LAC Management Given 30-Day Ultimatum
PHOTO: Labour Minister Cllr. Cooper Kruah
The Labout Ministry has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the management of the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) in Grand Bassa County, demanding an explanation for its alleged failure to pay work permit fees for foreign employees since beginning operations in 1959.
Labour Minister, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah Sr., speaking to journalists over the weekend, revealed that ministry records indicate the company has operated for nearly seven decades without consistently obtaining or paying for required labour work permits for its foreign workforce.
He noted that while LAC has been paying immigration residence permit fees, it has reportedly claimed exemption from labour-related permit obligations.
According to Minister Kruah, previous administrations had raised similar concerns without success.
He disclosed that former Labour Ministers Samuel Kofi Woods and Moses Y. Kollie had formally requested compliance from the company, but those efforts were ignored.
“This administration is prepared to pursue all legal remedies, including court action, to address this situation,” Kruah said, emphasizing that work permits are a legal requirement for all foreign nationals seeking employment in Liberia, not merely a tax obligation.
He added that the Ministry has extensive documentation detailing LAC’s history of employing foreign workers, noting that the courts will ultimately determine the legality of the company’s actions.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has launched the first phase of a nationwide labour inspection and enforcement exercise aimed at ensuring compliance with work permit regulations.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to enforce provisions of the Decent Work Act, particularly those governing the employment of foreign nationals.
The inspection exercise will be carried out in collaboration with the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), and CETIS.
It will target all employment institutions, including concession areas, across the country.
Minister Kruah has urged all institutions to regularize the status of foreign employees by ensuring valid and up-to-date work permits, and to fully disclose their non-Liberian workforce.
He warned that non-compliance would constitute a violation of the law.
He also assured the public that all inspection teams will carry proper identification and official authorization letters from the Ministry, and called on businesses and institutions to cooperate fully with the enforcement effort.