Oppong Nkrumah: Gov’t Failing Cocoa Reform (LBCs Owed GH¢10bn, Old IMF Plan Ignored)
The Minority Spokesperson on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has criticised the government’s handling of cocoa sector reforms, arguing that a structured reform programme had already been agreed with the International Monetary Fund before the previous administration left office. Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on February 22, he said the current government has failed to implement the agreed framework and is instead pursuing what he described as marginal and detrimental measures, despite presenting them as a new reform plan. Amid ongoing concerns about financial pressures in the sector, he disclosed that since November 2025 Licensed Buying Companies have procured about GH¢10 billion worth of cocoa for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) without payment, and urged the government to financially support COCOBOD to enable it to settle the debt and sustain operations in the industry.
