Botswana’s rough diamond exports have risen by 16 percent to BWP11.5 billion ($1.8 billion.) in the first six months of 2008. But as Diamond Trading Company has been directly selling the roughs to its sightholders, the Bank of Botswana indicated a slip in rough diamond exports between the first and second quarter of the year. While in Q1 the exports valued at BWP6.4 billion ($976 million), in Q2 they amounted to BWP5.107 billion ($779 million). %% The Bank has not considered in its counting for exports, those rough goods which were sold to local companies for cutting and polishing.