Liberians Decry Alien Work Permit Fees Hike -Say Enforcing Liberianization Policy Better Solution

MONROVIA – In the wake of the Government of Liberia recent decision to sharply spike the annual fee for alien work permit from US$1,000 to US$3,000 per worker, there are some Liberians who are instead calling on the Government and other relevant agencies to stop paying lip service to implementation of the Liberianization Policy.

Instead of enforcing the Liberianization Policy which guarantees direct job creation for citizens, the critics want the government to cease using the issuance of work permit as a tool to punish companies that are doing legitimate businesses in a country where the economy is in deep recession.

According to some concerned Liberians who vented their frustrations over government decision to spike the cost of work permits in the country, the government of Liberia has continuously failed to implement the Decent Work Act which reserves certain jobs for Liberians, but is now using the work permit to punish foreign companies for its own failure to implement binding labor policies.

“The $3000 work permit increment is similar to a fine that this government has imposed on foreign businesses here for policies that should have been implemented years ago,” says James Seton of Ganta, Nimba County.

“This is totally unfair to businesses especially those that are operating outside of the extractive sector where profit margins and high and the need for skilled manpower is often unmet by the Labor Ministry.”

According to communications expert wonk Moses Zangar, tripling alien work permit fees may encourage local hiring in the short term, but its long-term success will depend on addressing underlying issues such as workforce readiness and the availability of skilled labor.

Zangar said to truly protect and create jobs for Liberians, the government must pair this policy with investments in education, training, and infrastructure that enable citizens to compete effectively in the labor market.

“Without these complementary measures, the policy risks being a symbolic gesture rather than a transformative solution,” he added.

As for Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, the reason there is a fee charged for work permit is not to generate revenue for the government.

“It was purposely and deliberately intended to reduce and discourage the issue about brining non-Liberians into our work employment sector for jobs that our Liberians are qualified for and reserved for Liberians by law,” he said during a senate panel hearing on work permit and other Labor issues.

A Liberian working with one of the leading extractive industries in the country told this paper on condition of anonymity: “This fee hike will be like wasting water on a duck’s back to make it afraid. Duck already loves water, so drenching will only make it happy.

“Raising the cost of work permits is not the solution but just a band-aid kneejerk remedy. This government needs to enforce the Liberianization policy by totally restricting certain jobs by law to qualified and available Liberians.”

Henry Gray of Johnsonville wondered: “The government’s decision to increase work permit from $1000 to $3000 is unhealthy for this struggling economy. Companies might kick against such unreasonable hike by becoming non-compliant.”

Henry said while it is true that some companies are taking jobs from deserving Liberians, there are many foreign companies in this country that are compliant with the Decent Work Act. Why should they suffer to bring in expats that doing specialized jobs for which there are no qualified and available Liberians?”

“We cannot afford to behave like the angry mother who threw her baby along with the bathwater because she was angry with her husband for sleeping away from home,” Nancy Carteh, an employee of an undisclosed company.

She said: “Our government have to give careful condition to such policy decision before implementation. Otherwise it could backfire. The economy is already tight. If the policy is meant to increase revenue, then the intention is lost because the problem that causes Liberians to live on the fringes of gainful employment is still unaddressed.”