By Thaimu T Kamara
The Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security during a courtesy visit by Chinese Counsellor Peng Wang to the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swarray.
Discussions centred on strengthening bilateral cooperation, improving compliance with Sierra Leone’s labour laws, enhancing staff capacity, and creating a more conducive investment environment for Chinese businesses. Counsellor Wang proposed regular engagements with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to educate Chinese enterprises on labour regulations and announced a bilateral training programme for Ministry staff scheduled for next year. He also appealed for improvements in the Unified Work Permit processing system and the resolution of discrepancies affecting the online platform.
He also announced that a bilateral training programme has been approved for next year to strengthen the capacity of Ministry staff, particularly newly recruited labour inspectors and enforcement officers. Additionally, he reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting a stable and predictable investment environment that encourages Chinese businesses to contribute to Sierra Leone’s socio-economic development.
Minister Swarray welcomed the continued partnership, describing China as a trusted development partner of Sierra Leone. He assured the Embassy that the Ministry remains committed to promoting labour law compliance through dialogue and engagement, emphasizing that Chinese companies are valued contributors to the country’s economy and infrastructure development. 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.
Hon. Swaray stressed that Chinese businesses are not being unfairly targeted during labour inspections, emphasizing that the Ministry’s objective is to promote compliance through engagement rather than confrontation.
“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,” he said.
Counsellor Wang, in turn, appealed for the Ministry’s continued support to Chinese establishments operating in Sierra Leone. He also raised concerns over delays in processing Unified Work Permits and discrepancies in the online work permit system, requesting the Ministry’s intervention.
In response, Minister Swarray assured the Counsellor that the Ministry would work with affected companies to expedite pending work permit applications and engage the system developers to resolve technical challenges affecting the online platform.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to maintaining regular communication and strengthening cooperation to promote labour compliance, economic growth, and sustainable development for the mutual benefit of Sierra Leone and China.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 13th July 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
