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Contributions from
the Column
Facts and trends
“It’s still a long way to peace in Sudan”
Journalists
No new approval procedures for export credit guarantees in Germany
Drugs and development: harm reduction strategies
Smaller volume of German arms exports
Kenya, Angola: billions missing
Afghan economy growing – so is the drug trade
Health services
2/2004
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[ Afghan economy growing – so is the drug trade ]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) finds that the Karzai government’s sound financial policy and international development assistance are starting to produce results. In a report on the state of the Afghan economy presented at the end of December, the IMF detects clear signs of fairly long-term economic upswing in Afghanistan. One threat to such recovery, however, is seen in the resurgence of drug farming, because it fosters corruption. According to a January comment in The Christian Science Monitor, drug production last year accounted for 40 percent of the total output of the Afghan economy. Drug trafficking is regarded as the biggest obstacle to a stable Afghanistan. All attempts to get the drug economy under control have so far failed. Britain’s idea of paying farmers to destroy poppy fields has even led to an increase in production, the authors say. They conclude: “There is no time to wait for ‘crop alternatives’ before tackling the problem. The growth of poppies has already been declared illegal, and Kabul should start enforcing the policy with a vigorous eradication program.” (ell)
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