By Sallieu S. Kanu
Monday, 29th. June, 2026- The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has intensified its nationwide campaign to ensure compliance with the Unified Resident and Work Permit system and general labour laws by strengthening collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police in the North-East Region.
Speaking during an engagement with the regional police command, the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray emphasized that enforcing labour laws requires the collective efforts of all institutions, particularly the country’s security sector.
“The enormity of the challenge demands the support of every institution and every sector, including our security agencies,” the Minister said. “One of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio’s flagship priorities is job creation and ensuring that Sierra Leoneans enjoy the benefits of decent work. We cannot remain seated in air-conditioned offices in Freetown and expect to understand the realities on the ground. That is why we have taken this engagement across the country.”
The Minister further explained that the Ministry had undergone significant reforms to improve service delivery, particularly in addressing longstanding staff shortages.
“For many years, the Ministry was unable to recruit new personnel, even as experienced staff retired, leaving huge gaps in service delivery. We have changed that narrative by recruiting over 150 new staff members who have now been deployed across the country to strengthen compliance and enforcement,” he stated.
Highlighting the Ministry’s core mandate, the Minister stressed that compliance remains at the heart of its operations.
“When President Bio appointed me in 2023, he made it clear that my responsibility was to stabilize the Ministry of Labour. I accepted that responsibility with gratitude, and the President assured me of his full support. Recently, the Government entered into what is arguably one of the most significant public-private partnership contracts since Sierra Leone’s independence. This partnership was specifically designed to strengthen the enforcement of resident and work permit compliance.”
The Head of Marketing and Visibility of Constrat System, Yeama Thompson, presented data illustrating the remarkable improvement in resident and work permit compliance following the introduction of the Unified Permit system under Constrat.
“Since Constrat assumed responsibility for managing the Unified Permit system on 1 January 2026, compliance has improved tremendously. Between January and 31 May 2026 alone, 3,816 resident permits and 1,035 work permits have already been processed. These figures clearly demonstrate that consistent enforcement significantly increases compliance and enhances government revenue,” Thompson noted.
Commissioner of Labour, Sinneh Bockarie, broadened the discussion by highlighting the Ministry’s wider statutory responsibilities beyond resident and work permits.
“Our mandate goes far beyond permits. We regulate the relationship between employers and employees to ensure decent work, where both rights and responsibilities are respected,” he said.
He explained that employers are legally required to issue written contracts of employment and submit them to the Ministry for vetting and attestation to ensure compliance with labour laws.
“Many employers continue to engage workers without formal contracts, creating unnecessary disputes whenever employment relationships break down. We are determined to change that practice.”
The Commissioner also noted that the Ministry is responsible for ensuring employers comply with the newly approved national minimum wage of Le1,200, safeguarding workers’ rights to join trade unions of their choice, and regulating labour migration in accordance with national laws.
Responding on behalf of the Sierra Leone Police, the Assistant Inspector General of Police and Regional Commander for the North-East Region, Mrs. Elizabeth Kaintor Dukuray, pledged the Police’s full support to the Ministry’s enforcement drive.
“Whatever assistance we can provide, we are fully committed. You can count on our support at any time as we work together to build a better Sierra Leone,” she assured.
The engagement forms part of the Ministry’s nationwide compliance campaign aimed at strengthening enforcement, protecting workers’ rights, promoting decent work, enhancing national security through effective regulation of foreign labour, and ensuring that employers fully comply with Sierra Leone’s labour laws.