further highlighting a specific case of Western Cluster, where 600 Liberians and 300 non-Liberians served as truck drivers under vastly different pay scales with Liberians earning US$1000, while non-Liberians earned up to US$5,000 as monthly salary for the same work.
The Montserrado County Legislator also argued that there are lot of disadvantages of issuing work permits to non-Liberians when Liberians are capable to do these jobs, stating โIt reduces employment opportunities for qualified Liberians, specifically in sectors where local skills are available but overlooked in favor of foreign Labor. Foreign workers often receive higher salaries for the same roles being performed by Liberians, leading to unfair labor practicesโ.
He maintained that without strict regulations and job categorization, some employers will misuse work permits to bring in foreign labor for low-skilled jobs that Liberians can easily perform.
Senator Dillon acknowledged that when work permits become a major source of Revenue generation, the issuance process may prioritize income generation over national employment policy, leading to uncontrolled inflow of foreign labor.
Senator Wellington Geevon Smithย of Rivercess County agreed with Senator Nimely and underscored the importance of minimizing work permits fees to avoid creating a system that deprives Liberians of employment.
Senator Smith noted that the current setup essentially incentivizes the hiring of foreign labor, which he said runs contrary to the Senateโs objectives.
Senator Bill Twehway of Rivercess County took a stronger stance, proposing that the cost of obtaining a work permit for non-Liberian be significantly increased from the current US$1000 to US$5000.
According to him, this increase would serve as a deterrent to discourage the influx of foreign workers taking on jobs that Liberians are qualified to do.
Senator Dabah M. Varpilah of Grand Cape Mount County called on the Committee to revisit and clearly identify job sectors in which Liberians are fully capable of serving, stating that priority must be given for Liberians to be employed.
Senator Augustine Chea of Sinoe County went further by acknowledging that in some supermarkets, foreign nationals are granted work permits for roles basically like standing over cashiers, which he described as an abuse of the system.
Following the extensive deliberations, Plenary endorsed a motion proffered by Senator Joseph Jallah of Lofa County mandating the Committee on Labor to streamline the List submitted with the aims of categorizing the jobs that the Ministry of Labor should issue permits for and report to the Senateโs Plenary within two weeks.
