Labour Minister Hon. Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr. and staff have successfully ended the year 2025, with renewed commitments to reinvigorate the full swing implementation of The Decent Work Act and several international Labour Organization (ILO) protocols, aimed at dramatically transforming the work sector. Minister Kruah has lately reawakened the full impact of Government’s key priority of creating the environment for private sector job creation, protection, decent working conditions, health and safety at work place and most importantly, instituting relevant measures aimed at reducing the influx of unskilled migrant workers at major concessions companies.
This was done to create space for Liberians to have greater access to temporary and permanent work with commensurate economic stimulus. To this end, Minister Kruah, in line with his statutory mandate, increased the annual Alien Work Permit Cost from a staggering USD1,000.00 to USD3,000.00; a triple hike that has multiple trickle down economic impact: it discourages investment conglomerates from importing unskilled migrant workers to scale, creating space to sustain and promote Liberians already employed, and most importantly increase financial intakes from Alien Work Permit Fees to augment National Budget.
To this end, Minister Kruah has raised over USD12M from the AWP Fees increment, while major concessions that had initially imported unskilled migrant workers are now sending them ‘back to the senders’; opening more employment opportunities for Liberians. The Minister further took a bold, but decisive administrative decision to reorganize the Inspectorate Division, making it more responsive to industrial unrest, using social dialogue and mediation to prevent future workplace strikes. Thus, industrial unrest has dramatically reduced under the current Rescue Mission Government of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai. With Minister Kruah and team emerging from the shackles of international turbulence over the Trafficking In Persons (TIP), the Labour Minister has introduced a robust program that has led to the reunion of several TIP Victims with their respective families, most notably those from neighboring Sierra Leone.
They were trafficked to the Gulf State of Oman, under criminal manipulation. The Ministry further stepped up full accommodation of other TIP Victims at ‘Safe Hones’ under the direct supervision of the Ministry, provided sustainance and financial resettlement packages to rebuild their lives.
The Ministry has also been able to revitalize the ‘Gender Inclusion Division which serves as the bridge between the Ministry and other agencies that deal with gender inclusion. In response to President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s ‘ARREST AGENDA’ on the inclusion of the Disabled Community in the work sector, Minister Kruah recruited over ten visually impaired students from the Blind School, into the National Vacation Jobs Program. The Program itself, catered to several deserving students and youth over a two year period, promising to recruit more than that number in the year, 2026 and beyond. To ensure accountability and transparency in the Alien Work Permit Regime, Minister Kruah initiated a nationwide physical audit for Foreign workers, with more than 27 of Alien Work Permits found wanting, revoked. The Minister also introduced uniforms for all Labour Inspectors thus, reducing impersonation within the Inspectorate Division.
The Minister, meanwhile, validated a five year ‘Strategy Plan, officially launched in August. Paramount on the Minister Kruah’s plate for full scale labour transformation in the new year is the vigorous implementation of ‘The RISE Talent-Liberia Incorporated program’, introduced primarily to train young Liberians in strategic areas to help the development of the Liberian workforce. As we cross over to the year 2026, the Senior Management Team, employees, Contractor Workers and Support Staff of the Ministry of Labour wish Labour Minister Kruah and Team: Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year-2026.
