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The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security and the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation to improve labour law compliance, build institutional capacity, and create a more favourable investment climate for Chinese businesses operating in the country.
The renewed commitment was made during a courtesy visit by Chinese Embassy Counsellor Peng Wang to the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swarray, in Freetown.
Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, promoting compliance with Sierra Leone’s labour laws, enhancing the capacity of Ministry personnel, and improving engagement with Chinese enterprises. Counsellor Wang proposed regular meetings between the Ministry and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to educate Chinese companies on the country’s labour regulations and ensure better compliance.
He also announced that a bilateral training programme for Ministry staff has been approved for next year. The initiative is expected to strengthen the skills of newly recruited labour inspectors and enforcement officers, while reinforcing institutional capacity within the Ministry.
Counsellor Wang further appealed for improvements to the Unified Work Permit processing system, highlighting delays and technical discrepancies affecting the online platform. He reiterated China’s commitment to supporting a stable and predictable investment environment that enables Chinese businesses to continue contributing to Sierra Leone’s socio-economic development.
Welcoming the delegation, Minister Swarray described China as one of Sierra Leone’s trusted development partners and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to promoting labour law compliance through dialogue and constructive engagement.
He noted that Chinese companies remain among the country’s largest employers and have played a significant role in infrastructure development, stressing that the Ministry’s labour inspections are intended to encourage compliance rather than target any specific group of investors.
”Chinese companies remain among the largest employers in Sierra Leone and have made significant contributions to the country’s infrastructure development. Our goal is to ensure compliance while maintaining a productive partnership,” Minister Swarray stated.
The Minister also requested expanded training opportunities for Ministry staff, support for the Labour Migration Unit, and assistance to rehabilitate the Ministry’s Trade Testing Centre to improve skills development and service delivery.
Responding to concerns over work permit delays, Minister Swarray assured the Chinese Embassy that the Ministry would work closely with affected companies to fast-track pending applications and engage system developers to resolve technical issues affecting the online work permit platform.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to maintaining regular communication and strengthening collaboration to promote labour compliance, attract investment, and support sustainable economic development for the mutual benefit of Sierra Leone and China.
