MONROVIA, Sept. 14 -- The Liberian government is moving to confront the country's non-performing loans (NPLs) problem with the establishment of a National Non-Performing Loans Task Force, in a bid to unlock credit, strengthen banking stability and expand financing for businesses and entrepreneurs.

Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung Sr. announced the task force at the close of a national conference on non-performing loans, saying the accumulation of bad debts has become more than a banking-sector problem and is now a broader economic constraint.

"What has emerged from these discussions is a clear consensus: resolving non-performing loans is not simply about improving commercial bank balance sheets; it is about unlocking economic opportun...