Minister Kruah Clarifies Work Permit Insurance …Says 75% Are Renewals

By Grace Bryant Mollay
The Ministry of Labor has denied claimed that thousands of work permits were granted to foreign nationals at the expense of Liberian workers, describing the allegations as both false and politically motivated.
Speaking Tuesday at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, the Ministry of Labor’s boss, Cooper Kruah, clarified that 75% of all work permits processed in 2024 were renewals for expatriates who were already working legally in Liberia prior to the current administration.
“These numbers clearly contradict the false claim that the Ministry issued 8,000 or 10,000 new work permits to deny Liberians jobs. The reality is that most of these permits were renewals, with only 25% representing new issuances,” Kruah stated.
According to Kruh, the Ministry received a total of 10,974 work permit applications in 2024. Of these, 8,792 were regular permits, primarily for expatriate workers ;887 were gratis permits (for UN staff, professors, doctors, etc.), 438 were for ECOWAS citizens, 857 applications were denied, 10,170 were processed, 7,686 were renewals (75%) and 2,484 were new permits (25%)
He added that the Ministry generated US $9.7 million in work permit fees last year, all of which was paid directly to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and not the Ministry itself.
Kruah explained that many of the work permits went to foreign professionals with specialized technical skills that remain scarce in Liberia, particularly in sectors such as deep mining and industrial operations.
“At Bea Mountain, for example, mining work requires traveling 30 minutes underground, something currently managed by highly trained foreign staff. Liberians are undergoing training to eventually assume these roles,” Kruah said.
He further explained that out of f the 8,792 regular permits issued6,980 (69%) were for expatriates from countries such as Lebanon and India, while 2,699 (27%) were for non-ECOWAS Africans, including professionals from South Africa and Zambia and 558 (4%) were for ECOWAS nationals
Citing Chapter 45 of the Decent Work Act, Kruah emphasized that work permits are only issued when no qualified Liberian is available, and are contingent on companies committing to train Liberians for future vacancies.
He also underscored the Ministry’s commitment to accountability, “When we deny a permit, we issue formal rejection letters. Everything is documented. And to be clear, the Ministry doesn’t collect fees; all payments go through the LRA.”
Kruah added that the Ministry regularly submits detailed permit data to the Legislature upon request.
Contrary to the claims of mass foreign hiring, Kruah said the data shows strong job growth for Liberians across several major employers, adding that Bea Mountain: 2,767 (2023) ? 4,671 (2024) — +1,904 jobs, Sethi Brothers: 1,573 ? 2,386, MCL (Metallurgical Company of Liberia): 1,645 ? 2,244 and Firestone Liberia: 4,827 ? 5,332
“These increases are a direct result of an improved investment climate and targeted labor policies, not the replacement of Liberian workers,” he noted.
Kruah took aim at what he described as political attempts to distort the Ministry’s work, naming Montserrado County Senator Darius Dillon for spreading “personal and inaccurate” claims.
“Every request made by the Senate Labor Committee has been honoredincluding names, job titles, and company affiliations of expatriates. Rather than undermining our work in public, we urge lawmakers to work with us to strengthen institutional processes,” he said.
Kruah also highlighted the Ministry’s role in resolving labor disputes across the country, from Firestone in Margibi to MNG Gold in Grand Bassa. Most recently, the Ministry mediated a major standoff in Buchanan involving African workers.
He announced a new partnership with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) to conduct an updated labor force survey, as the most recent data (2022–2023) places the national unemployment rate at 3.7%.
“Our duty is to strike a balance protecting Liberian jobs while creating an environment that supports growth and investment. We remain fully committed to transparency, fairness, and opportunity for all,” he said.