COCOBOD CEO must not be in office after losses incurred - Minority

The Minority in Parliament has demanded the removal of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo.

According to them, the COCOBOD registered losses last year, and this has grossly affected the sector.

The Minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson said the COCOBOD is collapsing, even though the government has increased the farm gate prices of cocoa.

He also said there are high levels of incompetence and corruption happening at the COCOBOD.

“Clearly, something is amiss at COCOBOD because we are seeing the production of cocoa coming down to the lowest in the last fifteen years and we have also seen them recording massive losses since 2017. Last year, according to their own audit report, we declared a loss of GH¢2.4 billion in one year and so I don’t see why the CEO should be in office despite these happenings,” he said.

The Minority also said the government has not been fair to cocoa farmers in its recent price increases for the new 2023/2024 cocoa season.

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The government announced the increase in cocoa prices from GH¢800 to GH¢1300 per bag.

The Deputy Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku, said the government gave cocoa farmers “peanuts”.

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