To protect his legacy, he sent money out of country

Mr. Dillon is exactly right. While I was a UN Security Officer in Liberia, I had a discussion w/a Lebanese businessman who was born and lives in Liberia (notice I didn’t say “Liberian” businessman). I posed to him several concerns of many of my Liberian friends who worked a waiters/cooks/tellers/clerks for Lebanese owned businesses, normally the gripes complained unfair wages, long work hours, and capital flight.

Regarding capital flight, he indicated that because his business was built on property he did not own, that because the land was leased, there was a danger that everything he built may not be passed down to his children, because he did not own the land. So to protect his legacy, he sent money out of country.

Interesting. In regards to wages, I do believe average Liberians are taken advantage of by numerous employers regardless of nationality. Liberia requires stronger labor laws and practices to give workers a fair wage based on the enterprise’s profit margin. For example, there are some hotels in Monrovia that charge $200 plus a night for a room but pay their employees very little in comparison.

Regardless, Mr. Dillon is on the right track.