Government and managements of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) have been advised to rescue the Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC) from total collapse.
The Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC), manufacturers of chocolate and other cocoa products in Ghana has shut down two of its three factories at Tema due to operational challenges.
A letter from the company formally announcing the shutdown on Monday January 26, 2016 to its staff also directed over 1,000 workers to stay at home as part of their annual leave.
Speaking Wednesday on Adom FM’s current affairs show “Burning Issues” with Afia Pokua, a Cocoa Consultant, Nelson Kpodo-Tay said government and the COCOBOD must intervene in the matter.
“If they are broke to carry out operations, government and COCOBOD must take it upon themselves to salvage them from collapsing” he added.
“That factory should not be allowed to rundown and the President should not allow it to rundown as well” the Cocoa Consultant stressed.
He also urges the management of the Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC) to overhaul the company’s activities to ensure sustainability.
“I’m not talking about personnel or the managers in the company but the entire systems needs to bridge the linkages” he added.
Meanwhile, a representative of CPC Board, Francis Aloko, said the company is facing financial challenges. He said CPC was expecting COCOBOD to provide them with enough cocoa beans when the company resumes full operation.
Francis Aloko also called on government to right off debts of the company as it did for some public institutions.
He added that galamsey activities are affecting cocoa production because some people are destroying cocoa farms for galamsey activities.
Contributing to the factors that led to the shutdown of CPC and the way forward on “Burning Issues” the Minority spokesperson on Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto says government must pay critical attention to the Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC).
He said the cocoa sector and the entire agriculture sector needs the support of government, adding that the government must stop playing propaganda with the sector.
Dr. Afriyie-Akoto noted that government must also revamp the agricultural sector by allocating more fund to the sector as cocoa is the backbone of Ghana’s economy.
The Cocoa Processing Company is a Ghanaian cocoa processing company formed in 1981. They are listed on the stock index of the Ghana Stock Exchange.
Its chocolate varieties include Tetteh Quarshie Bar, Kingsbite, Oranco bar, Akuafo Bar, Portem Pride, Portem Nut, Coffeechoc, Choco-Bake, Choco Delight (chocolate spread), Groundnut Coated with Chocolate (Pebbles (Chocolate dragees)) and Royal Natural Cocoa Powder.
By Abednego Asante Asiedu
