Automate system of payment to save our lives – Cocoa purchasing clerks decry

Cocoa purchasing clerks in the Kwabibirem district in the Eastern Region are calling for the introduction of automated payment systems for business transactions as their lives are in constant danger of being attacked by armed robbers in the course of their work.

According to them, their job has become life-threatening due to the rise in armed robbery attacks on cocoa purchasing clerks, their district managers and various cocoa license buying companies(LBCs) and the making away with huge sums of monies which affects their operations. This, to a large extent, affects Ghana’s position of being the world’s second largest exporter of cocoa.

A victim of a recent robbery attack, Alex Budu a purchasing clerk from Akim Ntronang recounted to Agric Today Media how he was attacked in his home. “I was attacked in my own house and sums of money and my belongings were taken away but I thank God my life was spared and I am alive today.”

Another purchasing clerk at Akim Abodom, Kofi Takyi said he was dismayed when it was reported to him that two of his colleagues have been attacked and killed in the Western Region. “I was shocked when it was announced that two of my colleagues and a district manager have been attacked in the Western Region."

“He further added that he has to disguise himself whenever he goes for money from the district manager to buy cocoa beans for the farmers. He explained that due to the nature of their work they and their families are now targets for the robbers.

The cocoa purchasing clerks and the district managers are therefore calling on government and stakeholders to help digitize system of receiving payment from the farmers. This according to them will curb the alarming rate of attacks on their lives.

"I wish the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Cocoa Board and the various License Buying Companies would automate the payment system of the cocoa beans we purchased from the local farmers in our societies. It would be very appropriate if the payments could be done through the means like the Mobile Money, E-zwich and bank cheques transactions to ease the risk of handling huge sums of money and save our lives as well.” Kwasi Adjei, a cocoa purchasing clerk from Akim Bomso said.