Monrovia — The Ministry of Labour has been rated an overall 'F' for the year 2024 following the release of a damning Labour Governance Report by the Liberia Labour and Governance Alliance, LILGA, which says the institution has failed in its core responsibility to protect Liberian workers and regulate foreign employment.
The report presents a sweeping indictment of the Ministry, citing corruption, ethnic favoritism, payroll fraud, and the emergence of what civil society groups describe as an entrenched work permit cartel operating from within the institution.
In its annual assessment of labour governance, LILGA concluded that conditions within the labour sector deteriorated significantly throughout 2024, with the Ministry of Labour presiding over what it called systemic collapse rather than reform. According to the report, the Ministry abandoned its statutory mandate to defend the rights and interests of Liberian workers and instead facilitated policies and practices that favored politically connected foreign interests at the expense of citizens.
"The Ministry of Labour, mandated to protect the country's workforce and regulate foreign employment, instead deepened the vulnerability of Liberian workers through mismanagement, internal dysfunction, and entrenched patronage networks," the report stated, explaining that these failures justified the failing grade assigned to the Ministry for the year under review.
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LILGA's report accuses the Ministry, under the leadership of Minister Cooper W. Kruah, of drifting steadily away from its legal responsibilities and allowing the foreign work permit system to degenerate into what it described as an unregulated, cash-based marketplace. The organization said that instead of ensuring that foreign workers are hired only where Liberians lack the required skills, the Ministry allegedly oversaw widespread abuse of the permit system.
According to the findings, foreign work permits were routinely issued without job advertisements, skills gap assessments, or proof that qualified Liberians were unavailable, actions that directly contravene the Decent Work Act and Regulation Number 17 governing alien employment. LILGA stressed that the law clearly requires foreigners to fill only positions that Liberians cannot perform and only after due process has been followed, an intent the group said has been completely subverted.
The report revealed that official Ministry data show that 10,974 foreign work permits were issued in 2024, generating nearly nine million United States dollars in revenue. However, civil society investigations and internal leaks cited by LILGA suggest that thousands of new foreign workers entered Liberia under the guise of permit renewals, often facilitated through informal payments and undocumented arrangements.
LILGA noted that concerns over abuse intensified after the introduction of a three thousand United States dollar permit fee, with the Ministry reporting revenues of more than seven million dollars between September and December alone. According to the report, these figures form the basis of widespread public concern about permit manipulation, lack of transparency, and possible diversion of state revenue.
In response to mounting public outrage, Senate scrutiny, and pressure from civil society, the Ministry of Labour announced a nationwide audit of work permits in June 2025. However, LILGA dismissed the exercise as a public relations effort rather than a genuine reform initiative. The report stated that out of nearly eleven thousand permits issued, only nineteen were revoked, a figure it described as insignificant given the scale of alleged violations.
"The audit functioned as damage control rather than reform," the report declared, adding that there was no public disclosure of audit methodology, no sectoral breakdown of findings, no accounting of funds recovered, and no disciplinary action against officials implicated in illegal approvals. LILGA concluded that the audit was strategically designed to calm public pressure rather than dismantle corrupt systems within the Ministry.
Beyond policy and regulatory failures, the report paints a bleak picture of internal collapse within the Ministry itself. LILGA reported that employees endured between seven and twelve months of unpaid salaries, while consultants allegedly worked for more than a year with minimal or no compensation. According to the findings, these conditions severely undermined staff morale and institutional effectiveness.
The payroll system was described as deeply compromised, allegedly riddled with ghost names, duplicate salary payments, and bribery schemes linked to payroll placement. LILGA alleged that some senior officials collected cash from workers seeking inclusion on the payroll, while others reportedly boycotted official events in protest against corruption and unpaid wages.
The report further accused the Ministry of being paralyzed by ethnic favoritism, with key leadership roles allegedly dominated by officials from the same tribal group as the Minister. According to LILGA, hiring decisions, inspections, and permit approvals were often determined by tribal affiliation rather than merit, creating parallel power structures that operate outside the law and weaken institutional credibility.
One of the most serious allegations contained in the report is that senior officials transformed the alien work permit system into a cartel designed for private profit. LILGA alleged that key figures within the Ministry, including the Minister, assistant ministers, the Deputy Inspector General of Labour, labour commissioners, and senior inspectors, were involved in sustaining this network.
According to the report, waivers that were originally intended for rare and exceptional cases have become routine tools for bypassing compliance requirements. LILGA claimed that side payments, backdated receipts, and unofficial fees were commonly used and allegedly diverted into private accounts, further entrenching corruption within the system.
The human cost of these failures, the report noted, is most visible in mining communities, particularly at Bong Mines. LILGA highlighted the case involving Bangli PTE Limited, a subcontractor of China Union, where the Ministry allegedly approved forty-two Chinese technicians despite the absence of job descriptions, tax clearances, and proof that Liberians were unavailable to fill the positions.
"This case illustrates complete institutional capture by private and political interests," the report stated. At China Union's operations, Liberian workers reportedly faced unsafe working conditions and abuse. The report cited the case of Amadu Gboyah, a Liberian worker who lost four toes due to hazardous work conditions. According to LILGA, when labour inspectors attempted to investigate the incident, they were blocked from carrying out their duties.
The report alleged that during a phone call, the Minister angrily questioned inspectors about their presence at the site and ordered them to leave. It further claimed that the Chinese supervisor involved was released, the inspector's complaint was dismissed, and a culture of impunity now prevails at the mining site. LILGA reported that workers at Bong Mines have openly rejected Ministry officials and warned of protests should the Minister return.
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Across several counties, worker testimonies collected by LILGA reflect deep frustration and loss of trust in the Ministry. Workers reportedly complained that they apply for jobs only to be sidelined when foreigners arrive with money, while others said the Ministry no longer serves Liberians but instead serves those who sell permits. Some companies, according to the report, fear unions more than they fear the Ministry of Labour.
LILGA warned that continued labour mismanagement has fueled unemployment, workplace abuse, revenue losses, and a sharp decline in national capacity building. The organization stressed that Liberia cannot achieve inclusive economic development when its citizens are denied opportunities through a fraudulent work permit system designed to enrich elite networks.
As part of its recommendations, LILGA called for urgent and comprehensive reforms, including a full forensic audit of the Ministry of Labour, the cancellation of illegal waivers, prosecution of officials implicated in corruption, and the establishment of an independent Alien Work Permit Authority. The group also urged the introduction of a digital permit system linked to the Liberia Revenue Authority, ethnic-neutral recruitment practices, and stronger protections for labour inspectors.
"A reformed Ministry of Labour is not just an administrative necessity. It is a national imperative," the report emphasized. As worker protests continue to surface from mining sites to ports and factories, LILGA said the findings signal a turning point in Liberia's labour movement, declaring that Liberians are no longer willing to accept exploitation and institutional failure.
The ministry, meanwhile, declined to comment when contacted for response.
