By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
President of the Accountability Forum, Kwame Owusu Danso Esq has called for pragmatic solutions to address challenges facing the Cocoa Board, urging the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Randy Abbey to engage with stakeholders to identify and resolve issues.
He emphasized on GBC’s Focus show that, the challenges are resolvable and expressed frustration with ongoing complaints without action.
Addressing the statement by the CEO about inheriting debts, Owusu Danso highlighted that the complaints need to stop since inheriting assets also means inheriting liabilities, citing instances where governments have spoken on inheriting debts once they come into debts.
He therefore stressed the need for a productive conversation, involving all stakeholders, to present solutions and drive growth at the Cocoa Board.
His comments comes amid concerns over the board’s performance and the need for effective problem-solving to boost the cocoa industry. Stakeholders are urged to collaborate and provide actionable solutions to address the challenges and promote growth.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is facing a major crisis for which President John Dramani Mahama has called an emergency Cabinet meeting to address the issues plating the cocoa sector, including delayed payments to farmers and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs). The board owes over GH¢10 billion to LBCs, which has affected farmers’ livelihoods. CEO Randy Abbey attributes the problem to high production costs, legacy forward sales, and a retreat by international buyers due to Ghana’s high prices.
