Labour Minister Cooper W. Kruah has outlined the Labour Ministry’s statutory responsibility in the enforcement of the Decent Work Act along with other relevant labour regulations importance to creating job opportunities for qualified and deserving Liberians.
He noted that while the Labour Ministry appreciates corporate foreign investment, it will at the same time ensure that Liberian citizens have requisite jobs to cater to their social and economic needs, thereby equally stimulating the domestic economy.
Minister Kruah added that his key priorities for the coming years as Minister of Labour in line with the Liberianization and empowering of citizens in the Labour market is the “Liberians First Agenda.”
He spoke at the gathering of Country Directors of INGOs operating in Liberia, organized by the LINGO Forum, a network of international non-governmental organizations in Liberia, working with their local partners and the government in staff capacity building and quality project delivery.
This is done through the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, accountability, building local capacities, etc. the program was held on Friday, November 8, 2024, in Monrovia.
LINGO included Mercy Corps, Action Against Hunger, Plan International, NDI, Brac, SOS, PSI, Water Aid, Mary’s Meal, Street Child, IRC, Last Mile Health, Concern Worldwide, WHH, World Hope, Care, Democracy International, Winrock, IDLO, amongst others.
Labour Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah was responding to an invitation from the organization to share insights on his Ministry’s key initiatives and priorities for the coming years, stressing the particular interests of the INGOs in the Country’s Liberianization policy, and how development organizations can better align their work to support national objectives as well as strengthen partnership with government in achieving the necessary sustainable development goals.
He named other important priorities of his administration at the Ministry to include, but not limited to the following: Justly admonishing the tripartite labor regime which encompasses the Government, through the Ministry of Labour, as the regular, the Chamber of Commerce, representing all employers in the country and the Liberia Labour Congress, and representing all workers of Liberia;
Making sure that all unskilled jobs as well as all routine Labour positions at concessionaires, companies, and business entities in the private sector are performed by only Liberians now, thus working to provide jobs for Liberian citizens; ensuring quality of staff placement at all levels of the Ministry, ridding the Ministry of unscrupulous employees and instilling transparency at all levels of activities; ensuring industrial health and safety measures at all factories and concession areas; safeguarding scrupulous labor standards, and the application of trade unions and social dialogues to ensure that necessary benefits and entitlements are fully settled at all times; ensuring collaboration with all international development partners, particularly the ILO and the maintenance of inter-agency collaboration with all relevant agencies of government including the LIS, the RIA, LNP, etc.
Minister Kruah used the occasion to congratulate the LINGO Forum and the County Directors of all INGOs operating in Liberia for the meeting which endeavored to align theirs with the Ministry goals and together they can all collaborate to not only achieve sustainable development goals but national aspirations as well as Government’s Arrest Agenda.
