The Ghana Cocoa Board informed Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that it incurred a loss of over 150,000 metric tonnes of cocoa beans due to smuggling in 2023.
Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the CEO of COCOBOD, disclosed this during his appearance before the committee on Tuesday morning.
Aidoo highlighted that cocoa production has dwindled due to illegal mining activities (galamsey) and disease outbreaks.
He emphasized that COCOBOD is working in collaboration with national security and other stakeholders and implementing farm rehabilitation programs to tackle these challenges.
However, members of the minority in the Public Accounts Committee have called for Aidoo’s immediate resignation, citing his alleged failure to address the institution’s current challenges effectively.
Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, expressed skepticism about why officials, like the CEO of COCOBOD, are still in position.
Muhammed questioned why Ghana, known for producing high-quality cocoa, has seen a decline in production compared to the Ivory Coast. He disputed attributing the decline solely to galamsey, stating that although galamsey has been a longstanding issue, its current impact on cocoa production is unprecedented.
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