A call has been made for the Ghana Cocoa Board to be shifted back to the Finance Ministry from its current position at the Food and Agriculture Ministry, as participants at the National Economic Dialogue have recommended.
During the 2-day National Economic Dialogue held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), government was urged to reconsider the placement of the Board, emphasizing the importance of staying within its core mandate.
Previously under the Finance Ministry, the COCOBOD was moved to different ministries under the previous administration, ultimately ending up at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The recent legal proposal passed in Parliament aimed to formalize this relocation.
Participants at the dialogue specified that returning the COCOBOD to the Finance Ministry would ensure a focused approach on its primary function of enhancing sector efficiency and safeguarding the interests of farmers, while promoting initiatives such as land reclamation and increased cocoa production.
Dr Kofi Kodua Sarpong, former CEO of GNPC, stressed that the COCOBOD’s primary focus should be on cocoa trading rather than extraneous activities such as road construction.
Calling for a coordinated effort to combat illegal mining and boost agricultural output, he proposed a shift away from subsistence farming towards larger plantations and improved agronomic practices.
The recommendation also included streamlining procurement processes to guarantee value for money and safeguarding the company’s operations from government monetary policies.
Moreover, there was a push for a governance review of the COCOBOD to ensure professional management, accountability, and transparency through public reporting.
