Labour Ministry Nets In Over USD$5million In GOL Semi-Consolidated Account: Decries Lack of Adequate Logistics & Manpower

Congo Town: The Ministry of Labour (MOL) has released its first semi-annual financial reports, revealing the collection of over Five Million United States Dollars, as fees for alien work permits and other revenue collection activities, deposited into Government consolidated account.

The amount of USD$5,069,536.63 (Five Million sixty nine thousand five hundred thirty six dollars and sixty three cents United States Dollars), represented various work permit and associated fees covering the period from January to July, 2024, a Labour Ministry Press Released has disclosed.

The Ministry Semi-annual reports submitted by Minister, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. and dated August 1, 2024, is quoted by the press release as informing the President: “This report, however, focuses on the Semi-annual status of the Ministry highlighting the activities including initial problems, challenges and measures that have been taken to address these problem with specific references to personal, logistics, policy issues, labour disputes and financial matters faced by the ministry”.

Minister Kruah is further quoted by the Labour Ministry Press Release as informing President Boakai in the report that the Ministry collected the total aggregate  amount within a period of seven months, from January to July, 2024, up against the lower amount collected in the previous year 2023, prior to the ascendancy of the current Unity Party led- Government.

On personnel sustenance, Minister Kruah informed President Boakai that the Labour Ministry has a total of 222 employees, 51-assigned to the 14-leeward counties and 171 at central Monrovia office; noting that the Ministry is under staffed to adequately meet up with the current work load, the release stressed.

The Labour Minister expressed concern over lack of adequate Hearing Officers across the fifteen counties to speedily adjudicate critical labour cases, disclosing the reactivation of the Divisions of Health and Safety, Trafficking-In- Person, Tripartite, and Child Labour, as well as the shifting of key personnel in various divisions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, all in coordination with the Civil Service Agency (CSA), the release further emphasized.

 The Labour Minister, however, decried the acute shortage of budgetary allotment, such as just USD$1.2 million for personnel, USD$10,000 for goods and services and USD$5,000 for cleaning materials.

Meanwhile, Minister Kruah is commending staff and employees of the Ministry, as well as its partner entity, the CETIS group for their tremendous support in achieving the current success story for the Semi-annual period under review, the Labour Minister concluded in the semi-annual reports submitted to President Boakai.