Launch of Liberia's new Work Permit Issuing System

The president of Liberia George M. Weah officially commissioned the new Work Permit Digitalisation Project of the Ministry of Labour and project contractor - the company CETIS, one of the Europe’s leading companies in security printing documents and identity management, at the ceremony, held at the Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, Liberia, on Tuesday, 13 September 2022. The new digital work permit protects workers’ as well as investors’ rights by enabling secure, quick and transparent recruitment of foreigners.

The new Liberian work permit system enables many benefits for the companies in Liberia, foreign workers and the government:

• It enables secure, quick and transparent recruitment of foreigners by companies in Liberia who need additional workers, and protects the rights of investors in Liberia so that the investors are treated fairly in their relationship with the government and with their employees.
• It gives foreigners an opportunity to work in Liberia and protects their rights.
• An improved digital data base assures easier enrolment and control, data exchange by authorities and more user-friendly services.
• It also offers the government additional income (tax revenue) for financing new projects for the development of Liberia.

“Until today, Liberia is the only West African country that is still using a manual work permit system. The innovation will not only improve efficiency but will also increase revenue and provide new employments opportunities. In addition, it will enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Labour to protect and defend the rights of workers in the Republic of Liberia,” emphasized president Weah for the New Liberia newspaper. The President described the initiative as a milestone project and the modernisation of government operations for better efficiency and greater productivity.

Roman Žnidarič, executive director at the company CETIS, project contractor from Slovenia, EU, thanked the Liberian leader for the opportunity and trust to contribute to the Ministry of Labour’s digitisation process: “With over 200 years of experience, being trusted by governments all around the world and committed to the most demanding international security and quality standards, we have been observing the development of Liberia for over 10 years to understand well the challenges you face. Today, we are proud to launch this important long-term project which would not be possible without the trust of the Liberian government, good cooperation with Labour Minister Cllr. Charles Gibson and his team as well as our local partners.

We are proud to be able to contribute to the modernisation and digitalisation of Liberia's public administration by providing secure, efficient and transparent issuance of the new Liberian work permit. We have invested a lot in this project, employed local experts and transferred our know-how, among others. We are planning to continuously improve and update the system. We hope that this project is the first step towards the final goal – a complete Liberian central register.”

 From left: CETIS Executive Director Znidaric, President Weah and Labour Minister Gibson.

 Enrolment room.

 Reception room at the Ministry of Labour.