Monrovia- The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has officially launched the Enhanced Collateral Registry System, a landmark reform designed to strengthen secured lending, promote responsible borrowing, and expand access to finance for Liberians across all sectors, a CBL press release has said.
Declaring the system open for business, Executive Governor of the CBL emphasized that the registry is โnot merely a technological platform, but a powerful instrument for economic empowermentโ that will unlock capital, stimulate enterprise, and create jobs.
Governor Saamoiโs remarks highlighted the registryโs role in modernizing Liberiaโs financial infrastructure, deepening inclusion, and aligning with the Governmentโs ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. The new platform enables both movable and immovable property to be registered digitally, interoperates with national databases such as the Land Authority and National Identification Registry, and provides lenders and borrowers with greater transparency and confidence. โIts true value will be measured by the businesses it helps grow, the investments it supports, the jobs it creates, and the lives it transforms,โ the Governor stated.
Stakeholders across government, judiciary, banking, and business hailed the launch as a milestone. Deputy Governorโdesignate for Economic Policy, Madam Euphemia SwenโMonmia, underscored that access to finance can spur inclusive growth, while Judge Eva Mappy Morgan of the Commercial Court welcomed the digitization as a tool to ease enforcement of judgments and reduce nonโperforming loans. Deputy Commerce Minister Wilmot Reeves noted the systemโs potential to remedy disadvantages faced by women and youth in accessing credit.
Liberia Bankers Association President Olalekan Balogun stressed that the registry will boost confidence and trust in the banking system, enabling liquidity to stimulate the economy. World Bank Country Manager Georgia Wallen described the reform as a breakthrough for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while Liberia Business Association President James Strother called for stronger efforts to transition informal businesses into the formal sector.
The launch builds on more than a decade of reforms, including the enactment of commercial code, the establishment of the Commercial Court, and the original collateral registry established in 2014. It also complements the ongoing modernization of Liberiaโs Credit Reference System under the LIFT Project, which has already deployed US$6 million in loans to 358 MSMEsโ64% of them womenโownedโacross nine counties.
The CBL urged financial institutions to actively adopt the enhanced framework, businesses to leverage new opportunities, and stakeholders to strengthen trust and transparency. โToday, we launch an enhanced system. Tomorrow, we unlock finance. Finance unlocks enterprise. Enterprise unlocks jobs. And jobs unlock hope,โ the Executive Governor concluded.