The Government of Liberia has announced a sharp increase in alien work permit fees, raising the cost from US$1,00 to US$3,00, a move widely seen as a response to mounting public pressure and advocacy against the flooding of foreign labor into the country.
The decision, confirmed this week by the Ministry of Labor, follows months of sustained criticism from civil society leaders, lawmakers, and labor experts who accused the Ministry of “selling Liberian jobs” under the guise of revenue generation.
The new policy comes in the wake of a Senate inquiry revealing that more than 10,000 foreign work permits were issued in 2024 alone, with thousands granted as new entries into Liberia’s fragile job market. That disclosure triggered sharp condemnation, particularly from Liberians who argued that unemployment remains one of the country’s deepest crises.
Among the most vocal critics has been George S. Tengbeh, lecturer at the University of Liberia and CEO of the Liberia Labour and Governance Alliance (LILGA). Tengbeh has long argued that Liberia’s labor system was skewed toward nepotism, corruption, and elite deals that sidelined ordinary citizens. In multiple publications, he warned that the Ministry of Labor was transforming itself into a “cashier’s office for foreign permits” rather than a watchdog for national labor security.
“True development cannot occur on the backs of exploited workers,” Tengbeh wrote in one widely cited commentary, stressing that Liberia’s unemployed youth “cannot continue to watch their futures auctioned to foreign labor because the Ministry sees permits as a cash cow.”
The government’s move to triple permit fees is being hailed as the first step toward restoring confidence, but experts, including Tengbeh, caution that the work is far from over.
The Next Step: Empowering the Bureau of Employment
Analysts note that increasing permit fees is meaningless without parallel reforms to guarantee job preference for Liberians, as enshrined in the Liberianization Act. The law clearly states that Liberians must be prioritized in employment, with foreigners considered only when no suitably qualified Liberian is available.
This is where the role of the Bureau of Employment becomes central. The Bureau, a statutory arm of the Ministry of Labor, is mandated to oversee labor availability, conduct employment audits, and ensure that companies comply with national hiring laws.
Yet, critics argue the Bureau has remained largely invisible. “If the Bureau of Employment was fully empowered, no company would fill vacancies with foreign nationals without first advertising those positions publicly for Liberians,” Tengbeh said during a recent radio discussion.
Labor advocates are now calling for the creation of a special task force within the Bureau of Employment. This unit would be tasked with monitoring private companies, enforcing vacancy advertisements in national newspapers and online platforms, and verifying whether qualified Liberians applied. Only after this process should foreign expatriates be considered, and even then, under strict scrutiny.
Such reforms, they argue, would make the new US$3,000 fee more than just a revenue stream; it would become a policy tool to strengthen national employment while ensuring that Liberia’s labor market is transparent and competitive.
Linking Policy to Advocacy
The fee hike also underscores the growing influence of civil society in shaping government labor decisions. Tengbeh and other advocates within LILGA have consistently argued that Liberia’s unemployment crisis cannot be addressed by cosmetic reforms. Instead, they stress systemic enforcement of labor laws, transparent permit issuance, and alignment with international labor standards.
In an earlier policy paper, Tengbeh described Liberia’s labor sector as “plagued by bad labor practices, concession company exploitation, insincere policymakers, and ineffective unions.” He pushed for reforms to the inspection regime, full enforcement of the Decent Work Act, and independent oversight of labor deals.
This week’s policy shift, he says, is evidence that advocacy is yielding results. “Raising the fee is a victory for Liberian workers, but the real victory will be when the Bureau of Employment forces companies to show proof that they sought Liberians first before applying for foreign permits,” Tengbeh emphasized.
Public Reactions
The fee increase has sparked mixed responses. The Liberia Labor Congress welcomed it as a “win for Liberian workers,” while some business leaders expressed concern about the added costs of hiring expatriates. Economists note that companies reliant on specialized skills may pass the costs down to consumers unless exemptions are carefully structured. To strike a balance, experts are suggesting a tiered permit system, with higher fees applied to jobs that Liberians can easily fill, and lower fees reserved for highly technical, scarce-skill roles. Crucially, they argue, each permit must be time-bound and accompanied by a succession plan to localize the role within a defined period.
Looking Ahead
The tripling of alien work permit fees represents a rare moment when grassroots advocacy, legislative oversight, and public pressure converged to move government policy. But as many Liberians point out, “the first step is not the last step.”
What comes next will define whether this reform becomes a genuine labor-market reset or just another revenue measure. The empowerment of the Bureau of Employment, the enforcement of vacancy advertising, and the faithful implementation of the Liberianization Act are now the litmus tests for Minister Kruah and the Boakai administration.
As George S. Tengbeh has consistently reminded the nation: “We must move beyond slogans and gimmicks. Labor justice is not a luxury; it is the bedrock of national development.”
