The Minority in Parliament has voiced significant concerns about the management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), particularly criticizing the increasing administrative expenditures despite a notable decline in cocoa production. The Minority highlighted that while cocoa production has dropped to 655,000 tonnes over the last four years, COCOBOD’s head office expenditures have surged to approximately GH¢3.4 billion in 2023.
During an interaction with journalists in Accra, the Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku, expressed deep concern over the apparent mismatch between the organization’s output and its rising administrative costs.
“In 2023, cocoa production declined further to 655,000 tonnes, but office expenditure did not decline. Instead, it increased to GH¢3.4 billion. And the Auditor General reports to Parliament that this is largely due to headquarters expenditure,” Opoku stated. He further pointed out the disparity in spending, noting, “So COCOBOD head office alone is expending GH¢3.4 billion, while the entire Ministry of Agriculture is expending something around GH¢2.7 billion. Isn’t that strange?”
Opoku also raised questions about the priorities of COCOBOD’s management, particularly in relation to the welfare of cocoa producers. “The producers are sweating every day to get the cocoa for us. They complain of water, they complain of bad roads, they complain of so many things, and they are not getting them. Even look at the producer price that we give them, and yet you spend your money this way in the office. So are you growing the cocoa in the office or in the bush?” he questioned.
The concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament underscore the need for a critical examination of COCOBOD’s expenditure and management practices, especially in light of the challenges faced by cocoa farmers and the broader implications for Ghana’s cocoa industry.
Source: ghmediahub
