Pressure is intensifying on the government to urgently address the crisis at Produce Buying Company Limited (PBC), after workers revealed they have not been paid salaries for more than 27 months.
The workers say the prolonged delay in salary payments has pushed many employees and their families into severe financial hardship, despite repeated assurances that the company would be revived and repositioned to play a leading role in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 11, 2026, the workers accused authorities of failing to follow through on commitments to restore the once-dominant cocoa purchasing firm to stability and profitability.
Their concerns come months after public pledges by President John Dramani Mahama and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to restructure and strengthen PBC’s operations. According to the workers, those assurances have yet to translate into meaningful improvements in their working conditions or the company’s financial health.
They explained that expectations for a turnaround were raised during the 2024 election campaign, when President Mahama, during visits to cocoa-producing communities such as Enchi, Debiso, Sefwi Wiawso, and Kumasi, promised to restore the company to its “past glory.” Similar commitments were reportedly repeated after the elections and earlier this year.
However, the workers say the reality on the ground has worsened. They point to persistent financial challenges, including inadequate working capital, which they say has disrupted operations and weakened PBC’s competitiveness in the cocoa purchasing industry.
The workers also raised concerns about the government’s takeover of the Buipe Shea Processing Factory, a subsidiary of PBC. While they did not oppose state intervention, they urged authorities to ensure the arrangement does not further strain the company’s finances. They called for either the return of the facility to PBC or the removal of related debts from the company’s books.
The unions also highlighted long-standing pay disparities and poor conditions of service. According to them, drivers earn about GH¢1,000 monthly, clerical staff between GH¢1,200 and GH¢1,500, while some senior staff receive between GH¢2,050 and GH¢3,500 despite holding advanced academic and professional qualifications. They further noted that salary increments have not been implemented for over a decade, while casual workers have reportedly gone more than 36 months without allowances.
Describing the situation as dire, the workers warned that the prolonged crisis is taking a heavy toll on staff welfare.
“Staff are dying from an inability to afford hospital bills. We cannot pay our wards’ school fees, and feeding our families has become next to impossible,” the statement said.
The workers are therefore calling on government to move beyond promises and take immediate steps to stabilise the company, settle outstanding arrears, and protect jobs.
“You promised to create jobs; please do not collapse an existing one,” the appeal concluded.
