September 8, 2026
Hon. Henry F. Saamoi
Executive Governor
Central Bank of Liberia (CBL)
Ashmun & Lynch Streets
Monrovia, Liberia
Subject: Urgent Request for Panel Configuration Rebalance at the National NPL Resolution Conference
Dear Governor Saamoi,
As the Central Bank of Liberia prepares to host the National Non-Performing Loan (NPL) Resolution Conference from September 9–11, 2026, I address you on a matter of vital importance to our nation’s macroeconomic trajectory and financial sector stability.
The public unveiling of the speaker and panelist profiles reveals a structural imbalance. The conference roster is heavily weighted toward commercial bank executives, central bank regulators, and traditional institutional operators—the very architects and managers of the financial architecture under which Liberia’s NPL ratio has reached unsustainable levels.
While the technical expertise of supply-side operators is essential, a conference composed exclusively of system insiders risks becoming a one-directional monologue. It threatens to produce a singular, predictable outcome: advocating for harsher supply-side penalties, aggressive collateral foreclosures, and punitive judicial enforcement.
Decades of economic evidence in Liberia demonstrate that relying solely on supply-side coercion is counterproductive:
●Facing predatory credit terms, rigid non-negotiable contracts, and draconian court collection, micro-entrepreneurs and formal MSMEs intentionally migrate to cash-led informal operations, deepening unbanked cash circulation.
●Exponential late fees, double-digit penalty margins, and short loan tenors push distressed borrowers into mathematical insolvency, inflating NPL balances rather than recovering principal.
●Small-scale borrowers and market vendors face aggressive collection tactics without functional consumer protection frameworks, leaving zero room for restructuring or a “fresh start.”
To achieve sustainable financial stability, supply-side discipline must be matched with demand-side rehabilitative solutions—including consumer protection frameworks, realistic debt restructuring, penalty caps, and statutory debt-discharge mechanisms for honest, insolvent entities.
I respectfully submit an urgent call to rebalance the conference panel configuration by immediately inviting representatives from the demand side of the economy:
1.Representatives from the Liberia Business Association (LIBA), domestic contractor associations, and agricultural producer unions.
2.Legal practitioners specializing in corporate restructuring, insolvency law, and financial consumer protection.
3.Representatives from micro-enterprise networks and informal sector associations who navigate daily credit friction.
Resolving Liberia’s NPL crisis requires a genuine dialogue between both sides of the aisle—creditors and debtors. I trust your leadership will ensure that this milestone conference serves as a platform for balanced national reform rather than an echo chamber of punishment.
Respectfully yours,
Paul Columbus Collins
Public Financial Commentary & Macroeconomic Analyst
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