Dr. K. K Sarpong
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been urged to focus on its core business of facilitating the production, processing and marketing of cocoa among others rather than constructing roads.
Business and Executive Consultant, Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong, in a presentation on structural Policy Reforms at the National Economic Dialogue 2025 said funds should be provided to the Department of feeder roads to be considered for road construction in the cocoa growing areas.
“We recommend to the government that COCOBOD should focus on its core business of buying and selling cocoa. In effect, it has no business doing roads, and we think that must stop forthwith. The Department of Feeder Roads is there, and arrangements can be made for them to look at cocoa roads.
COCOBOD should also conduct procurement efficiently to ensure value for money,” he said.
Dr. Sarpong said given the nature of the cocoa industry which is largely on a peasant scale, the government needs to develop holistic plan to stop illegal mining also referred to as ‘galamsey’ to help increase cocoa production.
The stakeholders also recommended that COCOBOD continues to import farm inputs but should however sell them at market prices without subsidizing them.
According to him, removing the subsidies on imported inputs will reduce government cost and prevent farmers from smuggling cocoa beans to other countries while urging government to encourage farmers to embark on large scale plantations.
He also emphasised the need for COCOBOD to separate its operations from the monetary policy of government while encouraging cocoa buying companies to prefinance cocoa farmers.
Dr. Sarpong further indicated that such support will go a long way to prevent the management of COCOBOD from borrowing more to meet its debt obligations due to forward sales.
“We have seen that there is weak governance just like ECG and obviously political interference in management and procurement. We should review the governance structure of COCOBOD so that it should be professionally run, made accountable and transparent through public reporting,” he added.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah