Senate Cites US$6.3 Million in Work Permit Revenue

By Lincoln G. Peters

CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia, June 18, 2026 — The Senate Committee on Labor has reported a significant increase in government revenue following the increase in work permit fees from US$1,000 to US$3,000, while noting a decline in the number of foreign workers seeking employment in Liberia.

The committee’s report, signed by Chairperson Sen. Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh County and Co-Chair Sen. Emmanuel Nuquay of Margibi County, was presented during Thursday’s regular session of the Liberian Senate.

According to the report, the committee reached its findings after meeting with Labor Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah on June 2 to review the impact of the revised work permit fee structure.

The report said that under the previous fee regime, from September 2024 to January 2025, the Ministry of Labor processed 3,193 work permit applications and generated approximately US$3.16 million in revenue.

Under the new fee structure, implemented between September 2025 and January 2026, the number of applications declined to 2,106, but revenue increased to US$6.318 million.

The committee noted that the increase represented an additional US$3.158 million in revenue, or a 100 percent rise despite the reduction in applications.

Lawmakers also reported a rise in non-compliance and rejected cases, which increased from 613 under the previous system to 2,105 under the new regime.

According to the committee, the higher fees have contributed to a reduction in the hiring of unskilled and minimally skilled foreign workers, strengthened regulatory oversight in the labor sector, and created more opportunities for Liberians to fill positions previously occupied by foreign nationals.

The report also addressed efforts to place labor commissioners on the Civil Service Agency payroll. The committee said the Labor Minister informed lawmakers that the employment process is ongoing and that commissioners will be enrolled as permanent full-time employees.

While accepting the ministry’s report, the committee recommended improvements to future quarterly reports on Liberian employment.

Lawmakers said the third and fourth quarter reports lacked sufficient baseline data and failed to identify the sources of employment information provided.

To address those concerns, the committee proposed a standardized reporting format that would include the county, number of males and females employed, name of the employing entity, and category of job positions filled.

The committee also recommended that the Ministry of Labor conduct a nationwide assessment of Liberians employed under the ministry’s current labor policies.

Additionally, lawmakers urged the ministry to ensure that job vacancies within companies and institutions are widely advertised through newspapers and online platforms to increase public awareness and access to employment opportunities.

The committee stressed that all vacancies should be publicly advertised and that assumptions should not be made about the qualifications of Liberian job seekers for specialized positions.

It further recommended that all of its observations and proposals be incorporated into the ministry’s next quarterly report.