The Minority in Parliament has expressed concerns over the management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), highlighting a troubling rise in administrative expenditures despite a significant decline in cocoa production.
The caucus pointed out that while cocoa production has decreased to 655,000 tonnes over the past four years, COCOBOD’s head office expenditure has surged dramatically, reaching approximately GH¢3.4 billion in 2023.
During a press interaction in Accra on Wednesday, the Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku, voiced these concerns.
“In 2023, cocoa production declined further to 655,000 but office expenditure did not decline. It increased to GH¢3.4 billion.
And the Auditor General reports to Parliament that this is largely due to headquarters expenditure.
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 remarked, emphasizing the disparity between production costs and administrative spending.
Opoku further criticized the allocation of funds within COCOBOD, questioning the priorities of the board in light of the hardships faced by 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, they are not getting them.
“Even look at the producer price that we give them and you spend your money this way in the office. So are you growing the cocoa in the office or in the bush?” he asked, urging for a reevaluation of spending to better support the nation’s cocoa farmers.
