Marijuana Instead Of Diamonds? Botswana’s New Leader Proposes Cannabis, Solar Energy To Create Jobs
Botswana’s new president, Duma Boko, delivered his first state of the nation address on Tuesday, during which he announced strategies to diversify the country’s diamond-dependent economy. One strategy includes launching the medical marijuana market, writes France 24.
“The decline in diamond revenues by over 60 percent in recent years is a clear signal that we can no longer afford to depend on a single commodity,” Boko said.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), diamonds account for 80% of Botswana’s exports, a quarter of its GDP, and a third of tax revenues, reports LeMonde. Since 2022, and following the rise of synthetic stones, diamond …