Africa-Press – Liberia. Senator Konneh, who represents Gbarpolu County in the 55th National Legislature, said the committee’s request follows a concern raised by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Audit (PAC), Senator Amara Konneh, has requested the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to prioritize a compliance and systemic review in its ongoing audit of the Ministry of Labour.
Senator Konneh, who represents Gbarpolu County in the 55th National Legislature, said the committee’s request follows a concern raised by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon.
Senator Dillon had earlier called for an audit into the issuance and management of work permits for foreign nationals by the Ministry of Labour. Following deliberations, the Senate Plenary referred the matter to the PAC with instructions to formally engage the GAC to ensure that the audit adequately addresses the scope and concerns raised.
Senator Konneh recalled that Liberia’s Labor Law provides clear safeguards to protect the rights and economic participation of Liberians in the national labor market. He said strengthening compliance systems within the work permit regime is crucial to ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability.
“The Committee is aware that the GAC is currently conducting an audit of the Ministry of Labour. In this context, we respectfully request that the audit prioritize the compliance and systemic control dimensions of the issuance of work permits. Specifically, we ask for a comprehensive review of the administrative, legal, and operational processes governing the issuance, renewal, and revocation of work permits for aliens,” Senator Konneh stated.
He urged the GAC to identify system vulnerabilities, procedural flaws, and operational irregularities by reviewing the end-to-end process of issuing, renewing, and revoking work permits.
Senator Konneh also emphasized the need to examine internal control gaps, data integrity issues, and potential avenues for fraud, abuse, or corruption. He said the audit should include a review of enforcement mechanisms, including penalties, waivers, discretionary exceptions, and gratis issuances.
Additionally, he called for reconciliation of work permit data across key government institutions — including the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) — to create “a reconciled, auditable dataset with clear provenance and recommendations for remediation.”
He further urged the GAC to investigate violations of visa terms by workers or recruitment agents, such as unauthorized work, contract substitution, misrepresentation, or overstays.
“The GAC should assess the alignment between visa categories and work permit classifications, identifying any informal or unauthorized pathways used to obtain work authorization, and determine how visa and permit systems interact with labor protections, wage standards, and contract enforcement,” he added.
The Senator also wants the audit to establish whether applicants meet all statutory prerequisites, including valid residence permits where required, and to validate the authenticity of credentials and certifications submitted for work permits.
He concluded by calling on the GAC to assess employer compliance with recordkeeping and reporting requirements and to recommend improvements in credential management, data security, and privacy protections for sensitive worker information.
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