The minority in Parliament has supported former president John Mahama’s assertions regarding the cocoa industry.
According to Mr. Mahama, the government’s inability to effectively manage the sector is the reason why the nation’s cocoa industry has lost some of its luster.
When Mahama spoke to party members and executives during a campaign stop in the Western North Region, he cited the government’s failure to annually adjust the producer price of cocoa as one of the factors that contributed to the sector’s demise.
The Ghana Cocoa Board responded to the allegations by refuting them all, calling the statement false and harmful to the cocoa industry.
In response to the latter response, COCOBOD management has been attacked by the ranking member of the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku, who has called their statement a sham.
Since then, the minority has emerged to support former president Mahama’s assertion, claiming that the Nana Addo-led administration has made COCOBOD’s situation worse.
“In 2017, the NDC handed over a prosperous and thriving cocoa industry with buffers in the cocoa stabilization fund, farmers’ welfare fund, depreciation fund, farmers’ housing fund, and others including GH₵29 million set aside for the rolling out of the cocoa farmers pension scheme envisaged under the P.N.D.C.L 81.
“Shockingly, the Akufo-Addo’s government has dissipated all these buffers within 6 years, leaving nothing for the industry to lean on in times of difficulties”.
Added that the CocoBod has suffered significant losses ever since Akufo Addo took office.
COCOBOD has yet to explain why the Nana Addo/Bawumia administration prevents the cocoa industry from being profitable. The losses for the following year are indicated by the records that are currently available.
GH₵’million
2017 395.0
2018 78.2
2019 320.6
2020 426.0
Meanwhile, according to Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) latest research and data obtained the NDC is most likely to win in both the presidential and parliamentary races.
The EIU made this forecast in its most recent report, which was made public on Friday, April 28, 2023.
In light of this, EIU stated that “The NDC stands a strong chance of winning the 2024 presidential election and securing a legislative majority.”
