Monrovia, Liberia – Thousands of positions that were officially reserved for Liberians were illegally awarded to foreign citizens in 2024, according to the Civil Service Agency (CSA). This is currently regarded as one of the most serious abuses of Liberia’s labor regulations in recent memory.
Speaking before the Liberian Senate, CSA Director-General Josiah Joekai delivered a scathing indictment of the Ministry of Labor, revealing that 7,032 of the 10,103 work permits granted in 2024 nearly 70% were for jobs protected by the Decent Work Act of 2015, which requires that certain jobs be filled by Liberians unless it can be demonstrated that no qualified Liberian is available.
Joekai informed legislators that the data reveals a concerning trend. Foreign workers, mostly from India, which accounted for 51.79% of all foreign hiring, replaced thousands of positions that could have gone to Liberians. Turkey and China came in second and third, respectively.
According to the CSA investigation, foreign workers were routinely hired for jobs like engineers, sales managers, accountants, human resource officers, and finance directors that were legally classified as “Liberalize” tasks without proof of adequate advertising or labor market testing.
Growing pressure from politicians, such as Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County, who expressed concern about the unregulated issuing of work permits, led to Joekai’s arrival. His worries are similar to those of other senators who have accused the Ministry of Labor of breaking Revised Regulation No. 17 of 2019 and Chapter 7, Section 7.1 and Chapter 45, Section 45.9 of the Decent Work Act, which together forbid granting permits for jobs in the informal sector to non-African nationals and demand a 30-day public vacancy posting prior to employing foreign workers.
Joekai said that no paperwork was offered to confirm if these procedures were followed in spite of these regulations, indicating a deliberate circumvention of processes that directly harm the Liberian workers.
Labor Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah defended his ministry’s actions earlier this month. On June 3, Kruah sent the Senate his own comprehensive report, acknowledging that 10,117 permits were handled in 2024 (7,633 renewals and 2,484 new approvals). However, he maintained that the majority of the licenses were for people who were already employed in Liberia before his appointment.
According to Minister Kruah, “the impression of widespread new approvals for foreign labor is misleading. We are constructing an equitable, responsible, and citizen-supporting labor system.”
Only 25% of the permits were freshly granted, he added, with 75% being renewals. This explanation, however, seems to be refuted by the CSA’s results, which list 6,156 ordinary licenses, 314 ECOWAS, and 562 GRATIS permits many of which are for positions that Liberians are competent to perform.
Although some senators praised Joekai’s evidence for exposing the misuse of labor laws, others were frustrated. By speaking in plenary rather than through the committee, the CSA chief allegedly bypassed parliamentary procedures, according to Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor.
Nimely, who was clearly annoyed, stated that he ought to be more concerned with overseeing the CSA than with interfering in labor affairs. He accused the CSA of exceeding its legal mandate by encroaching on responsibilities that rightfully belong to other agencies, especially the Ministry of Labor.
Senator Nimely also questioned why the CSA was invited to testify before the Senate when it is facing its own internal issues that need to be addressed.
As Liberia struggles with young unemployment, brain drain, and the growing dominance of foreign contractors across critical industries, the tension highlights widening rifts within government institutions over the handling of labor and concession concerns.
