The National Center for the Coordination of Response Mechanism (NCCRM) has embarked on stakeholders’ coordination and engagement gathering to address the rising labor issues across Liberia.
Stakeholders at the gathering are from the Labor Ministry, International Labor Organization (ILO), Liberia Labor Union, the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Justice Ministry, Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC), National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL), and Liberia Peacebuilding Office (LPBO) at Internal Affairs Ministry including WONGOSOL, WANEP and ECOWAS.
Over the years in Liberia there have been a lot of issues surrounding the labor sector ranging from the worst forms of child labor, public sector work reforms, unemployment and poverty, weak labor law and enforcement including fragmented labor unions.
But recently, the issue involving alleged issuance of [work permits] to thousands of foreign nationals for jobs that many Liberians are qualified to do have been the concerns of well-meaning state actors including Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillion.
And this work permit issue is squarely placed at the feet of Liberia’s Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper Kruah.
Providing an insight of the gathering, NCCRM Acting Deputy Executive Director, Mrs. Sophie M.P. Reeves disclosed that it is to address the growing of concerns triggering from the labor sector through stakeholders’ engagement.
Mrs. Reeves indicated it is also to review the existing legal and policy framework governing work permit issuance, identifying gaps in enforcement and industrial coordination, share data and stakeholders on labor market dynamics, develop a multi-agency action plan to strengthen regulatory oversight and recommend reforms and implementation mechanisms to prioritize Liberians.
Speaking early, NCCRM Acting Executive Director, Arthur Bestman, underscored the significance of the gathering involving relevant ministries and agencies of government in civil society organizations representatives to strategize and develop a workable recommendation to ease the high tensions that have NCCRM Acting Deputy Executive Director, engulfed the country’s labor sector.
Mr. Bestman: “We have been holding a series of discussions before, but this is charged, and we expect that this discussion will be fruitful and that we will have the needed results; that we will be able to advise the government in the manner and form that we can do”.
The NCCRM Acting Executive Director narrated that the country is facing serious challenges as huge portions of Liberia’s population are increasingly affected by narcotic substances and the disadvantages in the labor sector as well. It is from this backdrop, that stakeholders and the key Ministry, Labor are meeting to find a way out of the labor issues, particularly issuance of work permits.
“The thing we are gathering here today is the importance of the Liberian workforce. What do we do to address the bread-and-butter guaranteed issue and that is employment,” Mr. Bestman explained.
He noted that there have been a lot of issues in the media about issuance of work permits, how it was done and that it was unfair to the Labor Ministry and Government of Liberia to make hasty generalizations. That is why this gathering is very significant.
Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper Kruah, who provided some brief information, disclosed that the issuance of the work permits is being legitimately to people (foreign nationals) who come to the country to work for companies, public sector institutions, international and regional organizations.
Minister Kruah disclosed that the Ministry is not selling work permits and permits are different categories including gratis for foreign nationals married to Liberians.
He further mentioned that work permits are not equivalent to getting a job and does not guarantee employment for foreign nationals, and it is issued only to legal residents granted by the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS).
Minister Kruah said besides, Liberia is a signatory to international protocols including the International Labor Organization (ILO) and cannot have discriminatory employment policy.
Among other things, the Minister disclosed that this government inherited 7,000 foreign workers and under this government 2, 484 permits were issued in 2024.
Meanwhile, he noted that the Labor Ministry has started some reforms, including having Liberia branch managers for companies that are expanding.
National Center for the Coordination of Response Mechanism (NCCRM) is an early warning response center designed to detect, monitor, and report potential conflicts and human security issues within the country.
It plays a crucial role in coordinating efforts related to humanitarian aid, emergency response and public administration, particularly focusing on protecting vulnerable populations like women, children, displaced persons and victims of human trafficking.
It works with various national and international stakeholders, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to implement plans and enhance coordination mechanisms.
It is to provide early warning information, produce monthly reports, advisory notes, weekly briefs, alerts and recommendations to the Government of Liberia in thematic areas.
The areas are Environment, Health and Pandemics, Security, Crimes and Criminality, Governance and Human Rights and Gender to prevent or mitigate the impacts of threats to human security.
