The Management of the National Port Authority (NPA), under the leadership of Managing Director Hon. Sekou A. M. Dukuly, has announced the regularization of all contract workers at the Authority, granting them permanent employment status with immediate effect.
The announcement was made on July 22, 2026, during a general workforce meeting held at the Freeport of Monrovia and presided over by Hon. James R. Bernard, Deputy Managing Director for Administration.
Addressing employees virtually from the Port of Le Havre in France, Managing Director Hon. Sekou A. M. Dukuly expressed appreciation to the NPA workforce for its hard work, dedication, resilience and continued sacrifices, emphasizing that the progress of the Authority is directly tied to the commitment of its employees.
“Without the workforce, there will be no National Port Authority,” Hon. Dukuly stated, noting that the achievements of the institution are the result of the collective efforts of its employees.
The Managing Director explained that successive administrations had, for several years, faced the challenge of transitioning contract workers into permanent employment. Many employees had served the Authority for extended periods while awaiting the opportunity to attain regular employment status.
According to Hon. Dukuly, the decision to regularize all contract workers therefore marks the end of a longstanding employment challenge and the beginning of a new chapter for hundreds of workers whose years of service and commitment to the institution have now been formally recognized.
He assured employees that the transition would not result in any reduction in existing salaries or benefits. Current salary levels will remain unchanged, while newly regularized employees will become eligible for additional employment benefits available to permanent staff of the Authority.
Hon. Dukuly further disclosed that future salary increases will be tied to employee performance, encouraging staff to maintain high standards of professionalism, productivity and commitment to duty.
He noted that attendance, job performance and adherence to institutional policies will form important components of future employee assessments.
As part of Management’s broader efforts to strengthen accountability and discipline across the institution, the Authority also announced the strict enforcement of the NPA’s 10-day attendance policy.
Addressing the workforce, Human Resource Executive Director Vashti Sirleaf urged employees to take their responsibilities seriously and cautioned that reporting to work without performing assigned duties would attract appropriate administrative action.
She emphasized Management’s commitment to building a professional workforce anchored in discipline, accountability, productivity and measurable performance.
The regularization of all contract workers represents one of the most significant workforce reforms undertaken by the National Port Authority and underscores Management’s commitment to improving employee welfare, strengthening institutional stability and investing in the people whose daily work supports the operation of Liberia’s ports.
The reform also forms part of the Authority’s broader agenda to build a more professional, motivated and performance-driven workforce capable of supporting the continued modernization and development of Liberia’s port sector.
