The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged President John Dramani Mahama not to assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and instead return it to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation.
The opposition party says the Bill was rushed through Parliament without adequate engagement with cocoa farmers, landowners and other key stakeholders in the cocoa sector.
The call was made by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Agriculture Committee and Co-Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee on Agriculture, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, at a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Sunday, August 9.
According to Dr Opoku, the Bill, which seeks to repeal the Ghana Cocoa Board Law, 1984 (PNDC Law 81), introduces significant changes to the governance and regulation of the cocoa industry.
He cited the proposed establishment of a tribunal, new governance arrangements and the creation of new offences as provisions that require thorough scrutiny and stakeholder input.
Dr Opoku said the Bill was laid before Parliament on July 28 and passed within the same week, leaving little room for meaningful consultation.
He argued that legislation with significant implications for the cocoa industry should not be passed without adequately engaging the farmers and other stakeholders who would be directly affected.
“We urge His Excellency the President to withhold his assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, and return the same to Parliament for broader stakeholder consultation,” he said.
The NPP also expressed concern over provisions in the Bill that restrict the destruction or uprooting of cocoa trees without prior authorisation.
Dr Opoku said the provision could unnecessarily limit farmers’ ability to manage their farms, particularly when dealing with diseased, unproductive or old cocoa trees.
He questioned why farmers should be required to seek prior approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board before removing trees they consider unsuitable or no longer productive.
The NPP argues that such restrictions could expose farmers to sanctions for routine farm management activities.
Dr Opoku maintained that any legislation that affects the rights and operations of cocoa farmers must be subjected to extensive consultation before it becomes law.
He said the implications of the proposed legislation could extend beyond current farmers and have consequences for the future development of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
The NPP is therefore calling on President Mahama to return the Bill to Parliament to allow for further scrutiny and engagement with cocoa farmers, landowners and other stakeholders.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
