The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has denied claims by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on the payment of some allowances to directors of the Board.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa stated that, “Discussions on government expenditure cuts must assume a much broader scope. Take the Ghana Cocoa Board which somehow managed to make massive losses of GH¢320.6million in the 2019 financial year; strangely, its Board of Directors have decided to pay themselves: Board of Directors Fees, Sitting Allowances, Inconvenience Allowances and Overnight Allowances.”
“Why should it ever be an inconvenience to be called to serve your country? Should that not be the greatest honour? In any case, who put a gun to anybody’s head to accept an appointment to the Ghana Cocoa Board? Also, what animal is Overnight Allowance?” he questioned.
But the Ghana Cocoa Board, in a response to these comments described the MP’s assertions as misleading.
A statement issued by management clarified that “the Board of Directors in 2017 upon swearing-in, inherited the Board’s Fees and Allowance regime. This became the basis for the payment of allowances to members of the Board. On the issue of Inconvenience Allowance, members were paid a tax-inclusive amount of GH¢1,500 for off-site meetings.
The statement continued, “The Ministry of Finance later issued a new remuneration regime which did not include Board Fees and Inconvenience Allowances. COCOBOD in compliance with the new regime has since stopped the payment of Board Fees and Inconvenience Allowances.”
COCOBOD further pledged its commitment to comply with the Board’s remuneration regime as directed by the Ministry of Finance.
