Monrovia, Liberia ~ The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Labour, has announced a major policy shift aimed at tackling rising unemployment among Liberians by significantly increasing the cost of work permits for foreign workers.
Speaking recently, Labour Minister Hon. Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr. confirmed that the fee for an ordinary Liberian work permit has been raised from US$1,000 to US$3,000. The decision, according to Minister Kruah, is part of the government’s ongoing Labour Transformation Program, which seeks to reduce the overreliance on migrant labor in key industries and instead promote the hiring and training of Liberians.
“This adjustment is necessary to create a more competitive environment for Liberian workers,” Minister Kruah stated. “It will help us control the influx of foreign labor while compelling companies to invest in local capacity.”
The Ministry emphasized that the fee hike is not just a revenue-generating move but a strategic tool to realign Liberia’s labor market policies with national employment goals, especially under the Government’s AAID Agenda ~ which prioritizes Agriculture, Arts, Industry, and Development.
The Labour Ministry’s decision has since received the full backing of Finance and Development Planning Minister, Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who described the move as “a proactive step toward sustainable job creation and fiscal responsibility.”
In a letter to the Ministry of Labour dated September 18, 2025, Minister Ngafuan acknowledged that the work permit fee hike was driven by government policy, not contractor performance. As such, he stressed that the incremental revenue ~ an additional US$2,000 per permit ~ should be fully retained by the Government of Liberia, and not subject to the existing 60/40 revenue-sharing agreement with private contractor Cetis Graphic and Documentary Services.
“The primary objective of this policy is to incentivize concessionaires and companies to prioritize the employment and training of Liberian citizens,” Ngafuan wrote. “This approach is crucial to our shared commitment to fiscal prudence and the maximization of domestic resources for the benefit of the Liberian people.”
The new policy is expected to take effect this quarter, with both ministries coordinating enforcement and public awareness efforts.
