The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana has welcomed government’s decision to allow the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to have oversight responsibility over the activities of COCOBOD.
Speaking to Citi Business News, President of the Concerned Farmers Association, Nana Oboadie Obampour Boateng Bonsu the II, said the move is in the right direction.
“Even during Acheampong’s time there was Minister for Cocoa Affairs and the Minister was there just to make sure that the needs of cocoa were met. But in this present situation, everything lies with COCOBOD. Now that it would be under the Ministry of Agric, things can be done well and we will know how to strategize. This will improve the production of cocoa in the country.”
Parliament last week approved the Ghana Cocoa Board Amendment Bill, which when assented to by the President, will move COCOBOD from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
This follows Parliament’s approval of the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill under a certificate of urgency.
The Ministry of Finance currently exercises responsibility over the board.
The Attorney General, Madam Gloria Akuffo, who laid the Bill before parliament, indicated that its approval would be addressing a long-standing irregularity.
“There is agreement both for and against; that it is the Ministry of Finance as we speak, that factually and actually exercises responsibility for Ghana Cocoa Board. We should all agree that the arrangement in so far as it is agreed that the objective is to allow the Ministry of Agric to have oversight over COCOBOD.”
“I think we should move away from the impression that too much is being added on to the responsibility of the Ministry of Agric because the question that it poses Mr. Speaker, is whether or not if the status quo is maintained, the Ministry of Agric will be a special purpose vehicle without any other function. I think the response is clear, and for that reason we should rather seek to rectify an anomaly that has prevailed for too long and grant the amendment”