By George S. Tengbeh
In Liberia’s fragile economic recovery, where youth unemployment continues to soar and the middle class remains strangled by structural inequality, one would hope that our national institutions, particularly the Ministry of Labor, would be at the forefront of protecting Liberian jobs and preserving the integrity of the labor market. Sadly, this hope has been shattered by the most recent revelations surrounding the Ministry of Labor under the leadership of Minister Cooper Kruah.
In a shocking report submitted to the Liberian Senate, the Ministry disclosed that it issued 10,117 work permits to foreign nationals in 2024 alone. Of this total, 7,633 were renewals and 2,484 were new permits, representing fresh job entries that should have been safeguarded for Liberians. Even more concerning, non-African foreigners received the majority of these permits, 6,980 to be precise, while only 438 were granted to ECOWAS nationals. The gender distribution was also stark, with 87% of permits issued to men, highlighting deeper issues of inequality not only between nationalities but also between genders.
While the Ministry frames these permits as either necessary renewals or revenue-generating tools, Liberians across all sectors see this for what it truly is: a betrayal of national labor sovereignty.
When Leadership Becomes an Auction Block
Minister Kruah’s justification of this massive issuance of foreign permits exposes a grotesque departure from his duty as a public servant. When summoned by the Liberian Senate to explain the Ministry’s role in selling Liberian jobs under the guise of revenue generation, one would expect contrition and commitment to reform. Instead, the Minister doubled down, boasting of how the Ministry has become a top income generator, reportedly collecting over $5 million in the first six months of this administration from these permits.
This is not progress. This is profiteering.
As I stated in my response to his Senate submission:
“Your responsibility as a seasoned lawyer and the new Minister of Labor was to revoke some of those permits on grounds those jobs are meant for Liberians according to the Liberianization Act. You sold your people’s jobs and acted upon your stomach instead of supporting your people. Now we know the truth about how you generated over $5 million in 6 months and started boasting as the highest income-generating minister between January 2024 to July 2024. You proved that you came not to rescue the common citizens but to sign big deals for the enrichment of yourself and your cronies. This mentality of ‘WE MET IT THERE’ will only further destroy our country and NOT rescue it. We are finished even when we have not reached the finished line. Damn.”
Let it be known: this is not just poor leadership, it is a deliberate collusion against Liberian workers.
The Legal Framework He Ignores
Liberia is not without laws. The Decent Work Act of 2015 clearly outlines the conditions under which foreign work permits can be granted. Sections 7.1 and 45.9 mandate that employers must demonstrate the unavailability of qualified Liberians for any position before seeking foreign labor. This requires public advertisements of the position in local media and verification from the Ministry’s Bureau of Employment.
Yet, despite these clear statutes, thousands of permits continue to be rubber-stamped with little to no proof that employers even attempted to hire Liberians. Where are the job announcements in local papers? Where is the labor vetting from the Bureau of Employment? And more importantly, why is the law not being enforced?
Economic Sabotage Masquerading as Policy
Minister Kruah’s reckless strategy to turn the Ministry into a self-financing engine through foreign permit fees may pad government coffers in the short term, but the long-term damage is irreversible. By institutionalizing the replacement of Liberian workers with foreign nationals, most of whom remit their earnings abroad, the Ministry is bleeding the country of both opportunity and economic empowerment.
This practice reinforces a cycle of poverty, dependency, and elite enrichment. Jobs that should serve as pathways out of poverty for young Liberians are now auctioned off to foreigners because they pay for permits. Instead of building local capacity, we are entrenching national vulnerability.
The Need for Reform is NOW
It is time for the Ministry of Labor to face the bitter truth and pivot toward real reform. For far too long, the rhetoric of rescuing Liberian jobs has stood in stark contrast to the lived experiences of thousands of unemployed citizens. If the Ministry’s current leadership claims to be serious about national employment, then the actions taken, particularly the mass approval of foreign work permits, reflect either gross negligence or deliberate betrayal.
At the center of this contradiction is the Bureau of Employment, a statutory body within the Ministry of Labor mandated to identify employment opportunities for Liberians, evaluate the labor market, and match qualified citizens with available jobs. The Bureau is supposed to serve as the engine room for national employment strategy, tracking job trends, advising the Minister on national labor needs, and ensuring that Liberians, not foreign nationals, are prioritized for roles they are fully qualified to occupy.
Yet, with over 10,000 foreign work permits issued in a single year, one must ask: Is the Bureau of Employment functioning, or has it become another ceremonial relic in a Ministry that now appears more focused on revenue collection than national development?
Why has the Bureau failed to produce quarterly or annual employment trend reports detailing the availability of Liberian workers and the areas where training might be required? Why have there been no publicly available labor audits showing whether the so-called “unavailable” Liberian labor force actually lacks the skills needed, or whether businesses are simply avoiding local hires in favor of cheaper, more exploitable foreign labor? Most crucially, if the Bureau of Employment is doing its job, why has there been no significant reduction in youth unemployment or underemployment, even as foreign workers flood our job market with the Ministry’s official blessing?
These questions demand urgent answers, not just from the Minister but from every senior official within the Ministry. The excuse that “we met it there” is no longer tolerable. That mindset reflects complacency and cowardice in the face of national decline. We must move beyond political gimmicks and hold our leaders accountable for actionable policies that empower Liberians.
One practical way forward is for the Ministry to enforce the full implementation of the Decent Work Act, particularly those provisions that require companies to advertise job vacancies locally before hiring foreign workers. The issuance of a work permit should follow strict vetting by the Bureau of Employment, verifying whether qualified Liberians truly are unavailable. This is not just a legal requirement it is a moral duty and a patriotic obligation.
Secondly, the process of issuing work permits must be transparent, not just to the Senate but to the general public. The Ministry should publish monthly data showing how many permits were issued, to whom, for what jobs, and whether efforts were made to find Liberians for those roles. The culture of secrecy and bureaucratic manipulation must end.
Third, the Ministry must begin a national labor skill census through the Bureau of Employment to determine exactly what skills Liberians possess and in what regions those talents are concentrated. If there are gaps, then training and upskilling programs should be designed in partnership with local institutions and employers. This proactive approach would ensure Liberians are not just demanding jobs, they are equipped and ready to take them.
Finally, it is time to reconsider the work permit fee structure. Currently, these permits serve as a major revenue generator for the Ministry, with over $5 million collected between January and July 2024. But this fiscal incentive has come at a dangerous social cost: the marginalization of Liberian labor. Perhaps the time has come to raise permit fees significantly for categories of jobs that Liberians can competently fill, thereby discouraging foreign hire and incentivizing the use of local talent.
Liberia does not need a Ministry of Labor that serves as a glorified cashier’s office issuing foreign permits at the expense of its people. We need a Ministry that defends the dignity of work, protects national labor sovereignty, and promotes inclusive economic participation. The Bureau of Employment must not be reduced to a figurehead department, it must become the frontline agency for job creation and labor justice.
If Minister Cooper Kruah truly came to serve and not to exploit, let him begin by empowering the Bureau of Employment to carry out its statutory responsibilities without fear or favor. Let him speak not of “meeting it there” but of changing it now. Liberia’s unemployed youth, struggling parents, and sidelined professionals are watching, and history will not forget the side he chose.
About the author
Lecturer: Environmental Science and Climate Change, University of Liberia
Labor Expert
Environmental Justice Advocate
WASH Governance Expert
Researcher: Good Governance
