The Minority in Parliament has raised alarm over the Ghana Cocoa Board’s (COCOBOD) escalating administrative costs, which have ballooned to a staggering GH¢3.4 billion, even as cocoa production in the country continues to decline.
In a press briefing held on Wednesday, August 7, in Accra, Eric Opoku, the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs, voiced the caucus’s concerns. He criticized COCOBOD for what he termed as a misuse of funds that should have been directed towards supporting cocoa farmers.
Opoku pointed out that cocoa production has seen a significant drop, reaching just 655,000 tonnes over the past four years. However, despite this decline, COCOBOD’s head office expenditure has surged, with the organization spending more on its headquarters than the entire Ministry of Agriculture, which expended approximately GH¢2.7 billion.
“In 2023, cocoa production dropped further to 655,000 tonnes, but instead of reducing office expenditures, COCOBOD increased it to GH¢3.4 billion. The Auditor General’s report indicates that this massive expenditure is largely due to costs at the headquarters. So, the COCOBOD head office alone is spending GH¢3.4 billion, while the entire Ministry of Agriculture spends around GH¢2.7 billion. Isn’t that strange?” Opoku questioned.
He further highlighted the hardships faced by cocoa farmers, who continually grapple with challenges such as inadequate water supply, poor road conditions, and low producer prices. Opoku lambasted COCOBOD for prioritizing office expenditures over the welfare of the farmers, sarcastically asking, “Are you growing the cocoa in the office or in the bush?”
The Minority is urging COCOBOD to adopt more prudent financial practices and to channel funds towards improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, who are the backbone of the industry.
