The Majority in Parliament has urged President John Dramani Mahama to assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, dismissing concerns from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as “cheap propaganda.”
The Majority argues that the Bill will help guarantee cocoa farmers 70% of the world market price realised by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), ahead of the next cocoa season.
Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Keta, Kwami Dzudzorli Gakpey, defended Parliament’s passage of the legislation and called on the President to sign it without delay.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr Gakpey rejected the Minority’s objections, arguing that the concerns were aimed at frustrating the passage of the Bill.
He also defended provisions requiring authorisation from relevant environmental agencies before certain actions involving cocoa farms, drawing a comparison with existing environmental regulations.
“They are just doing cheap propaganda,” he said.
Mr Gakpey further stressed the need for the President to assent to the Bill urgently, given that the new cocoa season is approaching.
“I will urge the President, as a matter of urgency, to sign the Bill into law, and then we move on because the season is just coming,” he said.
He explained that Parliament considered the legislation under a certificate of urgency because of the need to have the new framework in place before the start of the season.
The call comes amid opposition from the Minority, which has asked President Mahama to return the Bill to Parliament to allow for broader stakeholder consultation.
The Minority has raised concerns about some provisions of the legislation and insists that further consultations with stakeholders are necessary before the Bill is enacted into law.
