Finance and Development Planning Minister Agustine Kpehe Ngafuan has hailed the Ministry of Labor for hiking the fees of work permits, calling for a consolidated plan to create more jobs for Liberians. The Ministry of Labour recently took an administrative decision to increase the fee for an ordinary Liberian Work Permit from US$1,000,000 to US$3,000.00.
Early this month, Labour Minister, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., addressing a press briefing, announced the Government’s decision to triple the fee for an ordinary Liberian Work Permit, outlining its positive impact on the industrial sector by disabling the influx of migrant workers and replacing them with the local Liberian workforce.
A Labour Ministry press release issued on Monday, September 22, 2025, quotes Minister Ngafuan’s letter, dated September 18, 2025, as indicating, “The increment is a direct result of government policy rather than contractor performance; the associated revenue should be retained in full by the Government of Liberia”.
The release further quotes Minister Ngafuan’s communication as clarifying that ‘the rationale for this distinction is that this specific fee increase was not instituted to enhance contractor services but was instead developed and implemented through the Inter-agency policy efforts of the Government of Liberia. Its primary objective is to incentivize concessionaires and other companies operating within Liberia to prioritize the employment and training of Liberian citizens.’
Minister Ngafuan then clarified that the incremental fee of Two Thousand United States Dollars (US2,000.000) for regular Work Permit falls outside the scope of the existing revenue-sharing agreement (60%/40%) with Cetis Graphic and Documentary Services. The Finance Minister concluded his letter to Labour Minister Kruah by urging that ‘this approach is crucial to their shared commitment to fiscal prudence and the maximization of domestic resources for the benefit of the Liberian people.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Kruah has assured Minister Ngafuan that all content of the communication will be considered in the ongoing Labour Transformation Program, which targets the creation of more employment opportunities for Liberians in fulfillment of the Government ARREST Agenda.
