Economies rising - but are they taking the people with them?

I recently attended a conference on Liberia for some 300 investors and potential investors.During this, I heard very many positive statements from companies that have already invested in the country and praise for the remarkable recovery it has made since the war finally ended in 2006.

The biggest ventures are in mining and palm oil plantations, though there was also talk of housing projects and even tourist beaches.President Johnson Sirleaf was originally on the billing but pulled out. Many people would have liked to have heard her speak, and I would have welcomed the opportunity to ask her why she appointed three of her sons as ministers.